Assuming you use quality ingredients and brewing techniques are carried out correctly, is there difference in taste, quality, appearance between extract and all grain batches. In other words, in a blind taste test could you identify which was which?
Extract versus all grain?
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Since a lot of extract beer beats a lot of all-grain beer in competitions, I would say you cannot tell the difference if everything is done correctly.
TheHappyHopper
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Some people claim they can taste when a beer is brewed with extract - but personally I have my doubts. Maybe people who are more skilled in beer judging can, but I don't think the typical craft beer drinker can.
In fact, recently my brother-in-law and I both brewed the Bavarian Wheat recipe from Midwest Supplies. It was the same recipe, but his was all extract and mine was converted to a partial mash. We did a blind taste test and couldn't tell much of a difference. Looking at them you could tell because the extract version was much darker due to the LME caramelizing during the boil.
In fact, recently my brother-in-law and I both brewed the Bavarian Wheat recipe from Midwest Supplies. It was the same recipe, but his was all extract and mine was converted to a partial mash. We did a blind taste test and couldn't tell much of a difference. Looking at them you could tell because the extract version was much darker due to the LME caramelizing during the boil.
Psylocide
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Well... that's an error in process though. LME shouldn't be added until flameout, which will prevent carmelization (new word).
TheHappyHopper
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You know, I originally spelled it "carmelizing" but it wanted to correct it to "caramelizing" so I went with it...I guess I should have trusted my instincts, back in the 8th grade I did win the school spelling bee after all...
And all the directions i have read on kits indicate to add it for either a full boil or atleast 1/2.
But that is why my pale ale is not so pale
I have been told by those on here to add 1/2 midway, then 1/2 at flame out.
Maybe I will try after flame out!
Psylocide
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Didn't mean that to be a dick, I spelled it wrong and spell check didn't catch it, so I rolled with it. Lol.
I am one who can taste extracts in beer. Partial mashes are better than all extract. I wish I converted to all grain when I first started.
It depends on who's writing the instructions. I have seen it several ways and each way influences the results differently i.e.hop utilization and color. Figure out what you want out of your beer and go for it. If your looking for consistency switching the procedure will not give you that
Here is a good comparison blog post/ beer experiment http://brulosophy.com/2014/07/21/extract-vs-all-grain-exbeeriment-results/
watermelon83
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+1 for brewing all-grain. I fixed everything else in my process first, but still wish I would have switched earlier.
madscientist451
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If you already have a brew pot, you can go all grain for less than $10 by using BIAB. You can add a mash tun later.
Some brewers in my beer club make really great beer from extract and I wouldn't have known if they didn't tell me.
With BIAB your investment would be a paint strainer bag (about $5 for 2 at Home Depot) and the time would be about the same as extract with steeping grains. The cost of grain vs extract makes the dollar investment pay back in less than one batch. To get great efficiency you would want your grains milled finer than what is the norm from the various LHBS's so ask for double milled or spring for your own mill. I bought a cheap Corona style mill and figure that it took about 3 batches for the difference in cost of grain vs extract to pay for it.
If I could do it all over again, this is how I would have made the jump to all grain. I am still temped on occasion despite having all the stuff for my gravity 3-tier. One large pot and one big bag...and a hoist in my case...done.
Try BIAB once with a small batch. If you don't like it you're only out the price of the bag.
I switched over to All-Grain not too long ago. I'm not sure yet if it makes the beer taste better/different, but for me, the brewing process is more fun now. I enjoy the mashing stage and seeing & smelling the grains when mashing. You don't get that smell with extracts. Since I built my own mash tun and manifold, it's also more fun seeing my project working correctly and being used.
you can create sparging equipment with a plastic basin, then you just need one pot to mash/boil:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bloM0ncq7I0/VKkbwyOte0I/AAAAAAAACl8/mE_E857hFcI/s1600/20150103_100951.jpg
hanuswalrus
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I went all-grain about 3 months ago and now I'm even more obsessed with brewing than I was when I was doing extract. It's a bit more satisfying knowing that YOU brewed it from the beginning of the process, to the end.Sure it's more work, but it's totally worth it if you ask me.
Psylocide
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^ This, a million times.
If you're worried about the cost to buy new equipment, I got 3 paint strainer bags at Menards for $3.98.
I bought nothing else. Crushed grain in my blender.
I saved ~$25 on this all grain batch vs. extract... I would've brewed anyway, so there is $25 I can put towards new equipment. I don't think I'll ever go three vessel because of the ease of BIAB, so the only thing I'm planning to buy is a decent mill and a new boil kettle.
I would really like a 15 gal kettle with a basket, just for the added ease and to do bigger batches, but I'm getting by OK with my 7 gal kettle for now doing 5.5 gal batches.
That's nearly enough to buy this mill. http://www.discounttommy.com/p-189-...er-for-wheat-grains-or-use-as-a-nut-mill.aspx
It's the mill I've been using. Of course, I don't get great efficiency from my mashes using that mill. I only average about 85%.:cross:
mikeasu
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I went to AG about a year and a half ago - no sparge, plastic cooler, copper manifold. I'll say I've loved all of my AG beers. My extract beers - some had a taste I associate with extract - don't know how to describe it. Not all, but some. But all of my AG beers just seem to have more and better flavor. Hit my gravity and volume targets better now then when I started AG - that's the challenge now for me - is repeatability and accuracy.
noblesquirrel
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Probably not. You just think you can. Really fresh, high quality DME in anything but the lightest flavored beers is virtually indistinguishable. Now i you're using the liquid stuff, particularly if it has any age or O2 exposure to it, I could see. The main reason people *think* they can taste the difference is a function of old ingredients coupled with extract typically being the realm of novice brewers in the past. With the proliferation of high quality extracts and increased information availability, that gap is practically closed. Now, odds are pretty good that I can tell if a brewer has either just started brewing or just doesn't care, so long as it's got plenty of alcohol vs. someone who is thoughtful, takes their time and researches and has true confidence in their brewing; they tend to make the best beers...
Well I'll say this, AG opens up world of possibilities that you just can't achieve doing extract batches. With so many different malts, adjuncts, and process variations you can tweak a recipe to as fine a degree as you care to. And extract is a sticky mess...
estricklin
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The point I was going to make, although the variety of extracts is growing all the time.
I would say extract is not inferior to all grain, assuming you can get the extract that you want/need to make the appropriate flavor profile your reaching for.
Yep, completely agree. I've tasted some damn fine extract brews.
william_shakes_beer
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For me the real challenge in extract is not knowing exactly what the grain bill was for the extract. In theory it should be 5 LMS base malt ( 2 row or 6 row) but those details are not published. If you go from one brand light DME to another, you have no control over how our beer's taste could shift.
donovanlambright
Active Member
I'm glad I went all-grain but I wish I had gotten temperature control worked out first. Controlling the temp of your fermentation will make a much bigger difference to the quality of your beer than progressing to all-grain.
I'm going to fix that this spring by building a fermentation chamber.
I'm going to fix that this spring by building a fermentation chamber.
I agree temp control is paramount, but nothing that an ice batch / tee shirt can't overcome.
Sir-Hops-A-Lot
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In "The Joy of Homebrewing" Papazian states that there is no difference in quality and that he often forgets when he's used extract or all grain.
One of my friends continued to brew extract kits from the LBS after I switched to all grain and the constant use of light LME as a base malt meant that there was a consistent quality that became really boring. I know you can get different bases of extract pretty easily in the US but here in Winnipeg the all grain switch was the only way to change up your base malts.
One of my friends continued to brew extract kits from the LBS after I switched to all grain and the constant use of light LME as a base malt meant that there was a consistent quality that became really boring. I know you can get different bases of extract pretty easily in the US but here in Winnipeg the all grain switch was the only way to change up your base malts.
Let me know how the fermentation chamber build goes - I'm interested in doing the same.
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