Extract vs All grain

[BrewerinBR]

with all grain brewing I can choose to brew what I want... in a manner that I want to.
If I want to use toasted oatmeal or raw rice in a cereal mash I can. I can make beer taste the way I think it should it taste. I can find exotic wild grains and use them to make wonderful delicious radical brews.... I can step mash or do a decoction or combine the techniques. I can purchase fresh grain in bulk and plan my brews in advance or change the grain on a whim and the rye I found and malted in the forest field.

So yes there is a difference... both processes can make great beer and both can make some not so good.

Depends on you, what you want and what you like .... take it as far as you like!!!
just ENJOY!

 

[Bobby_M]

Oh, neat, this thread again. Just kidding, I don't think anyone has debated this before.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Bis-quick? BIS-QUICK? What sort of twisted perversions are you trying to spread here? Clearly you are not only wrong, but morally degenerate. You are a threat to brewers and small children alike. Better to isolate you someplace where you can do no further damage and scientists can dissect your brain to find out just what went wrong so that we can spare future generations similar indignity. Bis-quick indeed. Have you no shame, man??

Mmmmm...Bis-quick pancakes are life savers after an all-nighter basement beer and music jam session. I guess I am morally degenerate.

Ahem. Sorry. You're totally right.

That's better. Can you pass the margarine and Aunt Jemima? Thanks...

 

[boydster]

Extract is like getting a burger from Mcdonalds and adding your own cheese. All-grain is like raising your own cow, using the milk to make your own cheese, then butchering the cow with hand-made tools and grinding the meat with just your hands and deeply ingrained anger for the burger, and making the buns with wheat that you genetically modified in your own basement lab.

Yeah. I believe that. I'm going to go make a burger in 3 years.

Ok seriously, this is a tireless debate that always ends with "do what works best for you." Sometimes I buy pumpkin pie instead of making it. Sometimes I want to make my croissants from scratch even though it takes longer than making the stuff in the cardboard tubes. Sometimes I make beer with grains, other times I like using DME. Almond Joys got nuts, Mounds don't.

Control vs speed and simplicity. There are times when each is more preferable than the other. Except Mounds are always better than Almond Joys. Duh.

 

[3PegBrew]

Pancakes sound good right now.

 

[Demus]

If you don't like the debate why reply to a thread titled "extract vs all grain"?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Brewing my first AG Wednesday.
My reason for AG is I want to eventually design and make my own brew from scratch. Brewing the extracts for the past 8 months gave me the chance to hone my processes and learn-learn-learn.
Same with AG...I will brew at least 10 AG recipes from NB before I attempt to design a beer. So much to learn...and drink.

 

[RM-MN]

Brewing my first AG Wednesday.
My reason for AG is I want to eventually design and make my own brew from scratch. Brewing the extracts for the past 8 months gave me the chance to hone my processes and learn-learn-learn.
Same with AG...I will brew at least 10 AG recipes from NB before I attempt to design a beer. So much to learn...and drink.

Why so many kits? There are plenty of recipes in the database here on Homebrewtalk and lots of ways to modify one of those to make it your own. I start with a recipe that looks good and then when I look at my grain supply or hops I find that I don't have quite all the right ingredients so I substitute what looks like it should be similar. I'm not designing a beer from scratch but that change or changes makes the beer different from what was intended so it is "my" recipe.

 

[WileECoyote]

Cost and control are the biggest differences that I've noticed. Cost of initial investment is quickly made up by the lower cost per batch.

This ^^^^^^^

Be a controle freak, go AG. $12 to $18 a 5 gal batch excluding equipment cost is really nice for a quality craft beer.

Cheers

 

[DrWill]

This ^^^^^^^

Be a controle freak, go AG. $12 to $18 a 5 gal batch excluding equipment cost is really nice for a quality craft beer.

Cheers

I'm all about being a control freak. You can tell by looking at what an ass I am on the forums.

 

[Demus]

Everyone gets into brewing for different reasons. The common variable is the love of beer. Like most endeavors, there's a learning curve involved. Brewing is kind of a cooking hobby, where a consumable product is produced. You can advance on many different levels. Equipment and techniques can grow more complex, and your skills using them can improve. The end result is what we're all after, quality brew. It's not about which technique is best, it's about how you can achieve your desired goal. Some brews require more skills and techniques, some don't. I also like to cook. When I was 10 I could make PB&J and grilled cheese. Now a days folks rave about my cedar plank salmon, but I still bust out a grilled cheese now and then, and still enjoy it.

Why am I rattling on? Cause I LOVE BEER!!! I think we will all agree that we improve and advance over time. All grain isn't "better", it's a more advanced way of making beer from more raw ingredients. It gives you more control, but increases the opportunity for errors. It gives you more potential as a brewer, but doesn't guarantee success. One thing is for certain, people who continue to advance and improve get better at things, people who stick with one way generally don't excel...

 

[VikingChrisColby]

I think the main difference is the convenience of malt extract vs. the control of brewing from malted grains. Also, all-grain offers more flexibility because there are more types of malted base grains than there are light or pale malt extracts made from them. In addition, you can use starchy adjuncts.

I elaborate a bit, here:

http://beerandwinejournal.com/go-all-grain/


Chris Colby
Editor
beerandwinejournal.com

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Why so many kits? There are plenty of recipes in the database here on Homebrewtalk and lots of ways to modify one of those to make it your own. I start with a recipe that looks good and then when I look at my grain supply or hops I find that I don't have quite all the right ingredients so I substitute what looks like it should be similar. I'm not designing a beer from scratch but that change or changes makes the beer different from what was intended so it is "my" recipe.

Oh I will definitely alter recipes sooner than 10 as I did with extracts.
What I meant was design a beer from thin air. Just something I want to do...I have this IPA in my head that has key limes added to it....sounds like it should work.

 

[skw]

Not that it matters but what I recommend to new brewers is:

1. Learn & get comfortable with how beer is made - start simple with Mr. Beer or Extract on stove
2. Take the next step to improve the quality control of your beer by embracing yeast health - proper pitching rates through starters, etc
3. Ratchet up your quality again by investing in fermentation temperature controls
4. Master homebrewing by going all grain (including BIAB), never fearing to brew extract or partials when you feel like it

I fully agree. First learn how to make yeast happy, then go AG. You don't want to invest in equipment, do a 6 hour brew day only to end up with 6gallons of horrible brew that was under pitched and fermented far too hot.