I've done 4 extract batches in the 4 months since I started. Santa's bringing me most of what I need to go all grain, so maybe one more extract batch until then.
Well, I'm glad you got your answers and presented before I chimed in.
Been brewing almost 14 years and I still use extract.
But recently I've been slowly building up the equipment to go AG.
I'm personally going to go against convention and hit the all-grain bandwagon as soon as I can afford the proper equipment for it. Right now, I'm just brewing from beer kits and investing in kegging and fermenting gear.
It has been very interesting reading how everyone has progressed in their brewing. There weren't resources like this around when I got started and the guy in the homebrew shop in my town got pissed when you walked thru the door,.(shop didnt make it that long).
I did maybe six or seven kits over the course of a year before going all grain. I am a little different from the other posters because I do go back every now and then. Sometimes I just don't have the free time for weeks on end, and the good folks at Coopers help keep the pipeline full with relatively little time and work invested.
Of course nothing beats a full brewday when I have the time, especially now that the process is dialed in.
I never did extract. For me, extract is to home brew what boxed brownies are to baking. 90% of the skill and art is in the mashing.
Haven't read the thread, so I'm probably not saying anything new.
There is no all-grain boogyman. The only reasons to do extract that I can think of are:
1) make sure you will stick with it before buying necessary equipment for AG
2) no space for AG equipment
3) no desire to spend extra time or effort on AG brew day
4) no immediate cash for AG equipment upgrades
Other than #1 above, I would argue there is no reason for anybody to ever brew an extract batch, so long as they have the desire and resources to do AG. #1 is a pretty good reason to do several though.
As for me, I did probably 6 extract batches, which all sucked. For whatever reason, I could not brew a good beer with extract. No idea why.
Even if I could brew extracts that taste good, I wouldn't. I enjoy the AG process too much to ever skip those steps.
Still just extract - maybe 100 batches later. Including one third place IPA in a Philadelphia Beer Week invitational event this past summer. Don't believe those who say you can't make good extract beers.
I just don't have the time, space or inclination to try all grain.
Enter your email address to join: