New Homebrewer - Extract to All-Grain

[Architect-Dave]

I have brewed about a dozen extract recipes. i am leaning towards the Anvil 10.5 unit that will do 5 gallons of all-grain brewing. I am on the fence about it because of my investment in the equipment I have. I was wondering if there was a big difference in all-grain verses extract…I am a hobby brewer who loves beer and loves to share. So, for a hobbyist, is it worth spending the 500 plus on an all-grain unit? I would love to be able to customize the recipes and play around with different grains, etc…but needed to be talked either into getting an all-grain unit or not…

 

[brewbama]

When I switched to all grain I used the same kettle and heat source I used when I brewed with extract. The all-in-one units are basically BIAB except they use a basket. Get yourself a basket (or bag) and you’re all set. Some of them recirculate. If you want to add that feature get some hose, a few fittings, a small pump, drill a hole in the lid and there ya go. All-in-one.

 

[Sammy86]

So, for a hobbyist, is it worth spending the 500 plus on an all-grain unit?

It really depends on how far you want to take the hobby. You see alot of people buy all the fancy gear and then they are out 6 months later.

All grain is great because as you said the customization and creativity that comes with it.

You need to decide if it's worth the cash to invest in a hobby.

 

[jtratcliff]

The all-in-one units are basically BIAB except they use a basket. Get yourself a basket (or bag) and you’re all set.

This right here...

You can try out all grain for the price of a bag.... See if you enjoy the extra steps.

It's easier to have an 8-10 gallon kettle for full 5 gallon batches (depending on O.G) but you can dunk sparge or pour-over sparge if needed. There's no need to go all-in on an AiO to try all grain.

On the other hand, you can also do extract in an AiO... It's just a big electric kettle after all. If you're looking for an excuse to buy the Anvil, you can comfort yourself with the knowledge that if you don't care for all grain, you can go back to extract and keep using your shiny new AiO system.

I switched from stovetop BIAB to a budget AiO (Klarstein Maischfest... a Mash & Boil clone, for $150). So far I really enjoy using it.

 

[NSMikeD]

Extract to BIAB is not a big leap. The hardest part is temperature control. There are a number of options, other than keeping one eye on a thermometer and an other on the burner, one can add on later. The pot needs to be large enough to hold both the water and grain (full volume single step mash is the easiest form of mashing to start with).

IMO, the advantage of an AIO (other than less equipment) is the temperature control. An AIO will automate mash temps and then ramp up to the boil. Once you boil from there it's the same process and extract.

IMO, your money is better spent on getting a fridge and controller for fermenting before spending on an AIO (note: I have the anvil foundry 6.5 AIO).

Whether you think the $500 is worth it, that's a personal question only you can answer. The AIO is easier to brew beer and Anvil has very good tutorial videos. For me, the $375+ of the 6.5 (I brew 2.5 gal batches) was absolutely worth it. The ease of mash temp control and ease of clean up makes my brew day much more enjoyable. I can't imagine going back to pots on the stove top.

 

[Drewch]

When I switched to all grain I used the same kettle and heat source I used when I brewed with extract. The all-in-one units are basically BIAB except they use a basket. Get yourself a basket (or bag) and you’re all set. . . .

This. Grab a cheap bag off the internet and try a couple of all-grain batches on the cheap before you drop 100s on any new hardware.

 

[AkTom]

I have the 10.5 anvil and love it. I haven’t brewed for a while due to moving 3500 miles, rebuilding an old house, and not having a brew space. I used a gravity 3 tier set up for several years. The ease of electric is great for many reasons. I highly recommend it.
Cheers

 

[RM-MN]

You can try out all grain for the price of a bag.... See if you enjoy the extra steps.

That's the approach I took but I had to add in a grain mill (Corona mill, works great for BIAB) as the nearest LHBS with a mill was 150 miles away. Not knowing if I wanted to keep doing all grain, this was a cheap way to learn. I now use the same 5 gallon stock pot, the Corona mill, and a paint strainer bag. It's easy to make a 2 1/2 gallon batch this way and a bigger batch is possible if you are careful.

Many tout the ability to maintain mash temps but they mash for an hour without knowing when the conversion is over. I mash for 30 minutes knowing that conversion is done well before that but that the colors and flavor take longer to extract.

 

[oakbarn]

We started in 2008 doing extract. We moved to partial grain and made better beer, We made a cheap mash tun from a cooler and finally did All Grain. All of my brew group think All Grain is better as extract seems to have a very slight syrupy taste.

We have never done BIAB but as said above, maybe a quick way to go.

As an aside, we use a modified HERMS to maintain the Mash Temp. We use a Counterflow wort chiller where we run the Wort through the inner tube and hot water in the outer. This does take two pumps but you could do it with copper wort chiller that fits inside your pot (just have to make the Mash thinner) with one pump and then you can use the same cooler to cool the wort later. We always mash for 90 minutes.

Brewery Rule # 3: A Pump is Great. More Pumps are Better!

Of Course, it can get out of hand, We now have a 45 gal Mash Tun and a 20 gal Mash Tun and 5 pumps (and a permanent manifold)

 

[AlexKay]

++BIAB.

If you're buying grain online, most places will send it to you milled, and some (Atlantic Brew Supply, Brewhardware) will do the extra-fine crush that's more suited for BIAB (though you can certainly make a regular crush work.)

The only potential hiccup is water; specifically, water hardness. If you've got normal or soft water, you can just cruise, but if your water is very hard you'll want to use bottled, or treat the water first.

 

[micraftbeer]

I was ready to give up on homebrewing because my extract beers were just blah. Not very good, and had a distinct "amateur taste". I bought a cooler mash tun so I could still use the rest of my gear and tried all-grain. Best move I ever made.

I agree with the above comment that water matters more with all grain since it's part of the chemistry giving you wort that you might otherwise buy in a can. It sounds daunting at first, but all the brewing software makes it easy if you start with distilled or RO water and it will tell you how much to add from a little vial of basically 3 different brewing salts. I love Brewfather for this.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

So, for a hobbyist, is it worth spending the 500 plus on an all-grain unit?

That depends on what you like out of the hobby and what you want to get out of it. If you play golf so that you can spend time with friends outside on a warm day, then better clubs will not improve that. If you enjoy the challenge of improving your score, then some better clubs might help with that.

All-grain brewing opens up another aspect of brewing. I enjoy brewing all-grain more than brewing with extract. All-grain brewing opens up a wider range of ingredients and gives you more control over the final product. I would argue that all-grain brewing opens up potential for brewing better beer than with extract (though you can make some very good beers using extract, especially when adding in partial mashing).

I see lots of advice saying "just buy a bag and do BIAB". That would depend on what size batch you want to make and what equipment you have. If you want to make 5 gallon batches of beer and you already own a 10+ gallon kettle, a high power heating source (propane, electric, natural gas, etc.), and a chiller, then yes, just buy a bag and try out BIAB. If you don't already own that gear, then purchasing an electric all-in-one setup might be a fairly cost effective and easy way to get into all-grain brewing.

I would note that I am a huge fan of stove top 2.5 gallon BIAB brewing. I brew a lot of batches using a 5-gallon kettle and 3-gallon Fermonster fermenter. I so use an immersion chiller, but an ice bath or no-chill are options. I do also have some small kegs, but bottling is also a fine option. There is a good chance that you could use your existing system with a bag to brew smaller sized all-grain batches.

 

[Bobby_M]

I think one of the classic barriers to all grain was all the maneuvering of liquids around the multi-vessel process. Holding temperatures, etc. In that regard, the electric all in ones offer a lot of benefits.

Insulated
Electric power
Digital temp control
One volume of water to start with, no need to sparge.
Wort chiller

I wouldn't suggest it's the BEST system you can buy but for $500, the benefits are worth it.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I wouldn't suggest it's the BEST system you can buy but for $500, the benefits are worth it.

I have heard rumors there is some guy in Jersey that sells quality modular electric brewing systems for a decent price!
https://www.brewhardware.com/category_s/1966.htm

 

[aceluby]

I'd also recommend checking out craigslist and facebook marketplace for used systems. Locally there was a mash & boil for $150 that I saw which if it's not something you like you could always resale for a similar price.

 

[Steverus07]

I'd also recommend checking out craigslist and facebook marketplace for used systems. Locally there was a mash & boil for $150 that I saw which if it's not something you like you could always resale for a similar price.

Seconded to this. Lots of folks out there who tried the hobby during COVID and are running for the doors now that they can go back to their local watering hole. Or just folks who tried it, bought the gear, and decided that it wasn’t a long term fascination for them. Or folks who love it, but have decided they need to make the next “upgrade.”

As a camper in the last category (I’m a sucker for evolving tech), there are always people selling on Facebook or the classifieds here with just about any system you can imagine from a nearly new 1Bbl Spike Trio to a 10 yr old extract kit.

If you’re in no rush, work on better understanding the different processes involved and the different options out there so that when you do pull the trigger, you know what you’re looking for. And in the mean time just skulk around those classifieds waiting for a deal you can’t pass up.

As Annie Johnson is fond of demonstrating, you can make very good extract beer. The kit you have only determines how you prepare tasty food for the yeasties.

 

[Miraculix]

I handed out my latest brew, which was also my first extract brew, to family and friends. Without telling them that is was extract.

I am now facing comments like "this was the best beer ever that I got from you!"

I feel insulted and praised at the same time now. Wtf is wrong with my all grain game?

 

[aceluby]

I handed out my latest brew, which was also my first extract brew, to family and friends. Without telling them that is was extract.

I am now facing comments like "this was the best beer ever that I got from you!"

I feel insulted and praised at the same time now. Wtf is wrong with my all grain game?

Same thing happened to me over the summer. Had a tasting of 6 different beers and the one that got the most praise was my extract beer I got from a kit.

 

[kartracer2]

I handed out my latest brew, which was also my first extract brew, to family and friends. Without telling them that is was extract.

I am now facing comments like "this was the best beer ever that I got from you!"

I feel insulted and praised at the same time now. Wtf is wrong with my all grain game?

Well at least you guys can take solace in the fact that your fermentation game must be up to speed. I do believe that is as important, if not more so, as how you make the wort.
Cheers,
Joel B.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I'd also recommend checking out craigslist and facebook marketplace for used systems. Locally there was a mash & boil for $150 that I saw which if it's not something you like you could always resale for a similar price.

I have seen more full systems listed on local homebrew club forums (mostly Facebook) in the past year or so than I recall seeing in the past decade. Some of these are really nice systems (recall seeing a 3 keggle system and a Blichmann Brew Easy plus a few cooler based systems and full kegerators). I got a nice quality 16 gallon kettle with a 3-piece ball valve as well as a few other random items (like a hop spider, secondary regulator, PET fermenters, etc.) for free in the past year or so.

I also know several homebrewers that like to upgrade their equipment quite often that often have really nice gear that is just gathering dust. That is how I got a killer deal on a pair of 10L Torpedo kegs and a 3.5 gallon Ss Brewtech Brewbucket a few years ago.

 

[aceluby]

Yeah, I picked up a kegerator, 4 kegs, a dozen taps, CO2 w/ regulator, and temp control for $400 off Facebook a while back. They tend to sit out there for a while too unless the price is crazy good (I got that one 3 weeks after it was posted originally for $500)

 

[mac_1103]

I am now facing comments like "this was the best beer ever that I got from you!"

I feel insulted and praised at the same time now. Wtf is wrong with my all grain game?

Nothing. You just have good friends.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

my first extract brew

DME (or LME)? recipe? process?

my extract beer

DME (or LME)? recipe? process?

 

[aceluby]

DME (or LME)? recipe? process?


DME (or LME)? recipe? process?

LME, Fresh Squeezed clone from Norther Brewer. It was on sale for $20 last spring.

 

[Miraculix]

DME (or LME)? recipe? process?


DME (or LME)? recipe? process?

I'll write i down in detail later.. 1.045 OG dme, 30 IBUs, only hopstand and dry hopping, apollo and chinook, but mainly apollo. No boil, Hopstand in plain water at about 85 C.

 

[Steverus07]

LME, Fresh Squeezed clone from Norther Brewer. It was on sale for $20 last spring.

That was my first brew. Ended up good enough that I immediately knew I’d found a hobby.

 

[Architect-Dave]

Whelp - made the purchase…going to be here Tuesday. Took advantage of a sale on all-grain kits and will be doing a Coffee Stout and an Irish Red All-grain. I will see how it goes. I have plenty of beer friends who do BIAB and partial mashes so if it is a bust, they will buy it off me. Or, they can make it here and I get half the beer…he he he