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I agree with unionrdr. No reason to go AG if you don't want to.

I'm doing more and more extract batches lately, mainly because I have a kid on the way, and I know available time to brew is going to be scarce. I have the rest of my process down, and I'm producing fantastic beer using either method.

If you go AG because you want to, and enjoy it, that's great. If you're perfectly happy with extract/mini-mash, that's great too. Do what works best for you.

Cheers!
 
SevenFields said:
When moving to full 5gal boils, should you adjust the amount of hops?
I keep reading conflicting info
Click to expand...

Regarding hop utilization vs wort boil gravity, recent references from BYO, Glenn Tinseth, and others who are highly qualified on the subject are in disagreement. Here are some examples:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Hop_utilization (On website - impact)
http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/basic-brewing-radio/id75092679 (2008 - No direct affect, but relationship)
http://hw.libsyn.com/p/3/0/4/30433c...31834041&hwt=a1babd357d2d091bbf481fb8c715d1b4 (2008 - Affect, but lower magnitude)
http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2011/02/10/beer-bitterness-and-ibus-with-glenn-tinseth-bshb-podcast-9/ (2011 - no direct affect, but strong correlation)
e-mail from Glenn Tinseth in 2012: “There is really no question about whether alpha acid utilization is related to wort gravity.”
http://beersmith.com/blog/2012/02/2...-beers-with-john-palmer-beersmith-podcast-33/ (2012 – Correlation, but not due to solubility)
http://byo.com/stories/article/indices/37-hops/867-how-can-i-get-better-hop-utilization (2012 - Correlation)
http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=basic-brewing-radio-2010 (2010 – No correlation)
http://realbeer.com/hops/FAQ.html#units (2013 on website today - Correlation)

It seems to me that the jury is still out. I just hope this gets resolved soon.
 
Kdog22 said:
Would it be a waste to add the nutrients pre-boil or should it be added post boil to the wort in the primary as I assume?
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What I do is add the nutrient to warm water and let it dissolve. Then add to the pot 5min before flame out.
 
BxBrewer said:
What I do is add the nutrient to warm water and let it dissolve. Then add to the pot 5min before flame out.
Click to expand...

I used nutrients in past in PM kit and noticed no difference at all...my thoughts are these are more useful in AG brewing just as oxygenation is really useful only for liquid yeasts.
 
I have been partial mash brewing for a while. I recently got beersmith2 and honestly, I don't know if I am partial mashing or just extract with steeping grains
How do you keep track of what is extract with steeping an what is partial mash?
 
Walzenbrew said:
I have been partial mash brewing for a while. I recently got beersmith2 and honestly, I don't know if I am partial mashing or just extract with steeping grains
How do you keep track of what is extract with steeping an what is partial mash?
Click to expand...

Partial mash has base grains in it that u have to convert fermentable sugars out of....full extract are steeping grain only meaning you are not extracting fermentable sugars, rather just color and flavor....The fermentable sugars are in the extract.
 
elatowski said:
I've never heard this before. Using pure o2 is beneficial to higher SG worts regardless of yeast type used in my opinion.
Click to expand...

They say that during initial growth phase the yeast have to build up their lipid walls for budding which is what the oxygen is important for...liquid yeast do not have this wall upon opening but due to how dry yeast are manufactured, their lipid layer is kept intact and therefore they have no need to produce this....hence oxygen not as necessary....
 
Using yeast nutrient as well as adding O2 greatly helps avoid stuck fermentation, you know the dreaded 1.020 FG. I don't get the lag time and also stronger fermentation's when going the extra mile. Thats with both dry and liquid yeast. Ive been in a habit lately of making my starters 500ml more than whats needed and storing it to make a starter later. Cool way to get multiple uses out of one pack without having to wash yeast. I do this with dry also.

Your hurting nothing and have all to gain. :tank:
 
Walzenbrew said:
I have been partial mash brewing for a while. I recently got beersmith2 and honestly, I don't know if I am partial mashing or just extract with steeping grains
How do you keep track of what is extract with steeping an what is partial mash?
Click to expand...

Base grains like 2-row need to be mashed. Rye needs to be mashed. Specialty grains like chocolate malt, or special b are for steeping. Also, steeping instructions should have you keep the grains in a range of temperatures, anywhere from 150-170 for anywhere from 20-30min. Partial mash instructions should have you at a more precise temperature for a longer time ie: 155 degrees for 1hr. You're basically cutting back on your fermentable sugars you'd get from the extract and adding in fresh fermentable sugars from mashing the base malts. Hope that helps.
 
BxBrewer said:
Using yeast nutrient as well as adding O2 greatly helps avoid stuck fermentation, you know the dreaded 1.020 FG. I don't get the lag time and also stronger fermentation's when going the extra mile. Thats with both dry and liquid yeast. Ive been in a habit lately of making my starters 500ml more than whats needed and storing it to make a starter later. Cool way to get multiple uses out of one pack without having to wash yeast. I do this with dry also.

Your hurting nothing and have all to gain. :tank:
Click to expand...

Right, I just didn't notice any difference when I used the nutrients compared with not using it. My last batch was a PM white IPA, had a capsule of nutrients and forgot to add... still finished at 1.015. But at a dollar and change, it doesn't hurt and costs little. If I did AG full boils I would be much more prone to this. But I do either extract or PM and always partial boils so not as important for me I guess.
 
ballsy said:
Right, I just didn't notice any difference when I used the nutrients compared with not using it. My last batch was a PM white IPA, had a capsule of nutrients and forgot to add... still finished at 1.015. But at a dollar and change, it doesn't hurt and costs little. If I did AG full boils I would be much more prone to this. But I do either extract or PM and always partial boils so not as important for me I guess.
Click to expand...

During the process of turning wort into extract, some of the nutrients from the mash are lost. By doing your partial mash, you added some fresh, nutrient-rich wort back to your brew.

I've noticed much healthier fermentations of my extract batches since I started using yeast nutrients.
 
  1. Find a "zombie" topic with the right title.
  2. Add some "brewers unite" attitude.

    I'm tired of hearing all you big boy 5-Gallon all-grain brewers telling us 1-Gallon extract+steep brewers to step up. :D A lot of us brew 1-Gallon extract+steep batches because that's all we have room [or time] for right now, not because we're afraid of stepping up our game. Trust me, if I could, I would, we already did [step up or game], but in the meantime I'm actually really feeling the 1-Gallon. extract+steep game when I'm short on time or space.
    Click to expand...
  3. Combine with positive discussion focusing on brewing with extract (without kits).
Let's see what develops in 2022 ...

edit: formatting
 
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BrewnWKopperKat said:
  1. Find a "zombie" topic with the right title.
  2. Add some "brewers unite" attitude.

  3. Combine with positive discussion focusing on brewing with extract (without kits).
Click to expand...

I like this idea, but I will admit that I never stepped up my game. I have been happy without the extra time, effort and space required for stepping up.
:mug:
 
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In the 2020s, any topic that talks about advanced extract brewing should include this:

1642158209879.png

(also available here via this)
 
BrewnWKopperKat said:
  1. Find a "zombie" topic with the right title.
  2. Add some "brewers unite" attitude.

  3. Combine with positive discussion focusing on brewing with extract (without kits).
Let's see what develops in 2022 ...

edit: formatting
Click to expand...


LOL, i wouldn't stress TOO much.....DAMN! speaking of which, my barley sprouts are ready for drying! those wimps that use premalted barley REALLY should step up their game! :mug: :mug:
 
RM-MN said:
Stepping up to what?
Click to expand...
I meant that I have stuck with extract + steeping and have not moved beyond that. Not all of my recipes even involve steeping grains and I do not have temperature control for fermentation beyond a basement that is always 60-70 F. But I am still interested in hearing about good methods and ideas.

During this past year, based on things i learned and/or explored on HBT since joining a little over a year ago, I have changed my brewing to a 30 minute boil, a late addition of half the DME and the aroma hops at the end of the boil, and sink bath cooling in the brew kettle before pouring into the fermenter. (I do a partial boil so I'm only carrying about 2 gallons down the basement stairs.)

During this past year, also because of HBT information/suggestion, I explored not using a secondary. The results of doing four comparisons of secondary and primary only batches are that I will continue to use a secondary for all but my IPA, and my IPA recipe will have some changes made to it and stay in the primary. (I won't know how this turns out until later this year.)
 
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BrewnWKopperKat said:
leaving all the minerals behind.
Click to expand...
Now that makes sense--thank you. With the Belgian beers, I've been adding mineral salts according to my previous understanding and maybe a pinch of myth. I fancy the water used back then as possibly really high in minerals. I think of old ales in the same way. I wouldn't imagine it matters much if I add mineral salts to those but if it's a waste of time, I'd probably skip it.
 
D.B.Moody said:
I meant that I have stuck with extract + steeping and have not moved beyond that. Not all of my recipes even involve stepping grains and I do not have temperature control for fermentation beyond a basement that is always 60-70 F. But I am still interested in hearing about good methods and ideas.
Click to expand...
That is, basically, my philosophy for beer making. Couldn't have stated it better for myself.
 
Back in Dec 2020, @D.B.Moody started a topic "I brewed a favorite recipe today" that has stayed well focused on recipes. There are a number of recipes there that show nice refinements to a "conventional" extract brew day.

From that topic (link), here is an outline for a brew day that avoids adding DME over a boiling kettle (emphasis added):
​
Dissolve 2 1/2 lbs. DME in 1/2 gal. water for late addition​
Dissolve 2 1/2 lbs. DME in 1 gal. water for the boil, begin heating​
[crush steeping grains]​
Steep all grains in 1/2 gal. water for 30 min. at 150-160 F​
Strain into boil kettle, bring to boil, add boil hops​
30 min. boil​
10 min. flavor hops​
0 min. add late addition and aroma hops​
Cover and move to sink for water bath cool down​
Pour into fermenter, top off to 5 gal. with chilled water​

There is an article here (link) that may offer inspiration for those who do full volume boils.
 
(re)posting this here (based on a post I did a while back) so I don't have to web search for it.

Two resources for ideas on what base malts may have been used when making DME/LME:
Be aware that the articles are getting old. However, for the brands of DME that I use, the information in these articles is still valid.
 
BrewnWKopperKat said:
Two resources for ideas on what base malts may have been used when making DME/LME:
Click to expand...

I generally assume that a beer made with DME will be a touch darker, sweeter and more full bodied than the "equivalent" all grain recipe. My experience, a beer with 100% Briess Golden DME makes a beer that is very similar to around 95% Briess Brewer's Malt + 5% Crystal 20. @dmtaylor's suggestion to swap some extract for sugar should move the extract closer to the all-grain version.

I have been a little curious to actually try a side by side of either extract w/ sugar or all-grain w/ crystal. I have done a side by side of some SMaSH all-grain vs the same recipe made with DME (I forget if it was Briess Pils or Briess Golden).

BTW, there is a pretty solid article in the most recent Zymurgy about converting all-grain recipes over to extract. Appendix C of "Modern Homebrew Recipes" by Gordon Strong is the best resource that I have found on converting all-grain recipes to extract.
 
CascadesBrewer said:
BTW, there is a pretty solid article in the most recent Zymurgy about converting all-grain recipes over to extract. Appendix C of "Modern Homebrew Recipes" by Gordon Strong is the best resource that I have found on converting all-grain recipes to extract.
Click to expand...
Agreed - both are solid resources.

For future readers: "Easy Recipe Conversion" - Zymurgy Jan/Feb 2022, p 27.
 
Getting color appropriate for style isn't hard, but it does require some good starting points.

First, fresh ingredients.

Next, golden light DME is probably not "4 SRM" for the SG of the beer being made.

In fairness to manufacturers who publish good product information sheets, color information is available. For example:

1643496287071.png
Here's a set of photographs (different brand of DME from a different suppier) from a recent brew day.

1643496823407.png
1643496845375.png
OG 22-ish (left); OG 44-ish (right)OG 44-ish (left); OG 22-ish (right)
(... these are the same two samples, in the same light, just a change in position between photos).

With the above table for an amber DME, I have brewed a couple of recipes (with steeping grains) where color came out in the range that I estimated. In one case, I got a delightfully clear ruby red color (DME + sugar + light chocolate).

As @CascadesBrewer noted earlier, sugar can be used to adjust the color (adding OG without adding color). Brewers crystals (and rice solids) are another ingredient that can be used to create a lighter colored wort - be aware that they will have a different impact on FG than sugar.

The point being: color with fresh DME / LME is predictable (even with steeping grains). The color of the beer certainly can be appropriate to style (if desired).
 
Is the "dreaded FG 1.020" with extract a thing of the past? a bad recipe design? a kit instruction error? measuring error? a process 'error' (concentrated boil [link])?

Like color, I can estimate FG accurately enough to know when beer has finished. Final gravity (using afinishing hydrometer) is +/- 1 or 2 GPs of the estimate. With sugar, I can adjust the ferment-ability of the wort to get the results that I want. I also use dry strains with a higher attenuation (Notthingham, S-04, US-05) and avoid strains (like Windsor) that don't ferment maltotriose. FWIW, I don't brew big (OG > 66-ish) beers with extract.

Thoughts?
 

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