AG vs. PM

[Pubwilson]

I recently made the jumped from extract to AG, skipping PM. I really enjoyed the process and work envolved. Is there any reason why I should do PMs? What are the pros & cons of doing partial mashes? Thanks in advance for your insight.

BTW, is steeping grains in a kit the same as PMing?

 

[Denny]

Steeping is kinda like mashing, but for mashing you need better control over water amounts and temps, along with time. If you did a steep at, say, 155 for 60 min. using about 1.5 qt./lb. of grain, it would be like a mash (although you'd use diastatic malts for a mash). I did about 2 PM batches before I went AG. It basically takes only a bit more time, effort and equipment for AG, so there's not much reason not to.

 

[kanielb1]

Denny, I disagree. When you are steeping your grains, you are only trying to extract color and flavor for you brew. Whereas in mashing, you are converting the starches to fermentable sugars and creating the extract from the malted grain.

 

[WhitDragn]

As some one who stepped up from steeping/extract to PM's earlier this year: for me the Pro's of PM vs. AG would be equipment cost and maybe a little bit of time. Con's would be about none except maybe a little added cost (extract and hops).

I'm more or less doing the stove top PM (though based on kettle size I can also do, and am planning, an AG batch up to about 1.060SG with this method). I can't see much reason for you to experiment with PM's if you're already doing AG brews. Doing PM's for me though has helped with understanding grain/adjunct characteristics solely from having to read more for converting and substituting in recipes to create a PM equivalent. If you wanted to experiment with PM i'd say go for it, but its basically AG with less grain and extract.

 

[Yooper]

Denny, I disagree. When you are steeping your grains, you are only trying to extract color and flavor for you brew. Whereas in mashing, you are converting the starches to fermentable sugars and creating the extract from the malted grain.

yes, that's exactly what he said. "Steeping" diastatic malts for a prescribed period of time with a prescribed amount of water IS mashing.

 

[Denny]

Denny, I disagree. When you are steeping your grains, you are only trying to extract color and flavor for you brew. Whereas in mashing, you are converting the starches to fermentable sugars and creating the extract from the malted grain.

Which is why I mentioned diastatic malts. I was referring the process, not necessarily the goal.

 

[Palefire]

Which is why I mentioned diastatic malts. I was referring the process, not necessarily the goal.

Yeah, that's what I got, too ... as far as the actual process of brewing goes, PM and extract/steep aren't very different, other than needing to be more careful with temps with PM, and potentially dealing with sparging.

But to the OP, if you're already doing AG and enjoying it, no reason not to keep going with it! PM and AG take about the same amount of time (AG takes me ~30 min longer, maybe). Like the previous poster said, doing PM helped me get a handle on the mashing/sparging process, so that when I started AG I felt like I had much more of a clue about how everything works. But you absolutely don't need to do PM to figure it out.

Also, in my case, I'd say the overall quality of my beers went up after going AG. Or my batting average got better, at least (in that I now make far fewer beers that don't come out good). But, as many many many threads on the board will attest, I'm guessing that's also a result of process and experience, rather than the mere fact of going AG.

 

[david_42]

PM is a good backup for indoor brewing and since you are sparging a smaller quantity of grains, you don't need to boil down when making high-gravity beers.

 

[EarthBound]

Is there any reason why I should do PMs? What are the pros & cons of doing partial mashes?

Yes, reasons do exist, depending on your available equipment, experience, knowledge, and confidence. However, if you have the necessary equipment (which isn't much), then AG is the way to go. You get better quality beer, more control of your beer properties, satisfaction of doing it from scratch, it costs half as much for ingredients, and MANY other benefits. IMO, the benefits of AG FAR outway the cons.

 

[Pubwilson]

Yeah I enjoyed doing the AG. It's just that I noticed alot of thread on PM, so I just need some clarification on whether or not I was missing something by not doing PMashes. It seems like I made the right decision, based on the fact that I did have everything needed for AG and I brew in the garage anyways.

 

[david_42]

Another reason I like PM, I enjoy making clones and will order 2-3 kits at once. As a solo drinker, it takes a while to go through a batch. Since the grains are pre-crushed, I have no trouble fitting the PM bags in the freezer.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

IMO, the only reason to do a PM is if you have some kind of space limitation- i.e. apartment brewers. Otherwise, you are going through all the same motions and work of AG, and then adding extract- defeats the purpose if you ask me.