All grain, or extract? Or does it not matter?

[sheldon123]

I am pretty new to brewing (my second batch is still in primary), and so far I have only used all grain. Is there any benefit to using all grain as opposed to extract, or vice versa? A friend of mine who is just as new to brewing has been using extract, and I think she drinks her beer after only one week of being in bottles and says that they are good, she might be a bit too eager in believing they are done, and good, as I'm under the impression that being in bottles for at least 3 weeks is ideal. Is the bottling period quicker with extracts?

 

[northernlad]

Once they are in the BK, they are the same thing. I have had beers drinkable after one week in the bottle, but I quickly learned why it is best to condition properly.

 

[Frank99]

Interesting. Most people start off w/extract and move up to AG. I just started AG after brewing w/extract for a while. Extract brewing is a lot less time consuming that's for sure. My conditioning time for extracts was about 3-4 weeks.

 

[whatisitgoodfor]

The benefits of AG versus extract are control of the character and fermentability of the wort and the cost of your brew.

Extracts are generally speaking less fermentable than the wort you make from grain, although if you want you can change your mash temperature to create a wort that will be as thick and chewy as you want.

Whether you get your wort out of an icky icky can or from fresh wonderful malted barley isn't going to change how long it takes to bottle condition your beer significantly as long as the normal processes for brewing are followed.

 

[KevinW]

Beer is what you like. If you just want "beer" with minimal effort than extract is the way to go! My first batch was a partial and that was fine but I jumped into extract and my stout I did today cost me about $24.00. Had I done the same batch using extract, I probably would have spent about $35 to $40!

For all the extra effort in all-grain the payoff is definitely cost savings. Of course with AG you also have a virtually infinite combination of styles and tastes possible, kind of limited only to your imagination and budget!

When it all comes down to it, just keep brewing!!!

 

[sheldon123]

Beer is what you like. If you just want "beer" with minimal effort than extract is the way to go! My first batch was a partial and that was fine but I jumped into extract and my stout I did today cost me about $24.00. Had I done the same batch using extract, I probably would have spent about $35 to $40!

For all the extra effort in all-grain the payoff is definitely cost savings. Of course with AG you also have a virtually infinite combination of styles and tastes possible, kind of limited only to your imagination and budget!

When it all comes down to it, just keep brewing!!!

Thanks for the advice. I enjoy brewing all grain, and definitely plan to experiment a bit. I didn't know that extract was more expensive, but am glad to know I was saving some money, money that I have been using for more equipment!

 

[manticle]

Absolutely no difference in conditioning time etc (provided you ferment and condition the same way). Things like cold conditioning make a beer seem drinkable sooner (although it's longer before it hits the bottle or keg so there's a balance) but ingredients don't really.

Very simply with all grain you have more control over your end result. You do also have more potential things that can go wrong but when it works, it works well.

I went from kits to kits and bits- extract - extract plus specialty - partial mash - full mash and my beers improved with each step. Not every beer I make is a winner but I'd never consider going back to extract brewing. Not to denigrate extract brewers - some great beers can be made that aren't all grain but my preference is to control all the processes and work out how to make the next one better (malting and roasting excluded at this point).

More important than ingredients as a beginner though is process and cold side/fermentation/conditioning process is at least as important mashing/mixing processes.

 

[wyzazz]

I do AG, PM, and Extract brews. It just depends on the amount of time I have to brew, all 3 make good beer IMHO. You do have way more control over your beer if you do AG or PM though.