All Grain VS Extract Need Feedback

[davidamerica]

I am about ready to brew my first ALL Grain Beer this weekend and man I am excited. I do have a question for all who read this and I hope to get some useful insight.

1. For the most part, which is better All Grain or Extract or should I say which do you prefer to brew and why?

I will take as much advice and information you guys can provide and I appreciate all of your support.


Thanks

Dave

 

[Shooter]

I prefer to brew whichever I have time for that day. In the end I get good beer either way. If I have time for AG it's great to be able to go through the process. If all I have time for is a partial boil canned kit, I'll do that.

Enjoy your first AG brew, but, in the end, don't worry too much about which method is better. That argument is the domain of the mine is bigger than yours crowd. You can make good beer either way, particularly if you're focusing on more important parts of the process, like sanitation and temperature control!

 

[Revvy]

This has been hashed over and over to the point of beating a dead horse. It's not a versus thing; one is not better than the other. If you have specific questions about all grain, how bout you ask those, and we'll help you- Not having another "which is better" discussion which never ends up pretty....It won't really help you make good beer. If you want to brew AG, do it, if you want to brew extract now, do it, and make the best beer you can...we'd be glad to help.

It's not a competition or a matter of what's better. Award winning beers have been made ALL WAYS. It is the brewer who makes the beer. It's a matter of what ultimately you prefer doing.

Start by reading this, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/blogs/revvy/100-why-cant-we-all-get-along.html

Then this thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/all-grain-vs-extract-28305/

And this one, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/all-grain-vs-extract-66128/

And this one, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/ag-vs-extract-brewing-64229/

And this one, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/contempt-extract-64978/#post666866

This is a good discussion as well, which takes a totally different direction; https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f37/ok-i-dont-really-feel-like-going-all-grain-186069/

And you'll see how pointless making it an us-vs-them discussion is, if you realize thatm THEN we can help you make the beer you want to make, whether it's AG OR Extract. We have a TON of great info to help you make great beer, rather than another pointless this -vs- that discussion.

 

[iron_city_ap]

I just made the switch to all grain a couple batches ago. I have nothing at all against extract, but I get more personal satisfaction with doing all grain. I'm not about to say my all grain batches are better than the extract ones though. Maybe one day, but not at the moment.

 

[DaveMcPhee]

actually extract is better.
\
anyone who says different is sponsored by "BIG ALL-GRAIN", a lobbyist group out of Wash. DC. they don't need to report campaign funding so it's impossible to prove, but just open your eyes man they are everywhere!!!

spread the truth.

 

[DaveMcPhee]

j/k

all grain is the best








or is it ?!?!?

 

[Revvy]

actually extract is better.
\
anyone who says different is sponsored by "BIG ALL-GRAIN", a lobbyist group out of Wash. DC. they don't need to report campaign funding so it's impossible to prove, but just open your eyes man they are everywhere!!!

spread the truth.

Best answer ever!!!!!!!!!

 

[stubbornman]

Have fun with all grain, and I doubt you will go back to extract... The day will FLY by and after it's over you will remember about 12 things you forgot or screwed up on. The beer will still be awesome.

Good Luck!!

 

[SteveM]

I have a tough enough time finding the time and kitchen permissions to do extract. I'll stick with extract - I've brewed prize winning beers with extract, so it's not like you can't make great beers with it.

 

[LaurieGator]

I also do both all-grain and extract and love to do both.

First is the time consideration. If I don't have time for an all-grain batch but want to brew, I will do an extract batch with grain ball batch.

There is so much you can do with all-grain. I think I am going to spend the summer trying different hops with the same basic recipe and see how they turn out

Honestly, different people like different ways to do things. Whether you use extract or all-grain, your own beer is gonna taste good! Just make sure to have a good pipeline going so you always have delicious beer to drink!!! NOM!

 

[homebrewer_99]

I've done all three...all DME, partial mashes, and all grain.

I recommend trying all three to see what best suits your desire to brew great tasting beer.

All three come with their own learning curves.

There is no clear cut winner, only preferences. How you come about making that decision may include your time and money, dedication to the craft, skills, tools of the trade (equipment), etc.

Now that doesn't mean that once you do an all grain you'll never do another all DME...of course, this may or may not happen.

 

[TRainH2o]

Well, I just did my first AG batch two days ago. I must say that it was pretty simple and I saved a good bit over over the extract recipe. Also, no massive boil overs from adding DME or LME too fast.

 

[BillTheSlink]

In my way of answering your question I would have to say excellent beers can be made both ways, especially if you're doing full boil extract. Although you do have more control over an all grain batch because you control the mash schedule, it is time-consuming, can be messy, and depending on your setup, particularly if you're doing it guerrila style like me, can be a lot of back work and labor. I went all grain last year and thought I would never go back, but I ended up layed up with some medical problems and couldn't brew from mid-Spring until now. I am now out of shape and out of practice so I am going to step back and go back to extract for a couple of batches. Besides that it is dang hot here now and why would I want to sit and work from 10:00am until dark in the heat doing all grain when I can do an extract batch in 2 1/2 hours? It isn't just the added time of mash rests and sparging to consider; that is only the beginning. You have to gather and assemble equipment and then clean up, which in my situation isn't easy. But you may have a better set up and your day fly by. Just try to think ahead and try to think each step through and what will make life easier BEFORE BREW DAY and write down a check list of what you want to do when.

 

[willatkinson]

Partial Grain?!?!!

 

[a10t2]

There are a handful of styles that can only be brewed AG, simply because the extracts don't exist. Beyond those, it comes down to recipe design and the quality of the process. An extract brewer with a good handle on fermentation will beat the pants off an inexperienced AG brewer every time.

AG gives me more things to geek out about, so for me there's no question. I'm pretty weird though, in that the beer is secondary to the geeking.

 

[davidamerica]

Thanks guys for the feedback

 

[timm747]

Well, I just did my first AG batch two days ago. I must say that it was pretty simple and I saved a good bit over over the extract recipe. Also, no massive boil overs from adding DME or LME too fast.

If you pull the pot off the burner when you pour in the extract you won't have to worry about adding too fast either...

 

[jcav]

actually extract is better.
\
anyone who says different is sponsored by "BIG ALL-GRAIN", a lobbyist group out of Wash. DC. they don't need to report campaign funding so it's impossible to prove, but just open your eyes man they are everywhere!!!

spread the truth.

Nice response, I love it!!! If you don't have time and you still want to brew, at least your brewing and you'll still have excellent home brew, trust me!

 

[dummkauf]

If you pull the pot off the burner when you pour in the extract you won't have to worry about adding too fast either...

?!?!?!

I pull the pot off the burner every time I've done extact and I've always had to add the DME slowly to avoid boil over.

How long are you leaving the pot off the burner for before adding the extract?