Avid All Grainer....

[Pappers_]

Not trying to pick a fight to each his own. But the making a cake story pretty much proves my point for me. It's easier and it taste better so I do it. My friend can do it but I can't so I don't. That's exactly what I said about extract. People do it because it's easier and that don't want to take the time to perfect the art of AG. Not saying I'm better or worse just stating the truth. Also my math example was spot on! Would you tell your friend that his scratch made cake was good but your betty crocker was better? No cause he'd laugh in your face. Doing something when the hardest part is done for you makes it EASIER. And don't say putting in a dry pack of yeast and letting it ferment is harder than properly extrating wort from malted grain. I help my friend do extract all the time pour sludge into water boil and ferment...wow! Make beer how ever you like just don't compare it to AG. I cook tv dinners but I don't compare myself to Bobby Flay!

So why do some extract brewers win homebrewing contests over all-grain beers? Your statements are too broad, in my opinion. Plus, you seem to go out of your way to be insulting to extract brewers.

If your point is that mashing is the most important part of making an excellent beer, well, I think you are wrong. Fermentation control and yeast management are the difference between good and great beer, regardless of whether you mashed the grain or used extract with steeping grains.

 

[Homercidal]

So why do some extract brewers win homebrewing contests over all-grain beers? Your statements are too broad, in my opinion. Plus, you seem to go out of your way to be insulting to extract brewers.

If your point is that mashing is the most important part of making an excellent beer, well, I think you are wrong. Fermentation control and yeast management are the difference between good and great beer, regardless of whether you mashed the grain or used extract with steeping grains.

+1

There are things that you can do to improve the average Extract beer, and of course AG gives you flexibility to do things that you just can't do with extract.

But as Pappers says, the reason extract gets a poor light is
1) it's easy, giving a false sense of quality
2) it's more often done by less experienced brewers
c) because of 2) the better methods of brewing (temp control, pitching rate, full boils, etc.) are not as often utilized.

I prefer to brew AG for the flexibility and cost, but there is nothing short changing about brewing extract if the style allows and you use fresh ingredients and the rest of the brewing process is performed with quality in mind.

 

[bottlebomber]

Not trying to pick a fight to each his own. But the making a cake story pretty much proves my point for me. It's easier and it taste better so I do it. My friend can do it but I can't so I don't. That's exactly what I said about extract. People do it because it's easier and that don't want to take the time to perfect the art of AG. Not saying I'm better or worse just stating the truth. Also my math example was spot on! Would you tell your friend that his scratch made cake was good but your betty crocker was better? No cause he'd laugh in your face. Doing something when the hardest part is done for you makes it EASIER. And don't say putting in a dry pack of yeast and letting it ferment is harder than properly extrating wort from malted grain. I help my friend do extract all the time pour sludge into water boil and ferment...wow! Make beer how ever you like just don't compare it to AG. I cook tv dinners but I don't compare myself to Bobby Flay!

In my homebrewing club, we put a large empasis on trying to interest people in the hobby, and mentor them. Basically we just invite guys who seem like they'd be good candidates for brewers to drink our homebrew, and several of them have started brewing on their own. Last meeting, an older couple (60's) produced their first homebrew, a Midwest amber ale. It makes my skin crawl to think of someone piping up with "its ok, just don't try to compare it to our AG brews". This type of EAC behavior is exactly what turns people off from ANY activity.

 

[tangofoxtrot308]

This will be my last post in this misunderstood thread. I never said extract wasn't good of course it's good the ingredients are premaid? Also I have gotten 3 people I work with to start brewing and yes they do extract. They've made great beer and I tell them! But even when they taste one of mine that isn't great they tell me they understand how hard it is doing AG. Ferm and temp control are important but me setting my temp dial and coming back in a week isn't very challenging. If mashing isn't that big a deal then I'll just pour 10lbs of sugar into water from now on to make wort. And the next time someone post asking for help with mashing temps just tell them it's not important worry about your ferm temp? There's a reason you can't enter a box cake into a baking challenge. As far as me turning people off from brewing I laugh because you assume you know me by one post. If I stopped every time someone hurt my feelings I'd still be in elementary school. To all brewers I salute you! You're doing something most people don't have the balls to do. As long as you have fun it's cool all I ask is to try AG at least once and then judge how much more challenging it is.

 

[wildwest450]

Is there any one out there that sometimes does this...? Or am I the only one?

Nope, with a 6 ft. freezer full of grains and pounds of hops, that would be foolish.

_

 

[cricky101]

Would you tell your friend that his scratch made cake was good but your betty crocker was better? No cause he'd laugh in your face.

Absolutely! If it was crap, I don't care how much time he spent making it or what process he used.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Definitely. I've been AG for about 3 years, but when AHS had their 20th anniversary sale, I got 3 extract kits. The time of extract always tempts me, but the cost (I'm a cheapie) convinces me other wise. The sale negated that

 

[birvine]

I tried AG this past summer and have enjoyed it, but I still foresee doing extract as well as kits at times. Winters are -40C so being out in that is not fun for brewing. I'll do some simpler extract with smaller boils over the winter months.

B