How do you brew? What method?

[humann_brewing]

I have been listening to "The Session" from 8-17-08 on the brewing network where they had Mufasa from BJ's brewery on.

A little over half way through Mufasa rails on extract brewing and they had a big discussion on if people should start with extract or go all grain to begin with.

That just got me thinking what are the percentages on here and I couldn't find a previous poll for it. This is not a one is better than the other discussion, strictly percentages.

So, how do you currently brew?

 

[avaserfi]

I did two extract batches and moved to AG. I like AG more because I control the results better (or think I do) and I also have more fun with it. Plus it doesn't hurt that grain is cheaper.

The thing that pushed me over the edge was seeing how easy AG is to do. Sure, there are fine points that need to be mastered, but the general process is far easier than it seems. Thanks to deathweed for showing me the ropes.

 

[Cape Brewing]

... by fusing clean filtered water with pure awesomeness.

LOL.

 

[flyangler18]

This is about to become the most polarizing poll in the history of HBT.

 

[avaserfi]

I ****ing hate extract!!!! Grrr

This is about to become the most polarizing poll in the history of HBT.

Why would you say something like that?

 

[humann_brewing]

... by fusing clean filtered water with pure awesomeness.

LOL.

That is definitely a good method

"your that guy...... I know I seen him" or something like that right?

 

[eschatz]

This is about to become the most polarizing poll in the history of HBT.

I can hear the vaccum from this thing traveling so fast around the interwebz! :rockin:

 

[Revvy]

I'll quote my own old blog; Revvy's Blog, Why Can't We All Get Along.

See, I don't consider myself an AG'er or an Extracter...I'm a homebrewer, I make the best damn beer I can! The way I choose to do it differs from batch to batch, recipe to recipe, time commitment or mood...But, I put the same effort and skill in an Extract recipe, as I do to an allgrain.

Some of my best beers are extract w/grains, I've done a couple of them as AG and realized that they taste the same, if not better as their original extract recipe...(My amber ale and Yooper's dead guy clone, are two examples.)

So I don't NEED to spend the whole day brewing AG to make those beers.

I think people like this "Mufasa" fellow are EAC's, and should quit blaming extract for their earlier failures with brewing, and blame instead their noobishness back then...Rather than bitch about extract they should go back and brew an extract batch with the same skills and care, that the now posess.

To me that divisiveness is against the RDWHAHB ethos of this hobby, and of Papa Charlie...

I believe he said, Relax, don't worry have a homebrew and not "only an all grain beer."

 

[Revvy]

This is about to become the most polarizing poll in the history of HBT.

Yeah, I hate sh!t like this...

 

[Revvy]

.Especially since the poll is f'ed up to begin with....there's no place for someone who brews all things...you've already started it as divissive.

You've made it an all or nothing, instead of a place for all inclussive....

 

[humann_brewing]

Yeah, I hate sh!t like this....

I wasn't trying to start a war. I am just curious.

Myself like I am sure 90% of homebrews out there started as an extract with steeping grains and thought it was the best thing. I am glad I started there as I think I may have been overwhelmed jumping straight to AG.

 

[david_42]

Cannot respond to poll, designed for people who can't do things more than one way.

 

[Revvy]

Cannot respond to poll, too restrictive.

+1 to this......

 

[arturo7]

Why can't we all just have a beer?

 

[avaserfi]

Why can't we all just have a beer?

That's the end result, well hopefully good beer - which is easily experienced with grain or extract! I know when my tap runs dry I will not think twice about doing an extract batch if I don't have the time to do an AG one (which is common).

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I started by steeping my water in hot grains.

The beer tasted all backwards.

I made exactly 2 extract beers before I realized how much I hated THAT process. Went AG and never looked back. I am not against extract brewing or the resultant beers. I just didn't see the point of waiting an hour to get the wort back to boil on an electric stove and I already had a Gott cooler from my daze in construction.

 

[Revvy]

I wasn't trying to start a war. I am just curious.

Myself like I am sure 90% of homebrews out there started as an extract with steeping grains and thought it was the best thing. I am glad I started there as I think I may have been overwhelmed jumping straight to AG.

Actually the vast majority of homebrewers in the world, started with "Kit and Kilo" extract only kits, mostly Coopers (or John Bull) and in America Mr Beer (which is essentialy a kit and kilo as well.) Followed by extract with grains, more than likely a Brewer's Best Kit, since they have a big retail presence in most homebrew shops, and non HBS's that carry a limited amount of supplies (like liquor/beer stores, or grocery.)

 

[ArcaneXor]

I partial mash because of equipment limitations that can't easily resolved at this point. I usually mash around 7-8 lbs of grain and make up the difference with extract, if necessary.

That said, I am glad I started with extract and evolved my brewing process slowly and gradually - you can make excellent beers with extract, and I have gained a lot of experience doing so that helps me be a better brewer now.

 

[Brewpastor]

I started all-graining in 1982 because I could not make a good extract beer to save my life. The ingredients were simply not available in Oklahoma at the time. Quality all-grain ingredients were not available either, but fortunately I moved to Chicago and got hooked up there. By that time I was on a quest to crack the all-grain code and never thought to go back and make extract on a regular basis. I have been brewing all-grain so long I couldn't begin to make a decent extract brew. Each is its own art and both can produce as crappy a beer as you could ever want to pour down the drain. Likewise, each can be mastered for the production of the beers of our dreams.

 

[Mutilated1]

I brew mostly all grain, but I still usually do an extract batch while I'm mashing and boil wort, or will do a Mini-Mash/Extract with the second runnings from the Mash of an All Grain big-beer. I like to do 2 sometimes 3 beers at once and only brew every couple of months instead of brewing every weekend.

 

[Cape Brewing]

"your that guy...... I know I seen him" or something like that right?

"I knoooow youuuu... we're in history class together" or something pretty close to that. He's pointing at the red-headed afro wearin' chic who's in the car with the two geeks... hence... "ditch the two geeks:"

sorry

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I brew all grain. I found extract to be limiting. Yes you can brew some styles just as well (maybe), but I really hated the restrictions and find the complexity of my all grain beer to be vastly superior.

I think extract is a great place to start and a great place for many to stay. I just think if you want to get really into making the best beer you can, AG is THE option.

 

[BrewBrain]

I brew AG out of desperation. I tried and tried to brew good beer with extracts, but failed. I never liked one of them. I have no idea what I was doing wrong. They were all either weak and watery and flavorless or had a very pronounced off flavor that I still cannot identify.

I decided to give myself one shot at AG, and it worked out right away. I wouldn't even consider going back to try extract again because I know I suck at it.

Plus, nothing in the whole wide world smells better than a stuck mash

 

[eschatz]

I brewed extract beers that I liked and was just curious about all graining. After about 50 AG batches I'm starting to remember some of the great Scotch, Irish, Stouts, and IPA's that I used to make. I think I'm going back to extract for some of these styles. I think I can probably make the same quality for a fraction of the time.

 

[Brewpastor]

Now I did make an excellent extract mead once.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I brew AG too after about 12 extract brews.

This poll is not divisive. It merely has the potential to become divisive if people start acting like jerks about it and do not respect other people's preferences. (Just like they do in the debate forum )

 

[shecky]

Brew? What's that?

Now that we got that joke out of the way, I'm doing PMs now and have been for much of the last year that I got into this. Next brew will be AG in a few weeks.

 

[user 22118]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo4kDrWBa6c]YouTube - the same age[/ame]

The key is at 50 seconds...

 

[BrewBrain]

Now I did make an excellent extract mead once.

Methinks I'll be trying my hand at the ol' extract mead myself here soon.

 

[Brewpastor]

I tried all-grain wine once, but it ended up all cloudy...