How long did it take you to go all-grain?

[OkanaganMike]

Started with AG BIAB right off the hop after reading how easy and less costly it was than the 3 vessel option. Not to mention space requirements. Real glad I did too. Problem is I'm totally hooked, 40gals under my belt (not all in my belly yet, but I'm doing my best) since Feb this year.

 

[gratefulfloyd]

By my 3rd brew I was doing all grain and have not looked back since. I like being able to tinker all I want with my recipes.

 

[TheGambler87]

1 cider and 3 extract brews before I took the leap. Built my own cooler mash tun, it probably would have taken longer if i didnt have that old cooler lying in the basement...

 

[Psylocide]

2 extract batches both with steeping grains. Then all-grain. Having too much fun to go back to using extract.

It's a cost thing for me (see a trend here?)... the cost of extract to grain is ~3:1 around here.

Nope.

 

[BrewSavage]

I was on again off again extract partial "mash" for 20+ years...some years 4-5 batches, some years zero...but 15 months ago I got really interested again brewing about once a month.


Lurking here on homebrewtalk for the last year was a big part of making the jump.

 

[MysteryHaus]

Got a 1 gallon AG kit from my brother for Christmas and been going ever since. Extract never interested me it takes away some of the fun to me. Doing it like the old days with no processed ingredients makes it better and there's a little more pride in it when you start from scratch

 

[1977Brewer]

It's a cost thing for me (see a trend here?)... the cost of extract to grain is ~3:1 around here.

Nope.

This. I did that first kit, decided I wanted to up my volume, figured out what a 5 gallon extract recipe would cost, and quickly went BIAB with the same equipment I planned to use for extract.

 

[doug293cz]

Got a 1 gallon AG kit from my brother for Christmas and been going ever since. Extract never interested me it takes away some of the fun to me. Doing it like the old days with no processed ingredients makes it better and there's a little more pride in it when you start from scratch

So, you malt your own barley, wrangle your own wild yeast, and never use hop pellets?
Most of us AG'ers use some level of processed ingredients, just moving back closer to the source.

Brew on

 

[MysteryHaus]

So, you malt your own barley, wrangle your own wild yeast, and never use hop pellets?

Haha you got me there. Although that would be a dream. If I hit the lottery you're gonna be my farmer and brewing partner!

 

[MysteryHaus]

So, you malt your own barley, wrangle your own wild yeast, and never use hop pellets?

Haha you got me there. Although that would be a dream. If I ever hit the lottery you're gonna be my farming and brewing partner!

 

[MysteryHaus]

So, you malt your own barley, wrangle your own wild yeast, and never use hop pellets?
Most of us AG'ers use some level of processed ingredients, just moving back closer to the source.

Brew on

Haha you got me there! But if I ever hit the lotto you're welcome to move onto my ranch and be my farming/brewing partner

 

[EuBrew]

Went all grain first batch and built electric after 5th

 

[MysteryHaus]

Sorry for the multi post my app got all scrambled

 

[jrgtr42]

Did maybe a dozen or 15 batches before I went full scale AG. Did a couple on 1 gallon batches, starting at maybe 10 or so in. Part of rasoning is that I started brewing in a tiny apartment, and when I moved out of there, I had more space to be able to devote to equipment. Did cooler mash tun, turkey fryer burner, and got a deal on copper tubing for immersion chiller.

 

[normonster]

I started with 15 gallon kettles all grain from day one. I lurked on here long enough to know what I wanted to do and was sure I'd be sticking with it. Now upgrading to 26 gallon kettles though so didn't nail it first shot. Hoping the ability to maintain a vigorous boil with 15 gallons to start will make me happy....boiling 14.5 in a 15 gallon pot is scary every time.

 

[normonster]

Got a 1 gallon AG kit from my brother for Christmas and been going ever since. Extract never interested me it takes away some of the fun to me. Doing it like the old days with no processed ingredients makes it better and there's a little more pride in it when you start from scratch

Lol bro it's only April....Christmas was like yesterday.

 

[theseeker4]

I have a total of 4 brews under my belt, I got started with an extract kit from my wife for Christmas. Brew #2 was also an extract kit, then I decided to jump into all-grain.

So, for me 2 extract brews and I moved to all-grain. Just curious about others.

Same for me. I just started, so I have done two extract brews that are in the bottles, and my third batch is a BIAB APA still in the fermenter. Plan to do the rest of my brews as all grain, unless I decide to do an isolated extract batch here or there.

 

[Bearsmith]

I did one extract, followed by one partial, and then went all grain.

Some of my favorite aspects of homebrewing is the ability to grow into new equipment, try new techniques, and drink beer! I've spent two years mashing in a cooler and I'm in the process of building a HERMS system. The DIY aspect is also a huge bonus for me.

 

[brisboy]

I decided I wanted to brew beer after doing some turbo ciders.
I Found out about single vessel Brew In A Bag.
I ordered some grain, hops and a paint strainer bag and went to it.

No idea how to do extract. Is it easier? I assume it is. Love how much I can experiment and how forgiving the process of BIAB is.

 

[Evan_L]

3 extract then AG. Went to the LHBS intending to get a full AG kit/setup, even had a recipe all picked out. He talked me down to a kit n kilo. Did 2 partial mash after. While I could have done AG i'm glad I didn't. First AG, even though I thought I was over prepared, was hectic! If I had done AG while also mixing in other firsts such as sanitizing and hydrometer use etc... it would have sucked. I'm sure I could have done it but it wouldn't have been much fun.

LHBS advice to start extract and focus on cleanliness and process first was spot on. Yeah it didn't taste that great (wicked old Coopers IPA) and I wanted to brew a spot on Stone clone right out of the gates (knowledge does not substitute for experience I later learned), it was nice to make the crappy kit as good as it could be made. The move to AG was easy. Still crazy keeping all the new steps straight but the shared parts of the process were simple by that point.

 

[mschieve]

Three batches then AG. My first AG brew day was awesome and I look forward to many more.

 

[wilserbrewer]

It's a cost thing for me (see a trend here?)... the cost of extract to grain is ~3:1 around here.

Nope.

Brewed extract for many, many years on and off, then about ten years ago the price of extract nearly doubled and the price of grain looked real attractive...now buying whole sacks with group buys, hops by the pound and recycling yeast the beer is almost free.

 

[Harry482]

I did two extract batches. I went all grain so I'd have more control over the fermentability of the wort - other than just different attenuating yeasts.

 

[Natdavis777]

Jumped in head first. First beer was a butter bomb and volumes were way off. 2nd beer was better, 3rd beer ( a brown ale) tasted commercial (our local water supports dark beer), and I think we killed the keg in two nights. That was 4 years ago. Its a neverending learning experience.

 

[RodrigoEick]

My first batch was already all grain with keg. Never experienced the hassle of bottling.

 

[Bearsmith]

No idea how to do extract. Is it easier? I assume it is. Love how much I can experiment and how forgiving the process of BIAB is.

It is easier but not better. Almost everybody starts there and most don't stay there.

 

[Bearsmith]

Sorry, double post from mobile app.

 

[brisboy]

Cool, I'll stick with my delicious and fun BIAB beer then!

 

[Scriv]

I decided I wanted to brew beer after doing some turbo ciders.

I Found out about single vessel Brew In A Bag.

I ordered some grain, hops and a paint strainer bag and went to it.



No idea how to do extract. Is it easier? I assume it is. Love how much I can experiment and how forgiving the process of BIAB is.

Extract is definitely less time consuming, but all-grain gives much more control.

 

[chisena]

Took me about 6-8 extract brews before my AG system was under construction. AG is a PITA but I like that. She's my dirty mistress.