How many Extract batches before All Grain

[190Shilling]

Thank you for your replies. Your answers were compiled and presented during dinner. Committee was in a good mood and I have preliminary approval. This is a great opportunity for me to make more cool stuff. Thank you everyone for helping me confirm that I am WAY overdue for this.

 

[GregR]

I did extract for about 2 years-ish. I knew I wanted to go to all grain but it initially scared me so I stuck with extract for a while but then started slowly building my all grain equipment. that took a little while being a starving college student but now that I'm doing all grain my beers have gotten much better (more due to control of process, fermentation temperature control, and fresher ingredients than using grain over extract).

 

[Bulls Beers]

I was just looking over my notes and I did 18 extract batches in a little over a year. Man, I didn't think I did that many. I wish I went to AG much earlier.

 

[Tall_Yotie]

I had done some minor brewing during college (brew in a can as it were), didn't touch it until out of college. So my count starts at when I really go into brewing and tried to understand it.

I did 3 or 4 extract/steep batches before I went all grain. I thought it was more, but apparently it wasn't. They were great beers, and I still make some extract/steep brews (when brewing with my friend or father-in-law), but if I can afford the extra time I prefer doing the all-grain thing. Is a lot of fun, and I feel like I am a lot more involved the the actual creation of the brew.

 

[bennyd]

I've done 6 extract batches (with one more still to be brewed) over the last year. I want to go AG and I've gotten the green light from the SWMBO. I'm actually a little intimidated by it. I feel like I could read every piece of literature out there but I would have to help someone with an AG brew day to really get the process. Only problem is I really only KNOW 1 other brewer and he only does extract. The nearest HBS is 2 hours away.

Sorry if that was a slight hijack.

 

[juslod]

I have done under/close to a dozen extract batches and I'm working on getting all-grain equipment going. Just struggling to get the equipment ready! I feel that all-grain will give me much more flexibility on customizing my brews

 

[Gtrman13]

I did 3 or 4 extract batches over about a 2 month span, then did 2 partial mashes in the next month, then started doing all grain. The biggest hurdle for me was just learning all of the terminology. The practice of brewing all grain really isn't that difficult.

 

[d_ozz68]

I did two extract batches over a 6 week period then did one partial mash and have done only all grain since. (except for Brandon O's graff cider)

 

[azscoob]

I have never brewed an extract batch, I jumped into brewing by going all-grain, I have also never bottle conditioned a beer, I have kegged from that first batch also, I do bottle a few to give to friends or to stash away using Biermunchers method. I guess I missed a few learning steps along the way....

 

[jafo28]

I did five extract batches starting in july, I was instantly hooked on brewing. My third batch I started kegging, using this site as a guide to set up a mini fridge as my kegerator, from there I slowly started putting together my all grain setup. I now have brewed three all grain batches. My first was kind of a dud, cream ale, was more of a light IPA. Third is still in the primary, but my second was the best beer i've brewed, a porter. Have fun with the all grain, or however you decide to brew. This is by far the best hobby i've ever gotten into.

 

[Kraftwerk]

I've done 4 extract batches in the 4 months since I started. Santa's bringing me most of what I need to go all grain, so maybe one more extract batch until then.

 

[rockfish42]

I did ~25 partial mashes over the course of ~2 years. Now I'm up to my 9th or 10th AG batch.

 

[dunnright00]

Well, I'm glad you got your answers and presented before I chimed in.

Been brewing almost 14 years and I still use extract.

But recently I've been slowly building up the equipment to go AG.

 

[Frodo]

14 years is a long time, but I could definitely see sticking with extract that long if brewing was only an occasional thing. For me I became obsessed within a few weeks, and haven't stopped ramping up on equipment, technique, etc. since. I still think about how easy and less time consuming the extract batches were, and always think I'll do one every so often... but, then again, the smell of the mash is soooo good. Mmmmmm. And all the extra chemistry stuff to play with, measuring pH of the mash, adding chemicals to make my water "Edinburgh" water, using a refractometer to see how much sugar is in the runnings... not to mention being able to say to others who have no idea about brewing "Well basically I start with a bag of grain, then put some hot water in it...". Now that stuff is priceless.

 

[190Shilling]

Well, I'm glad you got your answers and presented before I chimed in.

Been brewing almost 14 years and I still use extract.

But recently I've been slowly building up the equipment to go AG.

Thank you. I knew i could not be the only one. I brewed consistently infrequently since I either bottled or only had 1 tap for kegging. Now I have 3so the flow has been much faster.

It has been very interesting reading how everyone has progressed in their brewing. There weren't resources like this around when I got started and the guy in the homebrew shop in my town got pissed when you walked thru the door,.(shop didnt make it that long).

 

[Desert_Sky]

I did 5 extract and 1 PM before making the jump. The only extract ive used since going AG is DME for a starter.

 

[straycat]

been brewing on and off since 96, all extract. this year i've brewed the most ever (about 55 gallons) and will probably continue to stick to extract (at least for a while).

 

[electronjunkie]

I'm personally going to go against convention and hit the all-grain bandwagon as soon as I can afford the proper equipment for it. Right now, I'm just brewing from beer kits and investing in kegging and fermenting gear.

Start saving NOW! It cost me a hefty $9, 5 dollars for a Nylon paint strainer bag and $4 for a plastic food grade bucket to sparge in.

BTW I did 1 extract batch at the insistence of the LHBS worker and I could have really just jumped right in. Its just basically like cooking.

Link:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-stovetop-all-grain-brewing-pics-90132/

 

[ascha]

I did one partial boil extract kit before jumping into all grain. It really isn't hard at all.

 

[Dunerunner]

It has been very interesting reading how everyone has progressed in their brewing. There weren't resources like this around when I got started and the guy in the homebrew shop in my town got pissed when you walked thru the door,.(shop didnt make it that long).

Brewing AG is about having creative control over the final product. Every aspect of your beer can now be tweeked to your specifications.

Have Fun!!

 

[theonetrueruss]

1 kit, 1 extract, 1 extract with steeped specialty grains, 1 partial extract, then AG after that.

 

[cklages]

I did maybe six or seven kits over the course of a year before going all grain. I am a little different from the other posters because I do go back every now and then. Sometimes I just don't have the free time for weeks on end, and the good folks at Coopers help keep the pipeline full with relatively little time and work invested.

Of course nothing beats a full brewday when I have the time, especially now that the process is dialed in.

 

[viking73]

I did one extract kit, then a PM kit. Now everything is PM, I don't have the room to go all grain. And thats all thats holding me back!

 

[wonderbread23]

2 extract with specialty grains, 1 largish mini-mash, then dove into all grain. Been doing all grain for the past 1.5 years. Personally I find it a bit more rewarding. Oh yeah, I've also never done a 'kit' beer.

 

[Shooter]

I did maybe six or seven kits over the course of a year before going all grain. I am a little different from the other posters because I do go back every now and then. Sometimes I just don't have the free time for weeks on end, and the good folks at Coopers help keep the pipeline full with relatively little time and work invested.

Of course nothing beats a full brewday when I have the time, especially now that the process is dialed in.

I think this is fairly common. I'd like to brew in the next week or two and am going to pick up the ingredients for a 2 gallon extract batch and a 5 gallon partial mash porter. I'm just too busy and the house is too insane right now to haul out the full brew rig and I need to get something in the fermenter!

 

[terrencepickles]

Three batches of extract over about a month before I went all grain.

 

[sacrifice]

1 kit before going all grain. I did do a few years of wine and mead from kits and from scratch prior to starting beer, but doing all grain is really no big deal if you can follow instructions and are a bit smarter than the grain. All my beer has turned out great so far.

 

[graduate]

I looked back through my brewing records and since fall of 04 I brewed 36 batches. I switched to AG last fall and have brewed 8 more. AG is a little more labor intensive but I am loving the process and the science of it. I have obtained all the equipment and moved into a room in the cellar. I started kegging long ago and have all that in place already.
The cellar room was a bathroom 26 years ago before we moved upstairs. It has a stainless slop sink. Also an old shower in the corner with a floor drain. I keep my fermenters in there because it keeps them at a perfect 65 degrees.
I brew in there also. I built a squirrel cage fan into one of the windows for an exhaust system. There is another window on the other side of the room that I open for cross ventilation. Purely luck that this worked out this way.

 

[badmajon]

I never did extract. For me, extract is to home brew what boxed brownies are to baking. 90% of the skill and art is in the mashing.

 

[Shooter]

I never did extract. For me, extract is to home brew what boxed brownies are to baking. 90% of the skill and art is in the mashing.

...and 90% of the resulting good beer comes from proper temperature control and a good pitch of healthy yeast.