Moving back to extract brewing, is there a best set-up?

[WannaB1]

I moved to all grain several years ago and currently have a Spike Solo set-up which I'm sure it's overkill for extract brewing. Is there any reason you wouldn't use it for extract since I already have it? If so, is there a "best" extract set-up? I do prefer to make 10 gallon batches.

 

[Broken Crow]

Sounds like you already know the answer so I'll ask you to either rephrase the question or better still, since it sounds like you're just looking to streamline brew-day, tell us why and what it is you're interested in changing.
If you're just looking for improvements in general and want to DIY something, then off the top of my head I'd recommend buying some 400 or so mesh and making and 'oversized' kettle-filter.... less trub in the fermenter really nice.

 

[WannaB1]

I just brew for the fun of it, no competitions, not trying to do anything other than have a few good brews on tap. I make more wine these days so I don't brew that often anymore and doubt I go back to brewing a lot. I've never really enjoyed all grain. For me it makes for a much longer day, especially with cleanup. I've also had more trouble than I care to admit with all grain and I'm not looking to chase the fix.

Simply I was trying to determine if there was any real downside to just keeping the solo and using it for extract brewing.

 

[Rish]

You have it, you're familiar with it and it'll do what you want to do. Unless you're thinking about selling it to recoup some of your money (maybe not much), I'd say keep it and brew on. Also, you might decide you want to do another AG occasionally and you'll still have what you need to do it.

 

[madscientist451]

Best extract setup by far, 5 gallon pot on kitchen stove, boil your hops in a smaller side pot, main pot doesn’t need to boil. You’ll be done in 30 minutes. However, the biggest issue I have with extract brewing is the taste of the beer. I just don’t like that extract flavor. So when I brew extract, I always try to mask the extract flavor with a heavy dose of hops for IPAs or specialty malts like chocolate or carafe if I’m making a stout/Porter. If I’m making a kolsch, Pilsner or something with a delicate flavor, I always go all grain.

 

[Bobby_M]

There's nothing wrong with using the kettle for the boil and just leaving the basket out of the equation.

 

[madscientist451]

It’s just way faster to boil a hop tea and not bother boiling the whole batch.

 

[brewSJ]

The best setup is the one that works well for you. That’s just as true for extract brewing as it is for all-grain.

 

[mashdar]

Isn't there something about needing some malt extract to get proper hop extraction or isomerization? There was some reason to add a fraction of the malt extract at the start of the boil if adding most at the end.

I think whatever heats fast and transfers easily is ideal of extract brewing. The solo might already do that?

 

[madscientist451]

Isn't there something about needing some malt extract to get proper hop extraction or isomerization? There was some reason to add a fraction of the malt extract at the start of the boil if adding most at the end.

https://beermaverick.com/tips-tricks-to-extract-brewing/

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Isn't there something about needing some malt extract to get proper hop extraction or isomerization? There was some reason to add a fraction of the malt extract at the start of the boil if adding most at the end.

Boil the hops, not the Malt Extract! (link, also BYO Oct 2002)

 

[mashdar]

@BrewnWKopperKat Yeah! That link calls for 1 cup extract for the boil. I think it was in Palmer/Papazian books, too, but I've forgotten the reason.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I think whatever heats fast and transfers easily is ideal of extract brewing. The solo might already do that?

For 2.5 gal batches (at packaging), I use an induction cook-top and a 4 gal kettle. I resize all-grain recipes to 3 gallons (end of boil) and a 30 minute boil. If I'm adapting an extract based recipe, I go back to the original all-grain recipe. I've seen some really bad conversions.

---

Some additional observations:

Briess DME and Muntons DME have different mineral content - different people will likely have different opinions on the flavor profiles from each product. There is some discussion on this in "I brewed a favorite recipe today".

LME is not DME. Buy it in oxygen barrier packaging, store it cool, use it promptly, and be sure to boil (or at least pasteurize) it.

"Extract is always darker than expected" (from the 2010s) turned out to be mostly stale LME with the possibility of basic cooking errors (e.g. not dissolving the DME or LME properly, stratification of the wort, ...).

A topic here at HomeBrewTalk to consider "AHA homebrewer of the year": he won with an extract based American Lager.

 

[jerrylotto]

Best extract setup by far, 5 gallon pot on kitchen stove

10-gallon pot, or you are going to struggle with boil overs.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

10-gallon pot, or you are going to struggle with boil overs.

One can "stove top" brew 5 gal extract batches with a 5 gal kettle.

Partial boil (roughly 1/2 water, 1/2 DME, all the hops) at start of boil, rest at end.

How to Brew, 4e, chapter 1.

The topic "I brewed a favorite recipe today" has some nice enhancements to HtB.

 

[jerrylotto]

One can "stove top" brew 5 gal extract batches with a 5 gal kettle.

It may be possible, but it not the only way to extract brew - especially high abv batches. Plus it is convenient to have a vessel that you can make up full volume in and carry if necessary.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

One of points in #15 is that there is no "struggle" with boil overs when using a 5 gal kettle.

 

[lumpher]

1 of the best things about extract brewing (aside from a quick brew) is you can use what you have on hand. If it will do AG, it will do extract just fine. In your shoes ( and I sort of am), I'd keep what I have and use it for whichever I want to do. I have a Mash and Boil with pump, and I've used it for both extract and AG. Your current setup will work well for both, also.

 

[Yesfan]

You could always just sell the Solo's basket to recoup some funds. I'm sure someone here would buy it.

One of points in #15 is that there is no "struggle" with boil overs when using a 5 gal kettle.

Plus weight and handling. A 5 gallon kettle with 2.5-3.5 gallons of wert in it is going to be much easier to handle and lift than 5 gallons in a 10 gallon kettle.

 

[Bramling Cross]

I've taught a lot of people the rudiments of brewing over the years and while most extract brewers are resistant to the idea at first, pretty much all of them agree that a half pound to a full pound of cane sugar really helps to lighten an extract beer and affords the hops the chance to shine through a bit.