no steeping grains ?

[justenoughforme]

do people ever make extract brews without any steeping grains? or will it be just too thin and light.


i was thinking for a hop forward yellow refreshing beer.

 

[kh54s10]

Mr. Beer for one. (afaik) It is often done but you have to rely on what someone put into the malt extract and hops.

 

[JJ900]

I have tried that when trying to make a lower ABV knockoff of Hop Ranch (thanks to HBTers for the recipe). I used pilsen light DME and just azacca and mosaic hops. It came out great, not too thin, hops really shown through. There is some small amount of carapils or the like in the extract itself so that helps. I tried the recipe again adding a little dextrine malt because I had already bought it (supposedly to add body) and it was good that way too. But I wouldn't say that the dextrine malt is necessary.

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

I used to make several beers that were all-extract when I first went down the rabbit hole of homebrewing. As kh54s10 said, you are more limited as to what you can make but that doesn't mean the beer will be thin and light. You still have an OG to hit and your hop and yeast selections as well as fermentation conditions can make for a wide variety of brews. Good luck!

 

[JimRausch]

yep, people do it all the time. How it turns out is totally dependent on the freshness and quality of the extract. Use a can of hopped extract that's been sitting on the shelf for years and you may not like the results.So, get fresh, and you'll be fine.

 

[justenoughforme]

thanks for all the quick replies and opnions.

 

[brewcat]

Yep. My last brew which was a wheat. It just depends what you want from your flavor profile. I decided to do a complete extract and figured it didn't need anything extra besides a wheat base and a good hop schedule.

 

[JKaranka]

With many LMEs you want to actually tone down crystals malts and the like so it shouldn't come out too thin.

 

[Sailingeric]

What you are talking about is similar to the SMaSH brew. If you went with an amber LME/DME, and picked your hops you could do a great beer and save your self some time in the brew day.

 

[dhutchings]

For wheat beers, I exclusively use Wheat extract with no problems. However, I did a Maris Otter LME-only ESB that turned out a little "off". It was the first non-wheat beer that I'd done without steeping grains in a very long long time. Not sure if it was the MO extract or what but brews I did afterwards with steeping grains have turned out fine.

 

[JKaranka]

I do all grain, but for testing hops I've done one gallon brews of LME (light only) and they've all been really tasty. Even if doing just a fifteen minute boil with hop burst.

 

[justenoughforme]

I do all grain, but for testing hops I've done one gallon brews of LME (light only) and they've all been really tasty. Even if doing just a fifteen minute boil with hop burst.

i want to do this now.

 

[Qhrumphf]

If you don't want to steep grains, that's a good time to venture into the darker extracts, "amber", or "dark", or whatever the trade name may be. Those usually have specialty malts build into them with "amber extract" usually being a pale extract plus the addition of crystal malts in the production (I believe I read that Briess Sparkling Amber is made from 2 row, Munich, and a mid-range crystal malt, but I don't recall the source of the info) where the dark extract may add some black patent or roasted barley in there on top of the pale malt and crystal.

If you want to go just plain pale extract for a pale beer ,that's fine too.

And then back when I did extract brewing years ago, I did a few all-wheat extract Hefes that came out quite well. Most wheat extracts are somewhere in the 50:50 or 60:40 pale malt to wheat malt ratio, which is perfect as is for a pale wheat beer like a Hefe.

Edit: Here's some of the Briess malt extract composition info. It actually lists the Sparkling Amber as proprietary (only one it doesn't list), but my guess is what I've got above isn't too far off. http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Products/Extracts.htm

 

[CJ-3]

My very first kit was from Brewer's Best - American Cream Ale.

It had no steeping grains in it, and I think it is one of the best kits to start with, as it is simple to brew. A very friendly way to start brewing and I am glad I went that route.

 

[sheephrdr]

ive made a few beers recently that I have either been pressed for time or have no appropriate grain to add so ive just done like LME and a few hop additions of one hop, ive done northern brewer, goldings and perle versions. which have all been tasty (5 gal) the perle one is almost kicked far better than pre hopped extract in a can

 

[NCSU_Brewer]

I made Cream of Three Crops as an extract-only beer with Extra-Light DME, Rice Syrup Solids, and Corn Sugar. It can definitely be done.

 

[BrewHound]

I've made several extract only brews over the years and had them come out great. I know a guy who swears by the Muntons hopped extract kits and loves what he makes. I haven't been able to get one of his brews just yet but it makes me curious about how those turn out.

 

[Teesquar]

Late Spring to early Fall I always have one corny keg with a Fizzy Yellow SMaSH low ABV session. 5 pounds of extra light DME (or 3 w/ 2# honey), an ounce of whatever hops I’m curious about, 3 weeks later I have a thirst quencher for after hours of yardwork.

Just made a Sorachi Ace version. Taste just like Sapporo.

 

[Grreg2]

Northern brewer's Smash Ale is an extract recipe w/o any steeping grains. It is good.