Ran into the anti-extract sentiment last night...

[Queequeg]

Quite often I will make a brew I am unhappy with and my friends with tell me it great. It could be great, but I would rather here the criticisms.

Yes you can make good beer with extract, but can you make good beer without grains? no, probably not. Extract has it problems, that's a fact. It doesn't mean you can't factor those problems into your process, it also doesn't mean they don't exist.

If someone is being a dick, that's his problem, he/she hasn't learn't how to communicate properly. Doesn't mean you can't use said person insights regarding brewing. Its better your ego is smaller than his, that means you can learn and better yourself when he can't.

 

[j1n]

Should have taken the beer back from that ******.

 

[Calypso]

Water ions are usually less important for extract, but the sulfate/chloride ratio does affect "perceived bitterness". You could dilute with distilled/RO to reduce the chloride, and then add gypsum to increase the sulfate.

Haha, that's exactly what I did! Just finished brewing this beer again (AG this time), and used gypsum, and phosphoric acid to adjust mash pH. My efficiency sucked (65%),but I'll work on it.

 

[Calypso]

Quite often I will make a brew I am unhappy with and my friends with tell me it great. It could be great, but I would rather here the criticisms.

Agreed. Which is why I would have loved feedback from another brewer. But I look forward to not sharing beer with him ever again now.