Someone talk me down

[MDB]

I've got 4 batches of extract going (two in bottles conditioning one fermenting one in secondary) and this is definitely fun stuff, crazy I've only tasted samples so far...anyway, looking at recipes and the creativity that you can get out of this and it strikes me that all grain opens up way more options. Here's the deal: (i) I don't have tons of time, 5 kids and a sick job I'm worried that the all grain route is maybe a bad step from an overall life perspective at the moment; (ii) honestly I'm a little scared of the all grain route, looks complicated and easy to screw up, where as extract I've found pretty simple; BUT (iii) it looks like a whole lot of fun!! I can put it off but my bottom line question is how much better is the beer, really? Is it worth the time sink and by home much? And am I mistaken that extract limits me so much? For instance I was thinking Founder's Porter clone and saw a post on recipes, one of the posts pointed to what is reputed to be a good extract kit from Austin. Could you really get close to a beer like that with an extract kit? I'm thinking of getting into all grain, but if the improvement in beer quality is only 10% (i.e. my extract kits will get me 90% of the flavor but with half the time sink) I think I can and probably should hold off a bit. Random thoughts I know but just looking for advice

 

[Draken]

Well you can always go for a BIAB for your first pass at grain. That requires minimal equipment and investment on your part. That way you can see if it fits in your life.

 

[cherrob123]

Those arguments you bring up are all good ones. I think what everyone on here is going to tell you is to try to find out what you want to get out of the hobby. For some, it's about better beer. If that's you, then the extract route will be just fine.

If the process is just as important as the result, then all grain or partial mash may be your thing.

Try taking a simple recipe and working a partial mash and see how you like it. Partials only take about an hour longer than extracts and, in my opinion, the difference in quality is pronounced.

But, you should never compromise your need for better beer.

I wish you luck in which ever route you take.

__________________________________

Bottled Chimay Clone
Secondary Gruit
On Deck for National Brew Day Kolsch

 

[two_one_seven]

Get down...........don't jump.........I'm sure you have something to live for....

My take on it is you get to go from horse feed to oatmeal to beer. I have completely fallin head over heels for all grain brewing. All grain lets you make a unique beer that has never existed before you came up with it. I say go for it you wont regret it al all. Your wife might but what does she know about fine craftbeer..
DO IT, DO IT you will thank me later......

 

[bottlebomber]

It sounds like you will love all grain brewing, and I highly recommend that you do make the switch at some point. Having said that, I can tell you from experience that when you are a family man you need to be careful where you put this hobby in your life, as it can easily get out of hand both time wise and financially. There are a lot of things you can do to make time for brewing, such as overnight mashing followed by getting up early to brew, and things of this nature. Just be sure to not tick off the wife, and remember that good things come with time. Like kegerators, mash tuns, 20 gallon kettles, and plate chillers

 

[bottlebomber]

Get down...........don't jump.........I'm sure you have something to live for....

My take on it is you get to go from horse feed to oatmeal to beer. I have completely fallin head over heels for all grain brewing. All grain lets you make a unique beer that has never existed before you came up with it. I say go for it you wont regret it al all. Your wife might but what does she know about find craftbeer..
DO IT, DO IT you will thank me later......

Basically don't do this lol

 

[homebrewdad]

I completely identify with you. With two batches of extract + steeping grains under my belt, I found myself yearning for more control, more ingredients, etc.

I don't have the gear or the money (for said gear) to do "real" all grain yet, and I'm not really interested in cutting back to 2.5 gallon batches at this time, so I decided to do a partial mash with a BIAB variant method.

It took me at least a couple of extra hours, but I really enjoyed doing it. To me, the process is a critical part of the enjoyment of this hobby. I can't wait to move to AG, and I really don't see myself going back to pure extract at this point.

 

[travlinScott]

10 years ago, you almost couldn't get decent beer in this country without an act of god. Unless you brewed it yourself. That was the only way to get a decent beer, and it was a good reason to home brew. While everyone on here probably has different opinions about the state of commercial beer nowadays, I think most of us agree that at this point, it's not too hard to at least get a decent variety of pretty palatable beers.

So in my opinion, the best reason to home brew now is for the fun and love of the process. If the process takes up so much time that it stresses you, or doesn't give you a result you like, then there is kind of no point. If it gets in the way of other important aspects of your life, then you have to decide if its worth it.

The worst beer in the world is still worth making if you had fun doing it. But the best beer in the world wasn't worth your time if you didn't.

What about the brewing process really interests you? If working directly with the grains is what floats your boat, then extracts are a waste of time even though the beer might be great. And maybe you have to explore a little bit to find out exactly. Neither choice has to be a lifelong commitment. You can read up and try an AG batch and see how it goes. If it's fun and it works out then keep at it. If not, then at least you tried. And hey even if you start brewing AG it doesn't mean you can't go back to extract later if that's all you have time for.

Best advice I can think of is: It's a hobby. Don't take it too seriously.

I sincerely hope that helps.

 

[malkore]

All grain is not hard. A bit more work...more variables to control, but its not rocket surgery.

My suggestion is to try some mini-mashes or partial mashing. It'll give you more flexibility and a taste for the all grain process while not requiring a lot of extra gear. A big grain bag, or a 3 to 5 gallon cooler converted to a mash tun...nothing more. the LHBS can mill your grain, and then you can just top off with extra light DME to make your final gravity.

the boils are still only 3gallons so you don't need a huge burner/turkey fryer/etc.

Above all, like others said, keep it fun. If it starts to become a chore you'll start to resent the process.

 

[sweetcell]

+1 for BIAB. try it. you'll like it.

 

[kwingert]

Stick with extract and do some partial mashes. They make some really, really good extracts now. People who complain about extract having a funny flavor haven't tasted the new stuff. Extract gives you the backbone and partial mashes give you some depth in flavor and the ability to spice it up. Check out Brewing classic styles, almost all the recipes have extract recipes.

As far as biab, you are looking at a lot of time involved. You have about 3 hours in before you even start cooling the wort.

All grain is fun but it can take a huge amount of time. If you don't have all day to commit to it then it may not be for you.

But on the other hand, homebrewing is about doing what you want and not having some A-hole telling you what to do, So go for it if you want to go all grain.

 

[step]

10 years ago, you almost couldn't get decent beer in this country without an act of god. Unless you brewed it yourself. That was the only way to get a decent beer, and it was a good reason to home brew. While everyone on here probably has different opinions about the state of commercial beer nowadays, I think most of us agree that at this point, it's not too hard to at least get a decent variety of pretty palatable beers.

So in my opinion, the best reason to home brew now is for the fun and love of the process. If the process takes up so much time that it stresses you, or doesn't give you a result you like, then there is kind of no point. If it gets in the way of other important aspects of your life, then you have to decide if its worth it.

The worst beer in the world is still worth making if you had fun doing it. But the best beer in the world wasn't worth your time if you didn't.

What about the brewing process really interests you? If working directly with the grains is what floats your boat, then extracts are a waste of time even though the beer might be great. And maybe you have to explore a little bit to find out exactly. Neither choice has to be a lifelong commitment. You can read up and try an AG batch and see how it goes. If it's fun and it works out then keep at it. If not, then at least you tried. And hey even if you start brewing AG it doesn't mean you can't go back to extract later if that's all you have time for.

Best advice I can think of is: It's a hobby. Don't take it too seriously.

I sincerely hope that helps.

WOW

When I started reading this post, your response is what came to my head. I love this hobby... in fact I have made it a part of my career. One of the most import things I have learned is to keep the hobby a hobby and enjoy it. Do I have a single tier stand... no... do I have electronically controlled fermentation temperatures...no... but that's OK because its a hobby and I enjoy it at my current financial and time constraints.

Brew on my friend

 

[brewski08]

Stick with extract and do some partial mashes. They make some really, really good extracts now. People who complain about extract having a funny flavor haven't tasted the new stuff. Extract gives you the backbone and partial mashes give you some depth in flavor and the ability to spice it up. Check out Brewing classic styles, almost all the recipes have extract recipes.

As far as biab, you are looking at a lot of time involved. You have about 3 hours in before you even start cooling the wort.

All grain is fun but it can take a huge amount of time. If you don't have all day to commit to it then it may not be for you.

But on the other hand, homebrewing is about doing what you want and not having some A-hole telling you what to do, So go for it if you want to go all grain.

i apologize, kwingert, but i'm going to be that A-hole who DEMANDS you to go all grain.

...well, maybe not DEMAND but highly encourage.

when i went all-grain from extract, beer became more to me than just boiling up liquid goop and swirling the pot every once in a while. call me a meat-head, but i enjoy being outside; lifting my heavy, homemade mash tun with pounds and pounds of water and spent grain; and really putting hard work and sweat (metaphorically that is) into my beer. i love feeling sore after a productive brew day, and i love enjoying a homebrew that i put equally as much work into after a long, hard day of brewing. nothing better, i tell ya.

also, when i used DME/LME, i noticed a similar taste in a lot my beers. i wanted to start from scratch in the most practical manner.

 

[Genjin]

I have been doing BIAB and partial mash in my kitchen since my initial extract batch. It definitely takes more time, but for me the crafting of the recipes is my favorite part so I can't just use extract and steeped grains. I am looking to go all grain this summer. However, there are a million different reasons to brew and just as many limitations due to lifestyle. Find your niche!

Also, I have found in my own life that taking care of SWMBO and family first makes everything better. Wife happy, life happy!

 

[ShinyBuddha]

Another route to go is to find other home brewers in your area and brew with them. I've found the home brew community very friendly (you can probably tell from this site) and more than willing to share. Some of them might have all grain equipment and do a batch or two with you. From there you can see if you want to get your own gear.

Just remember to have fun and enjoy the bug.

 

[wSelwyn]

All grain is not hard. A bit more work...more variables to control, but its not rocket surgery...
My suggestion is to try some mini-mashes or partial mashing...
Above all, like others said, keep it fun. If it starts to become a chore you'll start to resent the process.

Exactly.
I used to think All Grain was years away for me (only for "the pros"). Once I saw some videos online and read more about it, I found out how easy it was to mash and custom tailor my recipies.

If anything, All Grain consumes time (which may be a burden to the children, your responsibilities, and SWMBO). However, it's only the first few batches that take a long time. Once you figure out your process in conjunction to your own equipment, you'll quickly find how to save time and be prepared for brew day.

I used to think I'd have to add crazy ingredients to my recipies in order to take my beer to the next level. I'm now brewing AG and realizing that the simple recipies have now taken me to that next level.

 

[kwingert]

i apologize, kwingert, but i'm going to be that A-hole who DEMANDS you to go all grain.

...well, maybe not DEMAND but highly encourage.

when i went all-grain from extract, beer became more to me than just boiling up liquid goop and swirling the pot every once in a while. call me a meat-head, but i enjoy being outside; lifting my heavy, homemade mash tun with pounds and pounds of water and spent grain; and really putting hard work and sweat (metaphorically that is) into my beer. i love feeling sore after a productive brew day, and i love enjoying a homebrew that i put equally as much work into after a long, hard day of brewing. nothing better, i tell ya.

also, when i used DME/LME, i noticed a similar taste in a lot my beers. i wanted to start from scratch in the most practical manner.

Well I guess if your only highly encouraging then your not an A-hole.