True or False?

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Everyone always says that critters will love the spent grains. I guess so, but in my experience - NO... I dump my spent grains in my compost pile. I have never seen any evidence of anything but worms getting to it, and that is after it has been there a while. I put spent grains on the ground below my feeders and the birds would eat only stuff that was NOT on the spent grains.

Interesting, I put them out in January no other seed, suet or food, and the birds ate it. A few people have dogs that love it and horses enjoy the sweets too. They do sour quickly though, and are great for compost, which still make them more useful than tossing them in the trash.

 

[Morrey]

As OP, I wanted to post the "True of False" test has been reviewed on General Beer Discussions: AG vs Extract

 

[tracyk]

I think it is just a matter of preference or convenience. I think we all first started with an extract kit. I know I did and I was completely amazed at how easy it was to make beer. I think I went through all the beginner nightmares, did I brew it right, add enough yeast, did the fermentation go okay, and did I add enough priming sugar when I bottled. But you know what the Amber Ale that I first made came out pretty darn good. I kept doing extract kits for a year and was definitely improving on my technique. I starting reading more and learning more and I eventually joined a club which help immensely.

By this time I felt confident enough to make the next jump to all grain. You will know when you are ready to make the jump. For me I like the thought that I can tweak a recipe to my liking. To start working with my water to improve the beers that I already make. Now don't get me wrong, I have had days where I am brewing all grain and it seems like nothing is going right, but you know what in the end I did make beer and I enjoyed that beer because I made it to how I like it.

I do know one thing the time it takes to brew all grain is a lot longer than doing an extract kit. It is just something that you will have to decide...

 

[Jsbeckton]

I have prob made 100 batches of beer now and I would say the three extract kits I made were probably my three worst beers . YMMV though.

 

[Amadeo38]

Not sure if someone hit this topic in the replies, but I'd like to chime in on the "extract beers can win competitions" comment. From judges I've spoken to, it's really not tough to medal. Most of what people submit to competitions is garbage - infected, astringent, off-flavors galore, or not even close to style. I wouldn't say my beers are great, but I've never entered a comp and not gotten a medal. I'm sure I could do the same with extract, but it's sure damn fun doing all grain and that's why I do this!

 

[Morrey]

I have prob made 100 batches of beer now and I would say the three extract kits I made were probably my three worst beers . YMMV though.

I'd say my extract beers would be my least favorite too. When I grind my own grain and control the entire process, I feel much more a part of the outcome.

 

[Pappers_]

. . . is his advice that extract beers can equal all-grain beers in taste True or False in your opinion?

The answer to the precise question posed above (the key word being 'can') is yes. Its not really an opinion. Objectively, extract beers have defeated all-grain beers in competitions.

 

[Pappers_]

From judges I've spoken to, it's really not tough to medal. Most of what people submit to competitions is garbage - infected, astringent, off-flavors galore, or not even close to style.

I cannot agree with your comment about competitions, it is absolutely false to say that most of what people submit is garbage. At many of the competitions I judge at, a majority of the beers in the flights I evaluate score in the Very Good range (in the 30s) and very few beers have rampant flaws - those that do stand out.

If that statement is false, then your reasoning from that statement doesn't hold water. Winning a medal at a competition matters. Congratulations on the medals you've won.

 

[worlddivides]

I can say with 100% confidence and absolutely ZERO doubt that, yes, extract beers can be just as good or even better than all-grain beers.

Now, when it comes to beer quality, assuming you use high-quality, fresh ingredients and you do it skillfully, using good practices, good recipes, and so on, you can make extremely good beers with both. And I personally think it is true that, if you do it right, you will be unable to tell the difference in taste between an extract and all-grain beer. Now, I've never used "old" extract or "low-quality" extract, so I've never tasted the "extract twang" that I always hear people talking about. Nor have I ever made a beer with "just extract" (i.e. no specialty grains, no adjuncts, etc.). My very first beer was a mix of liquid malt extract, dry malt extract, specialty grains, and Belgian candi syrup. I imagine that so-called twang's either a characteristic of stale extract or low-quality extract, but if the stuff is made properly, it really is no different than what you make with all-grain.

Now, that's just talking about flavor.

I think it's similar to the question of "Which is better? Dry yeast or liquid yeast?" Well, most dry yeasts nowadays are of exceptionally high quality and can make amazing beers. As much as I love a lot of liquid yeasts out there, I still use a lot of US-05. HOWEVER, if you want variety, you will want to go with liquid yeasts, because there are so many more varieties and types of liquid yeast than there are of dry yeast, and the only way you're going to get a certain flavor through fermentation is by going with the right yeast, and if that yeast doesn't exist in dry yeast form, then you need to go with liquid.

In other words, all-grain is definitely the way to go if you want the maximum amount of control. You can make creative beers with extract, but you have a lot more freedom with all-grain.

I think Revvy's first post in this thread pretty much says it all.

 

[ChelisHubby]

All grain will let you experiment more with other flavors and in the end you will be very happy with the results. You will find yourself much more knowledgeable after you have brewed all grain for a while. For what it is worth I would do a 3 vessel brew system if you have the space for storage.

 

[Amadeo38]

I cannot agree with your comment about competitions, it is absolutely false to say that most of what people submit is garbage. At many of the competitions I judge at, a majority of the beers in the flights I evaluate score in the Very Good range (in the 30s) and very few beers have rampant flaws - those that do stand out.

If that statement is false, then your reasoning from that statement doesn't hold water. Winning a medal at a competition matters. Congratulations on the medals you've won.

I didn't mean to sound negative, and now that I re-read what I wrote, I definitely did. Sorry about that.

I suppose the bad ones are what sticks out, so that's what I hear about from folks who judge at comps. As far as medals go, I've only submitted twice and both were stouts, which are my specialty. I'd probably get tore up if I submitted most other styles...

 

[Kharnynb]

it totally depends if you want to get into mashing your own wort.

All grain has more choice, more flexibility, and biab is pretty straight-forward, but it is one extra step and about an hour more on the brewday.

As for taste, you can make great beer from extract, all-grain or even prehopped kits.

last winter i made a chocolate/vanilla stout from an old coopers kit i picked up at sell-out(near end-date of the kit), it was a great beer, nice for winter, could make a similar one myself from grain, but this turned out cheaper and easier on the side of my normal brewing.

 

[bendog15]

You'll hear many different opinions on this topic. All grainers swear by all grain, and vice versa.
The beauty of this age we live in is that extract is very top notch quality these days- not your fathers can of DME. I firmly believe that extract brewing can produce some great beer. Award winning beer. I brewed extract kits for at least 3 years- over 50 kits at least! And only had one batch turn out bad.
I finally reached a point where I was getting a little bored with extract kits. If I didn't move to all grain I probably would have quit the hobby.
That being said, after I made the move to all grain, I couldn't be happier. I like the way the beer tastes from all grain (just a personal preference) and since I brew so frequently, it's much more cost effective. I like designing recipes, more control over my final product, and the knowledge that I made the beer, from grain to glass.
Last point I'll make is to echo what's already been said on this post. This hobby reflects the brewer and his/her methods. Good cleaning and sanitizing, pitching healthy adequate yeast, fermenting at proper temps, and patience is what turns out a great product. I've tasted phenomenal extract beers made with love and care; I've also had awful all grain beer made by lazy slobs. It's up to the brewer.

 

[specharka]

It sounds like a lot of people are tiptoeing around their convictions. To me, there's really no debate. There's two reasons that commercial breweries unilaterally brew all grain beers: cost and quality control. It's inconceivable to think that the process of manufacturing extract doesn't alter the chemical composition of the wort. So why are we pretending that they are equivalent?

You simply cannot make the same quality of beer using extract over all grain.

 

[Kee]

There's two reasons that commercial breweries unilaterally brew all grain beers: cost and quality control.

So the bean counters at Anheuser-Busch InBev are sitting around a table asking "Should we do extract or all grain?"

 

[Morrey]

You'll hear many different opinions on this topic. All grainers swear by all grain, and vice versa.
The beauty of this age we live in is that extract is very top notch quality these days- not your fathers can of DME. I firmly believe that extract brewing can produce some great beer. Award winning beer. I brewed extract kits for at least 3 years- over 50 kits at least! And only had one batch turn out bad.
I finally reached a point where I was getting a little bored with extract kits. If I didn't move to all grain I probably would have quit the hobby.
That being said, after I made the move to all grain, I couldn't be happier. I like the way the beer tastes from all grain (just a personal preference) and since I brew so frequently, it's much more cost effective. I like designing recipes, more control over my final product, and the knowledge that I made the beer, from grain to glass.
Last point I'll make is to echo what's already been said on this post. This hobby reflects the brewer and his/her methods. Good cleaning and sanitizing, pitching healthy adequate yeast, fermenting at proper temps, and patience is what turns out a great product. I've tasted phenomenal extract beers made with love and care; I've also had awful all grain beer made by lazy slobs. It's up to the brewer.

I started extract brewing in the 80's where the canned extracts were not only limited but of less than stellar quality. Of course things have changed for the better.

For me, AG offers complete control and huge cost differentials over extract. I noted a 3# bag of light DME was $15 in my LHBS, so not sure if this is a standard price or not. BUT, I harvest my yeast slurry, grind my own grains and use small hop bills in my Pilsners. My last 5.5G batch cost me $15 which is prob 1/3 of the cost of a comparable extract brew. Even tho extract has come along way, AG is a much better product in my humble opinion.

 

[DennisinIowa]

I like to have total control with AG brewing.
First till ten acres, twenty for a 10 gallon batch.
Just kidding. I have been brewing for the last 5 years extract, and am making some damn fine beers.
Time, temp and patience are everything. The last two beers I did went over 5 months in bucket.
DennisinIowa

 

[Morrey]

I like to have total control with AG brewing.
First till ten acres, twenty for a 10 gallon batch.
Just kidding. I have been brewing for the last 5 years extract, and am making some damn fine beers.
Time, temp and patience are everything. The last two beers I did went over 5 months in bucket.
DennisinIowa

My LHBS buddies and I just did a blind taste test with AG beer against extract beer. I posted the results under a post called blind taste test. Extract, in the hands of a skilled brewer, can create exceptional beers. No doubt.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=583840