What homebrewing method do you follow?

[chase]

I use the extract with steeping grains and am happy with the beer I turn out. I know you can't get the fine variations you can with AG but still can make a good beer. Lately I've been using the late extract addition and they have turned out great.

What is the late extract method? How does it benefit the beer?

 

[JasperMac]

try "pseudo mashing" with about 4 lbs of grain:
1. Use 1.5 lbs of specialty grains and 2.5 lbs of 2-row.
2. Steep them in 1.5 gallons of water @ 155F for about 30 minutes (no bag)
3. Pour them into your boiling pot through a colander (to keep grains out of boil)
4. Add water to make 2.5 gallons
5. Start your boil with hops as usual.
6. Add your extract at the last 10 minutes and stir well. Light DME is best, don't use LME if you can help it.

i GUARANTEE you will see a noticeable improvement with this method over extract with steeping grains.

the only investment you might need to make is a big enough colander

Thanks for the idea. I am interested in learning how to make a more tasty brew without going completely AG since I do not have the equipment. I have one question though, what is DME and LME? Thanks.

 

[kinison_fan]

I'm a couple of weeks away from AG, and looking forward the trying it out. I've got the MLT put together and picked up a turkey fryer, still need to get/build the wort chiller.
I don't think I'll abandon DME (or even LME) brews though-I'll probably do both, depending on how much time I have for brewday.

 

[kinison_fan]

...I have one question though, what is DME and LME? Thanks.

DME=Dry Malt Extract
LME=Liquid Malt Extract (syrup)

 

[kinison_fan]

What is the late extract method? How does it benefit the beer?

Adding the extract in the last 10-15 minutes of the boil, instead of the full 60 minutes. The longer boil can lead to carmelization of the extract, which can make your finished beer darker.

Also recommended with pre-hopped LME, because most pre-hopped kit's instructions only suggest heating and stirring (no-boil), since the hops is already been through a utilization boil (or they just added hops extract). Further boiling can "boil off" the hops flavor...

 

[Hell Brew]

Done a few extract, but next batch will be AG and that will be all I do from then on. So I voted AG.

 

[flyboy]

I voted for extract and partial mash. I stopped using no boil once I graduated out of my Mr. Beer kit. I'm not dising Mr. Beer. I'm glad I got it and think it's a great beginner kit. I still have mine and use it when I make cider.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I've been an AG brewer since about 6 batches into the hobby. My brew history went something like this:

Cooper's Wheat Ale hopped extract kit
Alton Brown's extract + steeping grain recipe
Cheesefood's Caramel Cream Ale
Two more extract + steeping grain recipes from scratch
All grain batches since (usually 15 gallons), mostly from recipes I create in BeerSmith

Your poll results are going to be skewed - the most active members here are all grain brewers, but I'd be willing to bet that far greater than 50% of our 16,000 registered users either brew extract beers or haven't even brewed their first batch yet.

 

[boo boo]

I think the first category is messed up too. There are two types of "no-boil"kits.. The pre-hopped malt extract that you need to boil a bit which universaly suck and the Brew House and Festa brew kits which provide you with a 5 gallon bag/bucket of all-grain wort which can easily produce excellent beer. Better in my opinion than most partial-boil extract batches I have tried.

I agree. A brewing buddy of mine from Nova Scotia sent me a 2 litre PET bottle of west coast IPA recently that was made from a Fiesta ( I think) kit which is AFAIK a 5 gallon pail of wort in which you just pitch the yeast and brew.
It was fantastic.

 

[Bigfoot]

What is the late extract method? How does it benefit the beer?

Like mentioned earlier, it's adding the majority of the extract at the end of the boil. I've had real good luck with the color of my brews since doing it this way. Before they always tended to be on the dark side. Also it seems to help with the hop efficiency of my brews.

 

[chase]

Like mentioned earlier, it's adding the majority of the extract at the end of the boil. I've had real good luck with the color of my brews since doing it this way. Before they always tended to be on the dark side. Also it seems to help with the hop efficiency of my brews.

I've had the same problem. I boil in a 4 gallon enamel pot. I consistently get beer that is way too dark for the style. I just made an IPA and it was really dark.

I just tried the late extract method last night. I noticed that it was distinctly lighter than other APAs I've made. We'll see!

 

[Bosh]

DME + hops + steeped grains.
My stove can handle anything more than that, it takes enough time as it is and when I don't make dumb mistakes I'm very happy with the quality of my beer.