When to step up from Extract to All Grain?

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Tiki_Jud

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Still new at brewing. 9 months in, a dozen extract brews and 10 of the 12 have worked out well. Very simple setup - Gigawort kettle, plastic fermenters and korny kegs with a 2 tap keezer. Happy but itching to jump to the next level. Question is - does All Grain brewing make a better beer or am I just opening up new dimensions of possible frustrations (Mash Temp, PH, storing Grains, etc)? Also I would need a new Kettle and need suggestions. I want to stay in the 5 gallon universe with the thought of having 2 or 3 beers on tap at all times.
I have a decent space to brew and store items (basement room but no sink or vent, so i actually brew on a covered porch) which is fine for now storage and fermentation.
The big question is - does All Grain brewing make a better product if done correctly? Which is the best BIAB kettle setup? Any thoughts or comments from the Pro's?
 
Question is - does All Grain brewing make a better beer or am I just opening up new dimensions of possible frustrations (Mash Temp, PH, storing Grains, etc)?

All grain does come with a bit of a learning curve, but if you do some reading and planning, it's not rocket science. I know brewers who went all grain with their very first batch. I'm going to piss some people off right now, but yes, all grain processes can make better beer. At the very least, all grain let's you decide your own mash parameters, which affect attenuation and body. Then there is water. In most cases, we don't know what water was used to make extracts. But one thing we know for sure is that the water used is not going to provide the ideal profile for each style. And there's the issue of freshness. The freshest wort is the one you make from grains on your brew day.

One year, after the NHC gold medal winning recipes were posted, I reviewed every one of them. One (a Berliner Weisse) was an extract recipe, and the rest were all grain. I do not believe that's an accident.
 
I say go for it. I did maybe 3 extract brews, 2 partial mash brews, and then went all grain. The most important thing to do is just go thru what needs to be done with all grain, and make sure you know how you will do it (what pots you will use, how you will transfer wort, how you will maintain mash temp, sparge, etc..). You can try a partial mash if you want to get a feel for it first.

For me, all grain just represents flexibility. You get to control the malt profile much more. There is also something to be said for being able to take some grain and turn it into beer. It's like magic!
 
All grain doesn't necessarily makes better beer, you can make good and bad beer with both all grain and extract. I think it more comes down to your process but also your preferences. If you have good fermentation control and have a bit of fantasy you will be able to make great tasting extract beer.
 
You already have a kegging set up, just add a BIAB bag and some grain and your an all grain brewer. Don't worry about the small stuff, I've been brewing for years and don't have a PH meter or do any water adjustments except for removing chlorine. If you want to add PH and water adjustments, you can always do that later. Use an on line strike water calculator and you'll hit your mash temp every time (or almost).
If you don't have a brewing scale, get that, then get a grain mill so you can buy your grain in bulk. I use plastic buckets to store my grain. Its nice to build up a grain/yeast inventory, then you can brew whatever you want without a trip to the store.
 
By adding "all-grain" brewing techniques, you gain additional control over the ingredients (different brands of "two row" base malt, ...) and become responsible for additional steps in process (mashing, ....).

Starting out, treat mash temperature as a range (for a mash at 152, think 150-154), but don't be too relaxed (149 or 155 may be too relaxed). Insulating the kettle (sleeping batch, Reflectix, ...) helps with temperature control. Grain crush is another consideration - many people end up buying a grain mill to have more control over the crush.

Water: If you are working with distilled/RO water, Water Chemistry – How to Build Your Water – Bertus Brewery is a good starting point. The details on "water chemistry" go really deep, but starting out, it can be as simple as "a tsp of this, a pinch of that". Get a pH meter & confirm that your chosen approach to water is getting the mash off to a good start.

There are a number of people here (me included) who brew both extract+steep and "all-grain". The "no-boil" NEIPA topics would be a good example of getting an enjoyable beer with a short brew day. There are also recipes here at Homebrew Talk that don't convert well (in my opinion) to extract+steep.
 
I only have 3 batches from beer kits under my belt and I am switching to all grain. You will be able to find all the information you need to do so on here so you should make the switch! You'll have a lot more control over your finished product.
 
The big question is - does All Grain brewing make a better product if done correctly? Which is the best BIAB kettle setup? Any thoughts or comments from the Pro's?

IMO, its the fermentation that makes the beer. If you can have steady temps and reduce your oxygen exposure when packaging the beer should be good to go.

The biggest thing all grain brewing gives you as stated above is more control over the recipe and body of the beer.

FWIW I started extract brewing in the frat house and once college was over and started at my own home it was all grain all the way.
 
As long as your extract is fresh you can make excellent beer. Perhaps you'd be better served, at this point, by figuring out what went wrong with those two batches that didn't work out.
Having said that I am not telling you to not go all-grain; I use extract, sometimes with specialty grains, because of my living situation and when I get into a space that is conducive to all-grain I will go back to it.
 
I made the jump to all-grain with an Anvil Foundry all-in-one system, which is considered electric BIAB, though no bag is necessary. Very simple to use and just adds some time to your brew day for water heating and mashing. Something like this could definitely make the move to all-grain a lot less daunting if you're open to spending that kind of money for new equipment.
 
I have been brewing for about a year and have never done an extract beer. I went straight to all grain and still haven't had a bad beer. It isn't difficult at all. The best thing I did was spend time to thoroughly study the books (John Palmer and a couple others). I learned with each brew day and tweaked a few things (like slight adjustments to my mill crush, etc.) but really haven't had any significant problems from day one. I use a cheap Igloo cooler mash tun with a commercial false bottom that works great. I did not spend the money on a fancy all in one system or any other expensive equipment. I can now make self adjustments to my recipes which makes all grain worth it for me.

I wouldn't hesitate at all to go to all grain as long as you do a little homework to shorten the learning curve.
 
I started all grain from my 1st batch, still a supernoob obviously, as I only have 8 brews of experience but I would say:
A bit of reading/studying will allow you to have a decent result and gives your more flexibility over the malt profile.
On a romantic side:
Its a lot more fun to do the mash and to plan the process and it smells ****ing delicious while doing the mash.
 
I made the jump to all-grain with an Anvil Foundry all-in-one system, which is considered electric BIAB, though no bag is necessary. Very simple to use and just adds some time to your brew day for water heating and mashing. Something like this could definitely make the move to all-grain a lot less daunting if you're open to spending that kind of money for new equipment.
+1

I after a decades long hiatus from extract with specialty grain brewing I got back in with small batch BIAB. I then upgraded to the Anvil Foundry and loving it.
When I was extract brewing, all grain seemed like a hobby fir engineers but after looking into BIAB I realized that it wasn’t that much of a leap. I’m at the point that BIAB can be as simple as you want or as complex as 3 vessel set up. It’s up to you how in depth you want to take your brewing.
I find that the research into coming up with a recipe and brew steps of all grain is a huge part of my enjoyment as it provides me a better understanding and thus appreciation of beer I drink. Nothing against the folks who enjoy following a recipe in a kit. But I find finding out why brewers use certain malts or hops or why they vary temperature during fermentation very interesting.
Speaking of temperature, this may very well be the difference between good and great beer for home brewers. This is why I chose the Anvil and got a mini fridge with a controller for fermenting.
While you said you like 5 gallon batches, don’t rule out smaller batches like 2.5gallons if you want several beers on tap and enjoy the brew process and trying out new styles and tweaking previously brewed recipes. 2.5 gals is 20 pints. While right now I have a pale ale on tap I have a Trappist double in the fermenter and I am researching the next brew. I wish I had the room for multiple tap set up but such is life.
All grain kits are very easy to brew, IMO, so regardless of what direction you take, be confident there will be a method that fits you.
 
Can you list the other books?


Do you have specific recommendations?

I also read Mastering Homebrew and The Complete Joy of Homebrewing to supplement John Palmer's book. There are probably other good books. The important thing for me was to do some structural studying and learning instead of just throwing money into the hobby based on somewhat random internet forum info (which can also be helpful).
 
My input would be that AG gives you more flexibility on what you can brew. There are only so many varieties of LME and DME, vs. hundreds of different malt varieties.
My journey is, I think, fairly typical. I started back in 2011 with two extract/steeping grain versions, then went to partial mashes when I read about Denny-style cooler mashtuns. Got a larger boil kettle, a propane burner, and a immersion chiller and moved out of the kitchen (was actually strong-armed out of the kitchen by SWMBO). Moved onto AG after about a dozen batches. Have gradually upgraded equipment with my knowledge upgrade- water chemistry, larger BK and larger IMchiller, grain mill, pH meter, refractometer. But I keep fermenting in buckets using swamp coolers for temp control, and I still bottle. I'm one of the weird ones- I enjoy the bottling process.
My point is that it's an organic process. You change up your techniques when you're ready. For me, it was based on a lot of reading and thinking "I wonder if....".
 
I also read Mastering Homebrew and The Complete Joy of Homebrewing to supplement John Palmer's book. There are probably other good books. The important thing for me was to do some structural studying and learning instead of just throwing money into the hobby based on somewhat random internet forum info (which can also be helpful).

Papazian’s The Complete Joy of Homebrewing was my brew bible back in the 90’s when I was doing extract. Is the new edition adequate for the all grain brewer?
 
I've been brewing just under a year (so I'm definitely not a pro) and made the jump to BIAB about 3 months ago and feel strongly that the quality of my output has improved substantially since. I also enjoy perusing the various forums finding killer recipes that can't really be duplicated from a kit (I recently made a porter from a fellow poster's recipe on this site and it was awesome!). I've kept it small - still using the 4.75 gallon aluminum kettle that came with my kit. I really enjoy the process so smaller 2.5-3g BIAB batches lets me brew every couple of weeks without a lot of extra equipment or fuss. I use BrewMate to size recipes to my equipment. My 2 cents: if you get a bigger pot to bring your output capacity to 5g and a bag to fit, you're good to go. Then you can decide when to step up to a more traditional 3-vessel setup.
 
The important thing for me was to do some structural studying and learning
How to Brew, 4e & Mastering Homebrew would seem to be good books for this approach. Not sure about Complete Joy of Homebrewing (and perhaps The Homebrewer's Companion) as I read those after How to Brew & Mastering Homebrew.

The reminder of this reply is written for general discussion (not a reply to just @Jim R ).

My curiosity question is this: Is there a single document (web page, chapter in a book, series of videos) that covers starting with 5 gal BIAB at the same level of detail as chapter 1 of How to Brew?

For those that brew 2.5 gal (or less), the book Speed Brewing (2015) is interesting. All process descriptions have their minor faults (this one mentions ph Stablizer). And there are portions of a smaller batch process that don't scale up (controlling mash temperature, weight of the spent grains). But for "small batch" BIAB, Speed Brewing seems to provide a good approach.

With good research / study techniques, I think one can be successful starting with all grain (and later add malt extracts to the brew day). It's a lot of work to write what I'm looking for, so maybe it doesn't exist (either for free or for purchase).

I'll repeat the curiosity question here (but also note that I brew a mix of extract+steep and BIAB): Is there a single document (web page, chapter in a book, series of videos) that covers starting with 5 gal BIAB at the same level of detail as chapter 1 of How to Brew?
 
I switched to all grain when I realized that biab wasn't all that big of a difference process wise between extract with steeping grains.
Early on while I was using extract, my wife called brewing "making beer from concentrate" and that kind of stuck with me. I like turning grain into beer better.
Interestingly enough, one of my favorite beers that I ever made was an imperial pumpkin ale from an extract kit. I've tried an all grain version of it twice and it's never been quite the same. I'll probably swallow my pride and buy that kit again this fall.
 
All grain doesn't necessarily makes better beer, you can make good and bad beer with both all grain and extract. I think it more comes down to your process but also your preferences. If you have good fermentation control and have a bit of fantasy you will be able to make great tasting extract beer.
Exactly. This is a common question. Whether all grain is a “next step.” It’s all up to the individual and what they want to do. Some people have been brewing for years and never did anything but extract. Others start out all grain on day 1.

What I will say is all grain gives you more control over the makeup of what’s in your beer. When you buy dark malt extract, do you know what’s in that? What percentage is 2 row and what dark grains did they use to color it or what percentage of each is in there? All grain will also let you make light colored beers that are hard to get from even the lightest extract.

That said, excellent beer can be made from extract.

Cost-wise, extract costs more pound per pound. Because somebody has done the work for you. Cost-wise, all grain equipment can be very expensive. Again, depends on what you want to do.

All grain makes for a longer brew day. 5-6 hours or more. Mostly all waiting for something. Every time I do an extract batch its half the total time and I say I should do it more.

BIAB is an easy way to put a toe in the water if you don’t want to go all in and invest in a 3 vessel system. The electric systems are nice too, bit more of an investment than just buying a bag.

Today there are a number of ways to go. Not like the old days. 😄
 
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When you buy dark malt extract, do you know what’s in that? What percentage is 2 row and what dark grains did they use to color it or what percentage of each is in there?

Briess Traditional Dark (link)
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regarding "base malt": follow the link(s) in reply #57 of 2 extract taste...every time. to get an idea of what the base malt probably is. I've also heard that Briess is good about answering emails.

All grain will also let you make light colored beers that are hard to get from even the lightest extract.
Given the recent "no boil" NEIPA topics as well as some "no boil" recipes for other styles in Zymurgy, it appears that those who brew with extract are getting enjoyable results without too much concern about color.
 
We switched to All Grain after about a year. The biggest issue is having the correct equipment to control the Temp of the mash. While a little $$, the Chapmann has a Stainless Insulated Mash Tun, while SS Brewtech gas them for $$$.

We started with plastic and was never happy with hot water and plastic. It seemed we could "taste" plastic in some brews.

My Brew partner says extract brews have a "syrupy" undertone.

I personally like the All Grain Process much better than pouring out a can. It does take more effort, time and knowledge, but is really brewing beer.

Sort of like opening a can of soup versus doing your own. I like my home made soup better.
 
Every one tastes beer differently (link to science is available in the book The New IPA, early in chapter 5).

Brew how you like, but most importantly, like what you brew. :mug:
 
Briess Traditional Dark (link)
View attachment 713816
regarding "base malt": follow the link(s) in reply #57 of 2 extract taste...every time. to get an idea of what the base malt probably is. I've also heard that Briess is good about answering emails.


Given the recent "no boil" NEIPA topics as well as some "no boil" recipes for other styles in Zymurgy, it appears that those who brew with extract are getting enjoyable results without too much concern about color.
I wish Muntons were as open as Briess when it comes to what's in their LME/DME. I've emailed them once and they replied they couldn't/didn't want to/ answer that.
 
I don’t see any good to reason to start with extract kits. It’s a couple extra simple steps to do all grain. If I had to do it over again or give advice to a new brewer I’d tell them to start out doing all grain.
 
I wish Muntons were as open as Briess when it comes to what's in their LME/DME. I've emailed them once and they replied they couldn't/didn't want to/ answer that.
If one were to take "cooking" approach to brewing rather than a "science" approach, many of the questions around brewing with different brands of DME can likely be answered without knowing the malts used to make the DME.

With "all grain" brewing, people will do comparisons of different brands of base malt (for example with 2-row malts, compare Briess to Rahr to Great Western).

Why not do something similar with styles of DME/LME? In the spirit of BBR's "Hop Sampler", create a "DME sampler" recipe (BBR is currently doing a malt sampler series). One could also add minerals in a glass of beer to do additional comparisons.
 
I don’t see any good to reason to start with extract kits. It’s a couple extra simple steps to do all grain.
Given the recent "no boil" NEIPA topics as well as some "no boil" recipes for other styles in Zymurgy, it appears that those who brew with extract are getting enjoyable results with limited time for brewing.

And, for some of us, it's not
  • malt extract OR all-grain
but
  • malt extract AND all-grain
:mug:
 
I’m a extract brewer and been one for 6 years now, the reason I do extract is I’m on a time limit for brewing. With 2 young kids it’s hard for me to spend 5+ hours on a brew day doing all grain compared to 3 hours for a extract brew. With that being said over the years I’ve become a pretty good extract brewer, brewing well over a 100 batches thru the years, I’ve won a lot of medals in varies beer categories at the state fair beer contest beating out many all grain beers, my Mint Chocolate Chip Beer was the official beer of the Louisville Tailspin Beer Festival and my West Coast IPA took second place in another local beer contest held by a local brewery. Our local beer club had a brew off between a extract beer and a all grain beer and the extract beer was actually preferred over the all grain. Extract brewing has come a long ways in the past few years, as long as I’m getting fresh ingredients, grains, malts and yeast I’m making great beers. I doubt I’ll ever go all grain, why should I when I’m already making great beer.
 
Still new at brewing. 9 months in, a dozen extract brews and 10 of the 12 have worked out well. Very simple setup - Gigawort kettle, plastic fermenters and korny kegs with a 2 tap keezer. Happy but itching to jump to the next level. Question is - does All Grain brewing make a better beer or am I just opening up new dimensions of possible frustrations (Mash Temp, PH, storing Grains, etc)? Also I would need a new Kettle and need suggestions. I want to stay in the 5 gallon universe with the thought of having 2 or 3 beers on tap at all times.
I have a decent space to brew and store items (basement room but no sink or vent, so i actually brew on a covered porch) which is fine for now storage and fermentation.
The big question is - does All Grain brewing make a better product if done correctly? Which is the best BIAB kettle setup? Any thoughts or comments from the Pro's?

Lots of good answers here. I'll just add some remarks on the BIAB part...

1. You could already do 2 gal all-grain batches in your gigawort to kinda workshop your process. All you need is a bag.

2. If you are doing 5 gal batches, I highly recommend at least a 15 gallon kettle.

3. I recommend these for storing grain. You can store what's left of a 55 lbs bag after you mill off your first batch and have room for 10-12 lbs of various specialty grains in separate baggies.
 
Add me to the list of guys that have never brewed an extract batch. I just have a thing (my wife considers it a personality disorder) about doing things “from scratch” or as close to it as possible. I read Palmer’s book, and decided immediately that I’d be skipping the extract portion of the brewer‘s education. No offense to anyone doing it, but extract brewing just seems like cheating to me. It’s like baking a cake with a boxed mix. Yeah you might end up with good cake, but did you really MAKE it?
 
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Another vote for all grain here. I actually only brewed one extract batch many...many years ago, all grain since then. My one recommendation is get yourself a nice electric brewing system. Tons of info on here and price range from 300 bucks to many thousands. I can only vouch for the Grainfather. I love mine and it really makes brewing all grain very straight forward. I would also recommend starting with all grain kits like the ones from morebeer, northern brewer or austin homebrew. Just my 2 cents. Enjoy!
 
I switched to all-grain after a half-decade of extract brewing. My only regret is not doing it sooner!

Despite the many options available to a new all-grain brewer today, I went with a classic 10-gal cooler + false bottom for my mash, with a single batch-sparge. If you live in a place with relatively clean water, you can make perfectly great beer without water adjustments, but of course, there's always more to optimize for better beer.

While most of my equipment is on the DIY-side, I splurged for a Spike kettle and couldn't be happier. A port really helps filling and draining the kettle. Having a stepped-bottom helps reduce most of the trub in the fermentation bucket, which might not have an impact on flavor, but does make clean-up a lot easier for my plastic fermenters.

Otherwise, after being a few all-grain brews in, the more DIY the better for me so far, as knowing how to repair the equipment is priceless.

I recommend starting cheap, and solving the problems that bother you the most. For me it was heating water, chilling water, and juggling 7 gallons of water in a tiny apartment kitchen, so I solved things a problem at a time (ported kettle, immersion heater, nicer immersion chiller). The mash is honestly the easiest part of the brew for me.
 
Add me to the list of guys that have never brewed an extract batch. I just have a thing (my wife considers it a personality disorder) about doing things “from scratch” or as close to it as possible. I read Palmer’s book, and decided immediately that I’d be skipping the extract portion of the brewer‘s education. No offense to anyone doing it, but extract brewing just seems like cheating to me. It’s like baking a cake with a boxed mix. Yeah you might end up with good cake, but did you really MAKE it?

This line of thinking is really a never ending spiral though. I honestly don't think it is fair. Ok you brewed it all grain, but you probably, didn't come up with the recipe. And if it is your own recipe, its probably just a tweak of a different recipe. And even if you came up with the recipe 110% on your own, it is still based on the principles of brewing that other people have worked on for centuries. Making beer is like making music. Nothing is truly original. It's all based and influenced by the work of others before us. So did you really MAKE your all grain beer? Or did you just follow directions.

Because being creative or making art isn't about being truly original (or completely all grain in this case). It's about doing something that matters to you and sharing it with others.

I have a beer in a keg at home right now that I did from an extract kit. My friends love it and I'm enjoying every second of making and drinking it. I'm a total noob. But I've put hours into this extract beer between brew day and kegging, cleaning, sanitizing, and learning. There's no way you will convince me that I didn't MAKE that beer.
 
Making beer is like making music. Nothing is truly original. It's all based and influenced by the work of others before us.

As a musician (and perhaps you are one, too), I think this falls apart quickly. Making beer from extract is like piecing together pre-recorded sequences in GarageBand and making a song. Brewing beer from grain is more akin to recording those sequences yourself.

Both are songs, and to the listener, there might be no discernible quality difference. But a different level of skill was required of the composer.
 
As a musician (and perhaps you are one, too), I think this falls apart quickly. Making beer from extract is like piecing together pre-recorded sequences in GarageBand and making a song. Brewing beer from grain is more akin to recording those sequences yourself.

Both are songs, and to the listener, there might be no discernible quality difference. But a different level of skill was required of the composer.

I would say that is somewhat fair. I used to record a lot of music myself. I sang, played guitar, played bass, played keyboard... but couldn't play the drums. So I used a drum sampler. I would say the extract is a drum sampler.

I guess my point is that it isn't so black and white as in "that's cheating" or "you didn't actually make that"
Just like music, I view it all as a process of learning and practicing the craft.
 
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