Who is the better brewer?

[climbdoof]

Opening a can o worms here! Who is a better brewer. Some one who follows great AG recipes or someone who creates their own great extract recipes?

 

[IffyG]

Do a search, it's been beaten to death. Bottom line is with proper technique (mainly temp control of fermentation) great, award winning beer can be made either way.

 

[LVBen]

Someone who can do both!

 

[ABrewingApe]

Whichever one you are, no doubt. Go brew.

 

[Shooter]

You can pretty much manage to make crappy beer with either technique.

 

[Denny]

It doesn't matter what techniques or ingredients you use. What matters is what's in the glass.

 

[passedpawn]

Whichever one you are, no doubt. Go brew.

ha !

 

[Yooper]

It doesn't matter what techniques or ingredients you use. What matters is what's in the glass.

True! I've had some crappy AG beers and some excellent extract beers in competition. I've also had some crappy extract beers, too. Following a recipe (yours or someone else's) doesn't make great beer. It's controlling fermentation temperatures, pitching the proper amount of yeast, using fresh ingredients, using good water, etc. Recipes are like 10% of the finished product.

The "better brewer" is the one that makes the better beer.

 

[climbdoof]

Woot! Love it thought there would be more biased responses

 

[Acoma]

The one that can brew from only using a box of Cheerios and gatorade.

 

[BrewKnurd]

Opening a can o worms here! Who is a better brewer.

Yo mamma!

 

[LVBen]

The one that can brew from only using a box of Cheerios and gatorade.

I tried that a few times... it didn't go well.

 

[BrewKnurd]

I tried that a few times... it didn't go well.

ergo you are clearly not the better brewer.

 

[Revvy]

Someone who can do both!

Whichever one you are, no doubt. Go brew.

These both are the candidates for best answers on here. :rockin:

We've been way past the infantile "AG vs Extract" arguments for several years on this forum. We really don't want to step back into that mess, do we?

Read this, and go be the best brewer you can regardless of what ingredients and processes you use.

 

[climbdoof]

Sorry just bored at work didn't mean to ruffle any feathers

 

[ozzy1038]

Totally subjective.

 

[Piratwolf]

The one that can brew from only using a box of Cheerios and gatorade.

Back in my day, we didn't have sissy ingredients like Gatorade. We had to trap our own gators and squeeze 'em fresh! THAT is how you know the better brewer

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Well, Duh!

I am!!!!!!!!!


Not..............

 

[subliminalurge]

Read this,

Excellent post.

I've been brewing for around 6 years now. I'm only just now starting to collect the gear to go to all grain.

In my 6 years of extract brewing I've made some outstanding beers (I'd put them alongside the stuff I pay $15 for a 4-pack for at the store), and I've made some beers that, while I've never dumped a batch, I was a bit relieved when they were finally gone.

I'll be set up to do all grain soon. I fully expect that I'll make some absolutely outstanding AG beers. I also fully expect that I'll make some really crappy AG beers.

I'm finally investing in AG gear for the greater control. Along with that comes opportunity to experiment. With experimentation comes unexpected results sometimes. It's all part of the fun and what makes homebrewing an enjoyable hobby. If all I wanted was great beer, every time, then I could stop by the local brewpubs and get some growlers filled every night on the way home from work for much less than what I've spent on my brewing hobby.

Also, I fully expect to continue doing extract batches from time to time for as long as I continue to brew. Some beers just don't need to be done AG. Some days I won't have time for an AG brew session but will still want to keep the pipeline going. And some days the weather will just be too cold and nasty to have an outdoor brew session. While I'm in the process of accumulating AG equipment, there will be a period of time in there when I have the gear to do 10 gallon extract batches, but am missing a piece or two to go AG. I'll probably do some 10 gallon extract batches during that time.

I expect going to AG to open up some options for me. But it took me 6 years of brewing extract to fully appreciate what those new options will be. I'm also going to have a lot of new things to learn, and for me learning new things is at the top of the list of what makes this hobby fun.

I'm glad I waited.