Why not just start with all grain?

[BrewZer]

I started all grain and kegging.
I don't understand why people recommend extract and bottling other than the cost involved.

If you include time as a cost, then I think you've hit the nail on the head. In the beginning, it's good to make the process as simple and speedy as possible.

As for me, I got a Mr Beer for Christmas one year, and it worked so well for me, I've never looked much past it other than adding steeping grains to influence the beer's characteristics.

But now that I've tried it so many times, and I'm more willing and "adventurous" in experimenting with steeping grains, all-grain all of a sudden doesn't seem as intimidating/mysterious as it used to. And with the advent of BIAB, I'm seriously considering a batch of all-grain APA as a test. The bag isn't all that expensive for a try-out, and if I like the results... who knows? I might just stick with the AG BIAB. All I need to try it is the bag and an overhead hoist to get it out of the kettle.

Thanks to extract brewing, I already have everything else I need.

 

[IslandLizard]

I don't understand why people recommend extract and bottling other than the cost involved.

Extract for ease of access and process, the maltster has done the mash already.
But yeah, mashing is not a huge extension (except for some knowledge and time) to the brewing process, although it surpasses the elementary Duncan Hines-like approach of adding a powder to (boiling) water.

Kegging involves a much larger equipment investment:
Keg(s), a CO2 tank, regulator, lines, and a way to keep your keg(s) cold. That's when using a picnic tap, not installing real taps. And again, more process knowledge.
Bottling you can do anywhere, with minimal equipment, even on a campsite.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

/r/homebrewing /user/chino_brews

 

[odie]

extract is cheap and easy. before investing in a hobby you should dabble a little to see if it's even something you want to get into. extract you can usually do with what the typical kitchen already has. No cost except the ingredients. Equipment costs can escalate quickly.

 

[Surly]

This long time brewer looks at brewing beer as a hobby with stellar rewards. It is not just a, "brew day" for me. It is a process from deciding the style I want to drink to final packaging.

I continue to advise new brewers to start out with an extract or two. From there one begins to learn basic processes that are carried forward. One such has been key to my enjoyment. Planning the next stage of my brewery and then the gear I need to expand to that level. "Ah, yes, I need this gear before my next expansion. And, what must I learn for the next stage?"

Moving from the kitchen with five gallon batches to outdoors with a turkey fryer brewing 10 gallon batches. From gravity feed to pumps on a single tier 10 gallon converted keg system. Then planning my standalone brewery with expansion to 15.5 gallon capacity.

I am currently redesigning that single tier to adapt to my changing needs. I want a CIP brewery. Fifteen years into the hobby with my 71st birthday approaching new considerations begin. As lifting becomes an issue, as I move from the country to a smaller domicile in the city what will my brewery look like?

This adventure is too good for me to end. And just as the beginning must work for us so does the end. Have fun and enjoy.

 

[amber-ale]

All grain is only as expensive as you are willing to let it be. I started all grain brewing when a beer store opened up in my city and it was relatively easy to get the grains and have them ground.

As for extract vs all grain... If you were trying to teach a kid to bake a cake all by themselves for the first time (including buying ingredients, but assuming they had an oven and a pan) , would you

tell them to go to the store and get a cake mix, read the box directions and use whatever you already have in the kitchen...

or hand them a big cookbook and tell them to read it, to save their allowance for 2 months, then to buy a big bag of flour, dozen eggs, big bottle of vanilla, a $200 mixer, top of the line cake pans and suggest that it would be just as easy to do 6 cakes at the same time if they bought a bigger oven?

 

[jerrylotto]

If I only did all grain brewing, what the heck would I do with all of my LME and DME?

 

[bleme]

When I first started, I only had a 2 gallon pot so I did 5 gallon extracts and soon after 1 gallon all-grains. I still do extracts every once in a while if my pipeline is low and don't have time to do an all-grain but I prefer to do all-grain, mostly for the cost savings.

 

[EthanH]

If I had it to do all over again, I would've started with 2 gal stovetop all-grain batches. No extra equipment needed beyond what you'd need for extract (except maybe a bigger bag). That way you learn the process and don't have 5 gal of mediocre beer to drink every time you do it.

What I did and would NOT recommend is start with 5 gal partial-mash batches. It's like the worst of both worlds.

I still make 2 gal stovetop batches from time to time.

 

[McKnuckle]

The irony is that after spending a ton of money on homebrewing equipment over several years, I now know how to do it very cheaply and get the same quality product. Oh well. There are some lessons that can only be learned by doing.

 

[kartracer2]

I look a brewing as 5 basic steps.
1. Equipment Set up / prep
2. Wort prep
3. Boil
4. Fermentation
5. Package
Oh yeah I guess 6, ENJOY the above work.
There are many branches off each of the above.
Extract makes the first 2 less time consuming and arguably less expensive. also less complicated.
As far as boil, full boils, again arguably better but extract you can do partial boils w/smaller pot & heat source.
# 4 to me is the most important in making good tasting beer. Getting this part right makes or breaks a lot of beers no matter how you get to this step.
Packaging, again, a time / space / money issue. It makes little difference how you got to this point.
All said, I extract brew (PLETO method) and I'm working on improving #4 right now. Once I get that dialed in I MIGHT change up #1 & 2. (I doubt it though. #5 will probably change first as I still bottle))
(Side note, my last brew went 3 hrs and that's equip. cleaned up and put away. )
Bottom line? Do what you can do with the space, time, $$$ you have. (Oh, and desire)
Cheers and brew on.
Joel B.

 

[Surly]

I look a brewing as 5 basic steps.
1. Equipment Set up / prep
2. Wort prep
3. Boil
4. Fermentation
5. Package
Oh yeah I guess 6, ENJOY the above work.
There are many branches off each of the above.
Extract makes the first 2 less time consuming and arguably less expensive. also less complicated.
As far as boil, full boils, again arguably better but extract you can do partial boils w/smaller pot & heat source.
# 4 to me is the most important in making good tasting beer. Getting this part right makes or breaks a lot of beers no matter how you get to this step.
Packaging, again, a time / space / money issue. It makes little difference how you got to this point.
All said, I extract brew (PLETO method) and I'm working on improving #4 right now. Once I get that dialed in I MIGHT change up #1 & 2. (I doubt it though. #5 will probably change first as I still bottle))
(Side note, my last brew went 3 hrs and that's equip. cleaned up and put away. )
Bottom line? Do what you can do with the space, time, $$$ you have. (Oh, and desire)
Cheers and brew on.
Joel B.

Hehee....I have turned my, "brew day" into two partial days and one long one. That is the advantage of being retired.

 

[Brews and Blues]

I have done 6 extract kits now. Every kit I do, I love the hobby more.
1st batch was a gift - a one gallon IPA. Turned out good but I drank it in a weekend LOL.
Then did 2 - 5 gallon kits. Had a baby, lost all of my time for a bit, and fell out of it.
Now I have done 3 more extract kits. Every kit a different style just to learn a bit about each beer. Each brew I document better. I measure better. I added a keg system. I have simplified my equipment.
For me, the extract kits have been a lot of fun. If i would have read a book on all-grain before ever brewing a batch, I think that I would have never done it. It just seems complicated on paper. But the kit really made me feel like I could do it. Now i am reading How To Brew and visit this forum daily just to soak it in.

I have a planned mapped out in my head now for my brewing hobby:
2020 - Get my process down perfectly - from cleaning, to brewing, to fermenting, to kegging - by doing at least 6 more extract kits.
2021 - Begin to dabble into partial mash/all grain as I begin to assemble the equipment. This way I have 75% of my brew day down pat before I add another element in the mash.

Also mixed in there, I would like to replicate one of these kits just to see how good my process and note taking is.

 

[NewJersey]

This long time brewer looks at brewing beer as a hobby with stellar rewards. It is not just a, "brew day" for me. It is a process from deciding the style I want to drink to final packaging.

I continue to advise new brewers to start out with an extract or two. From there one begins to learn basic processes that are carried forward. One such has been key to my enjoyment. Planning the next stage of my brewery and then the gear I need to expand to that level. "Ah, yes, I need this gear before my next expansion. And, what must I learn for the next stage?"

Moving from the kitchen with five gallon batches to outdoors with a turkey fryer brewing 10 gallon batches. From gravity feed to pumps on a single tier 10 gallon converted keg system. Then planning my standalone brewery with expansion to 15.5 gallon capacity.

I am currently redesigning that single tier to adapt to my changing needs. I want a CIP brewery. Fifteen years into the hobby with my 71st birthday approaching new considerations begin. As lifting becomes an issue, as I move from the country to a smaller domicile in the city what will my brewery look like?

This adventure is too good for me to end. And just as the beginning must work for us so does the end. Have fun and enjoy.

How do you get rid of a 1/2bbl of beer???!?

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

ball park answer, drink 3 beers a day for 2 months.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

my brewing hobby has gone much like @Surly only i am at 10 years in the hobby and (no offense) half the age. i have helped people get started brewing and all of them have started with extract. for me i feel like its a good place to start to see if its a hobby your going to enjoy or not. personally i was hooked right from go, but i have had friends try it out and have since dropped out of the hobby. i went from extract to all grain after about 6 months and never looked back. i have nothing against extract brewing i just thoroughly enjoy the process of mashing and everything that goes into it. I am glad i started with extract as it may have been overwhelming for me had i tried all grain first.

 

[OldDogBrewing]

I started with all grain, first beers weren't great but you have to do things to learn them

 

[kgav8r]

I’m pretty new to brewing having only been in it for 2.5 years. It started with memories of brewing with my father about 10 years prior. I knew he didn’t use the equipment so he was happy to unload it on me. A 5gal carboy, 3gal kettle, air locks and 48 really heavy duty bottles (amazing how thin they’ve gotten!). It was all overwhelming, so I chose an extract kit for my first. I didn’t want to invest a lot.
I did not understand all-grain, I hadn’t finished the book, and I wanted to brew as quick as possible. I was meticulous about sanitation and my first batch turned out great. I was hooked. After 3 more batches, I looked at ways to improve and make more. My wife had requested a blue moon and every extract clone kit was awful. This is what really pushed me to exploring all grain. I was prepared to lay down some cash on a 3V system but then stumbled upon BIAB. Keeping it low cost and indoors, I now do all grain in 2.5gal half batches and still paints in low cost. I really had to get there myself. All grain just sounds so complicated especially with different mash types, German words for the processes, it’s just a lot. Had I known about BIAB going in, I may have started there. I can actually do a nice wheat beer with about 10lbs grain that yields 4gals into the fermenter which I top up to 5gals and still hit 1.053SG. My wife loves it and most of my “Bud Lite only Cousins” actually drink it.
I think it’s a process for everyone and going extract in the beginning is a good, cheap gauge of how much you want to get into the craft. I still have no intentions of going to a 3V system. I may go to a bigger kettle some day. I brewed 4 batches 3 months ago. That was a 10hour day.

 

[TheAlien121]

• How to Brew (4e) chapter 1 talks about extract+steep for one's first brew day. Read the chapter and start brewing.
• Speed Brewing chapters 1 & 2 does the same for BAIB with a 2 gal batch targeting a 1.75 gal keg.

I haven't (yet) seen the same for 5 gal BIAB batches.

One can certainly, with enough time, piece together the process for a 5 gal BIAB batch on "day one".

But the strength of the above approaches is that it is a low cost way to try out the "hobby".

Right on, I started with 1.5 gallon batch. It was just in a 5 gallon soup pot lol.. In that regard, the cost was very similar to an extract kit that I could have bought.

Also, I just had a good educator there to help..

 

[TheAlien121]

Money. Extract is a lot cheaper to try before dumping a few hundred in AG equipment.

Sure, but you still need some sort of pot/kettle for extract.. Why not just put grain in a bag and toss it in? lol That's exactly how I learned, 4lbs of grain in a bag instead of pouring in syrup

 

[TheAlien121]

If I only did all grain brewing, what the heck would I do with all of my LME and DME?

Why would you only have to do all grain? lol And, just add your LME and DME to your all grain batches! haha

 

[Surly]

How do you get rid of a 1/2bbl of beer???!?

I live in the country and have many friends. I give most of it away.

 

[TheAlien121]

I look a brewing as 5 basic steps.
1. Equipment Set up / prep
2. Wort prep
3. Boil
4. Fermentation
5. Package
Oh yeah I guess 6, ENJOY the above work.
There are many branches off each of the above.
Extract makes the first 2 less time consuming and arguably less expensive. also less complicated.
As far as boil, full boils, again arguably better but extract you can do partial boils w/smaller pot & heat source.
# 4 to me is the most important in making good tasting beer. Getting this part right makes or breaks a lot of beers no matter how you get to this step.
Packaging, again, a time / space / money issue. It makes little difference how you got to this point.
All said, I extract brew (PLETO method) and I'm working on improving #4 right now. Once I get that dialed in I MIGHT change up #1 & 2. (I doubt it though. #5 will probably change first as I still bottle))
(Side note, my last brew went 3 hrs and that's equip. cleaned up and put away. )
Bottom line? Do what you can do with the space, time, $$$ you have. (Oh, and desire)
Cheers and brew on.
Joel B.

Bro.. Just looking at how you responded, tells me that you have more than what you need kick off the training wheels.. haha You're very proceduralized and systematic, which tells me you can't make bad beer. Just go to all grain!

Happy brewing man!

 

[TheAlien121]

I have done 6 extract kits now. Every kit I do, I love the hobby more.
1st batch was a gift - a one gallon IPA. Turned out good but I drank it in a weekend LOL.
Then did 2 - 5 gallon kits. Had a baby, lost all of my time for a bit, and fell out of it.
Now I have done 3 more extract kits. Every kit a different style just to learn a bit about each beer. Each brew I document better. I measure better. I added a keg system. I have simplified my equipment.
For me, the extract kits have been a lot of fun. If i would have read a book on all-grain before ever brewing a batch, I think that I would have never done it. It just seems complicated on paper. But the kit really made me feel like I could do it. Now i am reading How To Brew and visit this forum daily just to soak it in.

I have a planned mapped out in my head now for my brewing hobby:
2020 - Get my process down perfectly - from cleaning, to brewing, to fermenting, to kegging - by doing at least 6 more extract kits.
2021 - Begin to dabble into partial mash/all grain as I begin to assemble the equipment. This way I have 75% of my brew day down pat before I add another element in the mash.

Also mixed in there, I would like to replicate one of these kits just to see how good my process and note taking is.

My man. Woah. There is no way you can fail at all thinking like that. Seriously. You can NOT fail with a mentality like that. Beer is very resilient to minor mistakes and you sound like you won't make any mistakes.

You answered my initial question with a resounding, "I should own a brewery! But I'ma hang out in the beginners circle for 2 years.."

Why bro? lol

 

[johndan]

Yeast starters!

If I only did all grain brewing, what the heck would I do with all of my LME and DME?

 

[madscientist451]

Started with BIAB, moved on to mash tun and various ways of sparging, now have gone back to BIAB and last night did my first DME/Steeping grain batch w/30 min boil, so I guess I'm proceeding backwards......

 

[TheAlien121]

Started with BIAB, moved on to mash tun and various ways of sparging, now have gone back to BIAB and last night did my first DME/Steeping grain batch w/30 min boil, so I guess I'm proceeding backwards......

I see it the other way around.. Extracts are like a quick little cheat code when you don't want to have a long brew session.. lol Once you know how to brew, you're just cutting some time

 

[acrowe]

Extract can work really well and make good beer that is a pleasure to drink. I think if that is your first goal extract is a great place to start. If you are already interested in the process of making beer I think there is no reason not to start with all grain.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I guess I'm proceeding backwards......

Honestly, it depends on the forum one participates in.

Some forums can get can get derogatory with their analogies.

Other forums "embrace and extend" all the ingredients and all the techniques.

For example: Bottling no-boil extract-based NEIPAs? Great ideas both here and at /r/homebrewing. May the best (and perhaps the most friendly) forum win!

 

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

Money. Extract is a lot cheaper to try before dumping a few hundred in AG equipment. ATLBEER
I purchased two Burco boilers 25 years ago. A large BIAB bag 5 years ago cost £13.
So the money side is not worth worrying about, considering the savings over shop bought beers.