Extract to start

[MrRook]

Who amoung you started with extract and moved to all-grain and who stayed with extract?

 

[Galena]

I did one extract brew to test out my kit when I first started brewing, not done one since.

 

[Sandimas]

I did extract brewing for a few years before moving to AG.

I guess it depends what you mean by "extract brewing": mine was LME/DME + steeped grains + hop boil/steep. Some people consider extract brewing = kits.

 

[Moe]

Started with kits- got annoyed as they all tasted disgusting so moved to AG.

 

[tigertim]

Started with kits- got annoyed as they all tasted disgusting so moved to AG.

Same here. I think I did a Woodforde's Wherry and was quite underwhelmed so moved onto AG through this forum back in 2009 and never looked back.

However, I must admit I have been tempted to try some kits again the next time I need some "cooking beer" but don't have time to do a full brew. Withe the improvements to some of the modern kits coupled with the improvements in my knowledge, technique and equipment, I wonder if the results would actually be significantly better than I remember.

Edit : Actually no, that's slightly inaccurate after re-reading the initial question. I did the one kit brew but, after I'd gone AG and needed to brew but found I didn't have the time for all the faff of setting up and dismantling a home-made plastic three-vessel system, I did do a couple of simple extract beers using DME. I think I did a couple of Timothy Taylor Landlord and also a Cameron Strongarm clone. They were pretty good. They lacked the sparkle of AG but were a very drinkable beer, unlike the kit beer I had done.

 

[YeastFace]

Kits>Extract with steeping grains>All Grain.

Skipped partial mash, but decided BIAB wasn't much more effort.

 

[MashBag]

Same here. I think I did a Woodforde's Wherry and was quite underwhelmed so moved onto AG through this forum back in 2009 and never looked back.

That was my reply. Couple of Wherries. About the same time as you Tim. Thought the same. Tried brew in a bag with 87 other buckets & bowls & bolleaux. Bought a BM quite quickly. Been running it ever since

 

[Stu]

Who amoung you started with extract and moved to all-grain and who stayed with extract?

I did extract many years ago. Then moved onto part-grain. Now on all grain.
Dark Rock are great at part-grain if you want to have a go and see what it's about
https://darkrockbrewing.co.uk/product/dark-rock-hazy-daze-neipa-part-grain/

Alternatively, you can take all-grain recipes and replace it with something called spray malt.
Do a search for "DME only recipes" (DME is dried malt extract).

Personally, I prefer DME over liquid extract.

The other thing I'd say (and we say it all the time here) is that water makes all the difference. Spend a couple of quid on Tesco Ashbeck Water (they sell it in 5 litre containers).

 

[An Ankoù]

Who amoung you started with extract and moved to all-grain and who stayed with extract?

I think I started with EDME DMS (diastatic malt syrup) and Superflavex and also used Boot's malt extracts when they became available. Never really got into hopped "kits" although I tried the once or twice. Did some all grain brews, too. Had a brewing break to get a family under way and started again with plastic "jerry cans" of extract. Then there was a massive price hike overnight so I went back to AG. I haven't really tried an extract brew for so long that I can't remember if it's any good. It's jolly expensive, though. I very occasionally build a yeast starter into a 5-litre batch so that I can use the slurry in a proper batch. The 5-litres was never intended to be anything exciting, though.
I don't remember ever doing "partial" mash recipes.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Started with kits, then tweeked them and then all grain, never looked back

 

[Frisp]

i used to be an AG snob! When i was brewing back 12 years ago it was AG all the way. When I started my returned to brewing joirney last year i stumbled on a simple DME lager recipe that I used to pop the cherry on my Brewzilla. Plan was only to test the system rather than waste Grain !
Xlight Dme Saaz and novalager. Under 12 psi of pressure Was the first one.
Loved the result. A good crisp clean fresh lager.
I now use it as my bulk house recipe and fiddle with the hops and IBU and its teaching me lots about noble hops, and how to get the best out of them to suit my taste. I always have a keg on tap and a keg lagering. And it makes for a shorter brewday.
But i still brew AG. i have a Deuchars IPA clone and a Murphys Irish stout clone planned. And a 60/- , crisps basic lager and a coopers steep grain franken stout currently on tap alongside my DME lager
Truth is we don’t have to stick to one methodology to make good beer for drinking if time is tight smash out that DME.

 

[Mash Monster]

I started with kits for about 6 months then moved on to Dark Rock part grain with a peco boiler, after a couple of brews moved on to all grain. I have recently been gifted a couple of kits from love brewing and will give them a go out of curiosity. I am assured that I will be surprised with how much extract kits have improved………..in for a penny !

 

[MashBag]

Truth is we don’t have to stick to one methodology to make good beer for drinking if time is tight smash out that DME.

I absolutely agree with loads of options. There is no right way.

 

[jof]

Boots extract kits in the late 80's as a student.
Then a big gap until about 2010. Straight into stovetop partial mash & then on to AG BIAB.

 

[Twostage]

i used to be an AG snob! When i was brewing back 12 years ago it was AG all the way. When I started my returned to brewing joirney last year i stumbled on a simple DME lager recipe that I used to pop the cherry on my Brewzilla. Plan was only to test the system rather than waste Grain !
Xlight Dme Saaz and novalager. Under 12 psi of pressure Was the first one.
Loved the result. A good crisp clean fresh lager.
I now use it as my bulk house recipe and fiddle with the hops and IBU and its teaching me lots about noble hops, and how to get the best out of them to suit my taste. I always have a keg on tap and a keg lagering. And it makes for a shorter brewday.
But i still brew AG. i have a Deuchars IPA clone and a Murphys Irish stout clone planned. And a 60/- , crisps basic lager and a coopers steep grain franken stout currently on tap alongside my DME lager
Truth is we don’t have to stick to one methodology to make good beer for drinking if time is tight smash out that DME.

I've got an Deuchars IPA recipe that I constructed from reading an email from an ex-head brewer if you want it. It gave grain bill, hops and IBU. Makes a nice pint.

 

[Twostage]

I've got an Deuchars IPA recipe that I constructed from reading an email from an ex-head brewer if you want it. It gave grain bill, hops and IBU. Makes a nice pint.

Found the email. I've removed the names, greetings etc. Here's the body...


For our, malt we used to use entirely Golden Promise, but, due to supply and quality, we now use a blend of around 65% Optic. However, malt from varieties such as Maris Otter is an excellent one, and if it works well micro brewery and home brewed beers I would stick to something like that. We also add around 3-5% wheat malt to the final grist. We also use around 10% sugar to control colour and help fermentation

We use very high hopping rates due to our late hopping in traditional hopback and as a result only achieve around 20-22 % bitterness utilization, aiming for a final bitterness target of of 28 for both the draught ( 3.8ABV) and bottle (4.5ABV)

For home brewing I would tend to go for the higher ABV version!

We use Fuggles as the main copper hop at a level of around 10% of total hops –around 0.2 g per litre

We use Styrian Golding as the main hop, these days blended with Willamette, which we find compliments the aroma and also acts as a buffer against the variable quality of Styrian Golding . If you can’t get Styrian Golding, replace with Willamette initially

The usage rates in g per litre are as below for all hops

Copper Late

Styrian Golding 0.25 1.75
Willamette 0 0.4
Super Styrian 0.2 0
Fuggle 0.2 0

If you can't get any Super Styrian simply add more fuggle (around 0.3 g per litre) or some other variety of your choice such as Challenger or perhaps US varieties like Liberty or Mount Hood.

To get more late hop character why not try "hop tea". This is simply made by bringing hops to the boil in Water for around 5-10 min ( too long and you will add too much bitterness), straining and cooling and adding the resultant "tea" at the end of fermentation. Remember to allow for dilution effect on the original brew! I suggest you start in the range 1-2 g per litre

Simply add any variety ( in this case Styrian Golding /Willamette) but you try other varieties to give different characters

I hope you find this useful – good luck and cheers!

 

[6Trails]

I did about 6 or 7 kits before going to biab in a peco boiler. I found with the kits that the darker the beer the more passable it was, but I had no temp control or anything in those days.

 

[An Ankoù]

i used to be an AG snob! When i was brewing back 12 years ago it was AG all the way. When I started my returned to brewing joirney last year i stumbled on a simple DME lager recipe that I used to pop the cherry on my Brewzilla. Plan was only to test the system rather than waste Grain !
Xlight Dme Saaz and novalager. Under 12 psi of pressure Was the first one.
Loved the result. A good crisp clean fresh lager.
I now use it as my bulk house recipe and fiddle with the hops and IBU and its teaching me lots about noble hops, and how to get the best out of them to suit my taste. I always have a keg on tap and a keg lagering. And it makes for a shorter brewday.
But i still brew AG. i have a Deuchars IPA clone and a Murphys Irish stout clone planned. And a 60/- , crisps basic lager and a coopers steep grain franken stout currently on tap alongside my DME lager
Truth is we don’t have to stick to one methodology to make good beer for drinking if time is tight smash out that DME.

I recall that I very much enjoyed my extract brews. I think it was the cost that became prohibitive. £110 for 25 Kg at MM, and I think that's quite reasonable. £30-£35 for a sack of malt so about a quarter of the price.

 

[RichK]

I did kits for a couple of years, then one extract + boiled hops then one stove top AG before going biab

 

[obscure]

My first brew was at fifteen with a Woodford Wherry Kit, it wasn’t great. My second brew was at 27 and was a one gallon all grain porter using a ‘kit’ it wasn’t bad and got me back into brewing. I’ve done the occasional malt extract kit, including another Wherry, and I’ve occasionally brewed with malt extract and a full boil but honestly DME is fairly expensive and doing a mash really isn’t that complicated has meant that I mostly brew all grain.