I have done AG for a long time but once in a while it is fun to brew up a kit beer. Kind of a dreary day here so I’m sitting in our kitchen waiting for the end of the boil of an oatmeal Stout kit I got on sale a while ago. Then in the sink the pot goes for an ice bath.
All of you that are still doing extract, there is not a thing wrong with it. Simple, fun, much shorter time and produces pretty good beer. I have no plans to quit AG but this is a nice diversion.
Cold and dreary here also. Just started the boil for NB’s Petite Saison. Yeast was ready a couple of weeks ago so made a 0.5 liter vitality starter for it.
SO-4 came with the kit so not much work there. I just added the package of priming sugar to the end of the boil since it is going in a keg.
Been 4 weeks since my last brewday. 
Life has been nuts, so I am super excited to be planning to brew Sunday! I’m brewing up Off The Topper AG kit so I’ll start my starter tonight and get it on the stir plate. Supposed to be dreary and cold here all weekend, so this will likely be the highlight of my entire week. A great thing to look forward to! 
Rad
A couple times a year I’ll do an extract (although I usually bump it up to PM). A couple weeks ago I did the Bastard Son Ginger Beer kit from NB. Didn’t do any changes since it was a 1st time. It’s currently waiting on me freeing up some bottles.
The Caribou Slobber I think is actually better with the extract kit than the AG.
This time of year I’m always to busy. I have an off the topper extract kit that should be delivered on Monday I’m looking forward to making. I really enjoy dOing all grain but I just can’t find that extra couple hours it takes me over an extract kit this time of year.
This brewday turned out to be the most extended brew day ever. A series of errors caused by forgetfulness.
Forgot to ready the yeast for the vitality starter. Refrigerated yeast was at 38°F. Began gently warming the yeast in a warm water bath after the boil had already begun. Added 60° yeast to the 70° vitality starter wort. Put the flask in a 70° water bath to begin fermenting while the boiled wort was chilling.
The boiled wort was still in the ice water bath. By this time it was down to 40°. Take the kettle down to the brew room to warm up. Turned the in floor heat back on. It was 64° in the brew room.
Vitality starter needed at least four hours. Good time to get supper started.
7:30 PM good krausen on the starter. Then it occurred to me I should have added the top off water to the fermentor a few hours ago to warm up. Our well water is 48°.
8:30 PM pitched slightly cooled starter into 55° wort and hope for the best.
This morning active fermentation at 60.1°.
With the boil kettle sitting for so many hours a very easy pour. Maybe I’ll do this again if no infection appears.
