I’m impartial here. I gravitated to AG and at the same time for Christmas my wife got me two very nice NB extract kits. So I was wondering if there’s reasons from a recipe standpoint where extract might be more beneficial than AG. Thoughts?
it would be more beneficial if you already have the kits, or if you’re short on time.
if you dont want to make the kits, you can save the DME or LME for starters
I’ve given that some thought but fortunately they are too kits I’ve looked at. From a time standpoint I’d agree. But what if anything can extract bring better to a recipe? Anything?
What about boosting an AG recipe? Any merit there?
Only for convenience. It’s all extract, it’s just a matter of whether you make your own or let the maltster do it.
I took a short break from AG and did 2 extract batches. It was easy, fun, and over quick. I was careful with them, and they turned out very well.
Yes. You can break up the extract kit to help in other areas;
Extra lme/dme… use it to beef up your wort or as a yeast starter.
Extra hops… hops always finds a way to fit in a homebrew.
Extra spec. grain… yep, it will find it’s way.
Just check the yeast, use it or 86 it, no big deal.
What I’m saying is that you can do whatever it is that you like with a kit.
Make it or break it apart. I would do the latter, but thats me.
Cheers…
In this instance the “recipe” benefit is most likely that of your relationship. If it was my wife and she put the thought time and effort into picking out the kits, I’d be dang sure to make them. Else I’d get a question about where they went, how we’re they, etc. don’t think I’d want to have to explain that I didn’t like the gift. Even if they weren’t the best beers I’ve made (I will note that I am only an extract brewer and believe them to be perfectly great beers), I’d do them just so she could have some and we could enjoy them together.
But then again, my wife didn’t get me anything on my wish list for Christmas, so what do I know! :cheers:
If you want to make a really big beer, like a RIS or Barley Wine, some DME can help a lot if you don’t have the mash tun space.
I’ll go with an opposite approach.
Instead of breaking up the extract kit, add 2-5 lbs of 2-row to the steeping grains. Do a mini mash to boost the OG of the kit.
I’d say that perhaps using wheat LME or DME is a benefit over mashing and risking a stuck run off. I made an awesome hefe recently that was just 6 lbs of wheat LME, an ounce of hallertau, and Weihenstephan yeast. I’m brewing an all grain version of it this weekend…so I’ll find out soon how it turns out.
Yes. My setup limits me to how much grain I can mash. So, if I want to make a stronger beer, I either have to cut the final volume down to 3-4 gallons or add a little extract to boost the OG.
I’m not sure if this answers your question, but extract brewing for people who consider themselves ‘all grain brewers’, such as myself, is a good thing to do every once in awhile. It really lets you focus on your ‘cold side’ processes, such as ferment temp, yeast pitch rates, proper chilling, etc.
Gordon Strong calls extract brewing the equivalent of making TV dinners and calling yourself a chef. While I think he is a great proponent of homebrewing and a very talented brewer, I think this is one of the most pompous and self-eggrandizing comments I have ever heard. People make NHC-WINNING brews with extract EVERY YEAR. Its just a matter of how much of your process you feel the need to control/manipulate.
If you have the kits, brew the kits. Show a friend how to brew with them. Brew them with your wife. But FOCUS ON THE STUFF YOU CAN CONTROL!
+1.
I brew AG, but–like Harpdog–recently did a pair of extract kits. They were quick & easy, which was a nice change of pace for both me & my spouse, who has to watch the kids while I brew.
I know, I read that and thought, what a douche thing to say. Not that I don’t value his input, but seriously…it’s not like that. It’s more like making a cake out of a mix instead of from scratch. Which is STILL BAKING A CAKE. And you can still bake high quality cakes that way. I mean, come on, Gordon.
I like to brew extract every once in a while, because I am a homebrewer, not an all-grain brewer.
[quote=“Beersk”][quote=“Pietro”]
Gordon Strong calls extract brewing the equivalent of making TV dinners and calling yourself a chef. While I think he is a great proponent of homebrewing and a very talented brewer, I think this is one of the most pompous and self-eggrandizing comments I have ever heard. People make NHC-WINNING brews with extract EVERY YEAR. Its just a matter of how much of your process you feel the need to control/manipulate.
[/quote]
I know, I read that and thought, what a douche thing to say. Not that I don’t value his input, but seriously…it’s not like that. It’s more like making a cake out of a mix instead of from scratch. Which is STILL BAKING A CAKE. And you can still bake high quality cakes that way. I mean, come on, Gordon.
I like to brew extract every once in a while, because I am a homebrewer, not an all-grain brewer.[/quote]
VERY well put! There’s nothing wrong with using extract to brew. Mr.Strong’s analogy is poor at best. My brew club is having an all extract competition next month just for the fun of it and I’m expecting to taste a lot of very good beer. And none of these beers will be “microwaved dinner” quality.
That sounds like a fun competition. I started going in on bulk buys with a friend who I taught to brew last year. He still does extract and wants to buy stuff in bulk, so I said I’d go in and take a couple 6lb jugs of LME. So I have some on hand to brew a quick batch every now and again. It’s still brewing…
Skimmed the posts so far but didn’t notice mention of water chemistry. That’s supposedly one potential benefit for you with extract.
[quote=“dobe12”]
VERY well put! There’s nothing wrong with using extract to brew. Mr.Strong’s analogy is poor at best. My brew club is having an all extract competition next month just for the fun of it and I’m expecting to taste a lot of very good beer. And none of these beers will be “microwaved dinner” quality.[/quote]
Yep, maybe he should have said extract brewers are like cooks, but if you want to be a chef, you need to go AG. Even that I don’t like the sound of but the reader could tell what he meant without it sounding so disparaging.
[quote=“Nighthawk”]Instead of breaking up the extract kit, add 2-5 lbs of 2-row to the steeping grains. Do a mini mash to boost the OG of the kit.[/quote]+1 This is what I would do - your wife gets the satisfaction of seeing you use her presents and you can tailor the beer a little.
