Extract brewing v kit making

[HughDrummond]

I am a relatively new brewer - made approximately 12 kits and thoroughly enjoying the obsession - what I'd like to know is if I moved onto extract brewing would I notice a difference(quality wise) in the beer I'm making - is it a worthwhile exercise or should I continue with kits until I have funds to spend on "All Grain" equipment?

Thanks in advance

[Beer O'Clock]

Hi Hugh and welcome.

I didn't bother much with Extract. It didn't give me a significant improvement.
However, stepping into BIAB was a huge leap in quality. Have a look in the Brew in a Bag section. It's only slightly more involved than Extract but the results are every bit as good as All Grain.

[basswulf]

I'm newer to the game than you but I suspect one of the first questions more experienced hands might ask is "what kits?". I started with a Geordie Scottish Export, following the instructions even down to using regular cane sugar, and that's now starting to mature into a fairly pleasant drink. Brew #2 is underway, a Young's Mild made up to 32 pints and "sweetened" with dark dry malt extract and brewing sugar. Both are at the cheap end of the kit scale but I am expecting that the extra bits in the second brew will give noticeably better results.

For #3, I had been thinking of experimenting with extract brewing but I must admit that I'm being tempted by the Brew In a Bag (BIAB) idea, which seems a way of jumping to all grain but without the big investment in equipment.

Wulf

[HughDrummond]

Thanks for replies,

never heard of BIAB but sounds interesting - what is the concept and what equipment would I need?
As for the kits I have made, the majority have been Cooper's(Old Dark, IPA, Aussie Bitter, APA etc.) and the obligatory Wherry and Nog.
Prefer using one can kits as they allow for more invention- addition of treacle, honey and other fermentables.

Hugh

[Beer O'Clock]

BIAB is basically - Water in pot, bag in pot, grain in bag, take out bag, boil up liquor thus making wort. Add hops as you would with extract, cool then add yeast.

If you are looking at getting into Extract, the only extra piece of kit you need to go BIAB is a voile bag.

As I say, have a look in the Brew in a Bag section and on http://www.biabrewer.info/.

All will be revealed

[soupdragon]

Hi Hugh

Have a look here too viewforum.php?f=35
There are quite a few of us on JIm's who brew this way

Cheers Tom

[jimp2003]

I too am part of the BIAB sect and would recommend it. It is a cheap way to get into all grain.

I will be doing my first ever extract brew with a friend soon however and I was shocked by the cost of Liquid Malt Extract - £10-11/1.5kg pack! With 2 packs needed for the average brew that is over £20 before you start to add hops, yeast etc. Luckily I buy from The Malt Miller who sells it a lot cheaper.

Having said that the extract method still gives you almost as much flexibility with regards ingredient combinations as the all-grain methods and many say the beers that are produced are very close to all-grain and certainly a lot better than kits.

The big advantage with extract over BIAB and 3 vessel all grain has to be the time needed. The extract batch we will be brewing should only take a couple of hours max including prep and cleaning - perfect for evening brewing and fitting around the family.

[soupdragon]

With 2 packs needed for the average brew that is over £20 before you start to add hops, yeast etc. Luckily I buy from The Malt Miller who sells it a lot cheaper.

Ah so you're one of the reasons I've had to wait for Rob to get stock back in then?

Cheers Tom

[jimp2003]

Not me guv!

It was out of stock earlier today when I tried to place an order so I had to ring Rob and let him know. Fortunately he had the stock and was able to update the website straightaway. Which is another reason I use him - he is very good at letting you know when things are coming into stock and helping you out. Its not all about the price by any means.

[soupdragon]

Indeed, he's a very helpful chap. My preferred supplier

Cheers Tom

[oneilldave]

I agree, Rob at The Malt Miller is my prefered supplier for the same reasons. Reasonable price, good service ... hmmm, maybe we should be on commission?

In my humble opinion, when I made the lead from kits to extract brewing the results were astounding. I certainly won't, ever, go back to a kit again.

I have very recently been given a wort boiler, and I am just about to get a 10G mash tun, so I will be moving to an all grain brew shortly. A friend of mine on this forum is going to test my water to recommend the right water treatment as I believe that this will give noticable results to the brew quality.

Regards to you all,

Dave.

[Rigg3r]

Extract brewing is far superior to kit brewing in taste and quality. is the way forward IMHO, it takes half the time of all grain brewing and you still have masses of control over the finished beer.

I agree liquid malt is expensive, however once you have the confidence to extract brew to a good standard you can buy the extract in bulk and if looked after it lasts for ages.

Extract brewing...do it, you know you want to

[niallac]

Extract brewing is far superior to kit brewing in taste and quality. is the way forward IMHO, it takes half the time of all grain brewing and you still have masses of control over the finished beer.

I agree liquid malt is expensive, however once you have the confidence to extract brew to a good standard you can buy the extract in bulk and if looked after it lasts for ages.

Extract brewing...do it, you know you want to

Hmm,

Reading threads in this forum with interest... Kits = Malt Extract + Hop Extract, no?

In which case: Kits + Fresh Hops + Specialty Grains = Extract Brewing?

Just playing Devil's Advocate, really...

I have been brewing for a while and have recently taken to adapting Coopers kits as above - results are excellent - I have a mate who does AG and I think that what I produce now is on a par.

[Rigg3r]

Using a beer kit is not strictly speaking 'extract brewing' its modified kit brewing. If you're cooking grains and boiling hops too, yes its using the extract brewing process, but it just seems a weird way to do it. However I'm not the malt police, so use what you like and call it whatever you want, if you get good beer who cares.

Using a kit in place of the liquid malt extract, seems a pricey way to do it, but hey if you're getting good results and are happy with everything, go for it.

[Rookie]

I am a relatively new brewer - made approximately 12 kits and thoroughly enjoying the obsession - what I'd like to know is if I moved onto extract brewing would I notice a difference(quality wise) in the beer I'm making - is it a worthwhile exercise or should I continue with kits until I have funds to spend on "All Grain" equipment?

Thanks in advance

If you pick out the extract, hops and yeast you are making a kit of your own choosing. The qualty may be better or not, but doing it that way gives you more control over your beer.