Extract brewing - a logical next step from kits?

[Stonch]

Now then chaps...

As those who look at the "kits" section will know I've been bothering people for advice on kit brewing. Our third is in primary now, and we'll do doing a fourth straight after that.

Now I'm not actual au fait with what exactly the extract brewing technique is. I've had a look at this part of the forum and it seems to me the difference to kits is that you're adding the hops yourself and boiling together with ready-made malt extract. You don't seem to need any special equipment beyond the basic set up used for kit brewing. Is that right

If so it seems lovely and easy and worth a quick bash (i live in a flat with a smallish kitchen and no outside space so all grain isn't for me right now)

Have I got the right idea?

[Jim]

Hi Stonch. Basically you've got it right, although you are going to need some sort of boiler, which you don't need with a kit.

You can get away with not boiling the whole 5 gallons, though, so a full-size boiler isn't essential (it's convenient, though!).

Daab's done a guide to extract brewing here which should get you going.

Good luck!

[Horden Hillbilly]

(i live in a flat with a smallish kitchen and no outside space so all grain isn't for me right now)

Let me assure you that you can easily manage an ag brew in a small kitchen, I have been doing it for years!

The thraed I started a while ago Here shows how small my kitchen is, I took the 5th photo down while standing at the entrance!

I personally made the jump from kits straight to ag without making a extract brew, once you have a couple under your belt you will be amazed and pleased at how simple it really is.

Love your blog Stonch, keep up the good work please

[BarryNL]

Basically, you can go from kits to extracts just by buying a big pot. About 8 liters should do it although 10-12 would be better (mainly to avoid worrying about boil-overs). Someone here had an eBay link for cheap pans. A few other little bits and pieces are also needed, like a grain bag for steeping grains, possibly some hop bags and some way to crush grains, although a rolling pin and some zip lock bags will do the job.

All-grain isn't really much more work (in fact I find it easier - working with malt extract is a pain in the ass); the main problem is the amount of equipment you need to get started - I think it cost me about 300 quid to get the stuff (though nearly half that for the Barley Crusher, if your shop crushes grains you can skip this).

The upside is that grain is so much cheaper than extract that you can expect to save the price of the equipment within a year (with some heavy drinking ). Extract brewing is actually more expensive than using kits!

[delboy]

Thats a cool looking boiler HH, how long does it take to get that crazy pattern.

I guess brewing indoors the only thing you need is a decent extractor fan to take away the vapour.

Poor stonch he comes to the extract section for a bit of respite from the All grainers and they track him down and brink him to bay .
Its like the borg you will be assimilated.... join us....join us .

Seriously though i reckon stonch should maybe do the extract thing and put it in his blog (make sure you buy a boiler though you are going to need it when you join the borg collective) it would make a for a nice progression through the world of homebrewing. From kits to extract and then when grasshopper is ready he ascends to the world of all grain.

Apple-logies for an flippancy im blaming it on my so called easy drinking bbq beer, well its easy drinking but its kicking my bag in at 6.7%

[BarryNL]

Also, if you didn't find it yet, the online How To Brew book herehas all the information you need.

[Vossy1]

Borg ain't shiny enough

Stonch, the best piece of advice that I can give you is that if you are thinking of progressing to AG in the future (it's dead easy to get good results and not as hard as you think),

Then buy equipment that will let you do Ag
Otherwise you'll end up with a redundant set of equipment at some point.

You need to identify where your going to and how to get there at reasonable cost

[Stonch]

Vossy, I think that's completely right.

The problem with this homebrew lark is it's too easy to just think about the next brew rather than longer term, and you end up buying the wrong stuff.

There's no two ways around it - I've got the homebrew bug.

So I want to progress to AG. Perhaps what I'd be better to do is stick to kits - do the Cooper's Stout I've just received from Hope & Grape, then maybe do an exciting Brewferm chap. Then, when summer is out, make a stab at all grain directly...

I'm put off doing extract by the fact it's going to be more expensive. If anything, kit brewing's rather pricey. I don't mind shelling out money for decent equipment for all grain if it's a good investment...

[BarryNL]

You must do at least one extract brew, if only for the experience of trying to stop 4 kilos of malt extract turning itself into great sticky lumps of goo and spreading itself all over your kitchen.

I still have to operate the on/off switch on my scales with a hammer after a couple of grams of extract got in there and welded it solid.

[mysterio]

I bought a 10 gallon boiler from hop & grape to do my first and only extract batch maybe a couple of years ago now, an all Centennial hopped IPA. Turned out well, but like the others are saying it's quite expensive - I used two cans of malt extract in that batch and that was about £16 for the malt alone then about £3 for the hops and yeast on top of that.

Once I had the boiler all I really needed was a coolbox to go all-grain, now its only a fivers worth of malt for 5 gallons of amazing quality, self specification beer.

Give the extract a go if that's what you fancy, but think about investing in a 10 gallon boiler (with fitted hop strainer) to do it in which you can use for your all grain batches when you decide to try it. Oh yeah, and an immersion chiller

[Horden Hillbilly]

Thats a cool looking boiler HH, how long does it take to get that crazy pattern.

My boiler is 12 years old! Maybe I should donate it to an art gallery as a fine example of unique modern art!

[iowalad]

I am sure they have space for it at Tate Modern.
My wife drug me there. They had a piece that was a punch of clothes thrown in the corner. It really made you think . . .

[Hoppkins]

Stonch as someone who has only been brewing for the best part of 8 months i fully recommend trying Daabs minimash technique.

I was considering moving to extract but after trying the minimash it convinced me to take the plunge. Pretty soon im going to order up all the stuff i need and get straight into it.

Seems the most cost effective way and also with the wide range of recipes people have stuck up it seems the most fun way

My minimash turned out great

[fivetide]

I'm going to mix up two more kits before July, then have a break for the summer and have a minimash in the Autumn. If I'm still enthusiastic at Christmas I'll reward myself with a three-tier setup of some sort and it's AG all the way in the new year!

[louthepoo]

I brewed a few kits when i first started and thought about going to extract for a bit then up to All Grain but instead went straight for All Grain and i haven't looked back - its not as difficult as it first appears (although i have my share of cock ups from not paying it enough attention!!).

Its more satisfying doing it all yourself and works out cheaper - once you've got your equipment. On which note i'd have a look at what people have on this forum before you buy. I bought a 25 Litre bruheat boiler to do my mashing and boiling in, but its turned out now too small for what i want to do so i'm eventually gonna get a bigger boiler - possibly stainless and use the bruheat for the sparge water!

You wont regret going All Grain