I'll try to keep it short and sweet. How long did you brew extract before you moved on? How long have you been doing all grain? Do you keg? If so, when did you begin kegging? What are the benefits to extract as compared to all grain and vice versa? What are the most beneficial brewing tools that you would suggest to a beginner? I am interested in this because I just want to see individuals' brewing timelines and opinions. I have been brewing for only 8 months and I do extract and I am hooked.
How long did you brew extract before you moved on? I did about 4 extract batches, followed by 3-4 mini-mashes and it's been AG ever since How long have you been doing all grain? 2 years at this point Do you keg? Sure do but only recently If so, when did you begin kegging? Just started about 3 months ago and I don't see myself ever going back to straight bottling again What are the benefits to extract as compared to all grain and vice versa? Extract is easier from a time stand-point as well pretty accurate when it comes to hitting gravity numbers. When I did extract batches, it usually only took me 3 hours start to finish including clean-up time. With AG, I find it takes me more around 4.5 to 5. But as I've progressed along this homebrew journey, I've also acquired more and bigger equipment which adds to my overall clean-up time. Comparatively, with AG, I think I make better beers. I enjoy having greater control over the quality of the wort. Of course missing gravity numbers from time to time is a pain in the ass but a few ounces of DME on hand to balance out my numbers is okay. I also like AG because I feel it's more real...it's real brewing. Not saying that brewing with extract isn't real brewing but it seems like cheating. What are the most beneficial brewing tools that you would suggest to a beginner? Start off with the basics. A nice big brew pot, something along the lines of 10-12 gallons so you can do full boils and grow into it. Buckets are fine for fermenting, I prefer glass carboys because I like to see what's going on. Hydrometer or refractometer....something you can use easily to determine gravity numbers. A chiller....absolute must have! I originally started with a homemade copper immersion coil which worked great but not so much with bigger batches. Upgraded to a homemade CFC which, paired with a March pump, cools most of my batches down to pitching temps within 10 minutes. It would probably be faster but my water pressure sucks.
How long did you brew extract before you moved on? Roughly two years. I still do an occasional Extract batch when I am lazy and have an empty keg. How long have you been doing all grain? 6 Months, 5.5 gallon BIAB in a 10 gallon kettle. Do you keg? Yes If so, when did you begin kegging? 6 Months ago, Xmas gift from wife. Bottle from keg after carbonation. What are the benefits to extract as compared to all grain and vice versa? Extract: Time and Ease All Grain: Control all Ingredients, their freshness and mash temp. What are the most beneficial brewing tools that you would suggest to a beginner? Min. 10 Gallon Brew Pot, Immersion chiller and fermentation chamber. The ladder being the most important IMO.
How long did you brew extract before you moved on? First 7 batches were extract, last 50 or so have been all-grain. How long have you been doing all grain? A little over 2 years. Do you keg? Yupp. If so, when did you begin kegging? My first all-grain batch was also the first batch I kegged. What are the benefits to extract as compared to all grain and vice versa? Extract over all grain: less time, less cleaning, and less water used (volume into beer, used to chill if doing partial boils, cleaning). All grain over extract: more fun, more control, more toys, more mechanics, being outside (I know you can brew extract outside, but I didn't get an outdoor propane burner until I went all-grain), more style options, more brewing process options (ie decoction vs infusion mashing, different sparge methods), I'll probably come up with more by the time I'm done typing... What are the most beneficial brewing tools that you would suggest to a beginner? Being able to do a full boil is key; the turkey fryer set up (35,000 BTU propane burner w/ 30-qt aluminum kettle) works great and is inexpensive. Also, I really like my oxygenation set-up; very quick and easy to fully oxygenate lagers and high-gravity brews. Both of these tools are beneficial for extract and all-grain.
