Going back to extract (for a bit)

Why not try BIAB? It takes 1-2 hours off my usual all-grain brew day. You could also mash in the evening, leave the wort over night and boil in the AM while fixing the kids breakfast/letting your wife sleep. Win/win.

 

I think you can do a lot with just extract/steeping grains these days. The variety of yeast and hops out there can have you brewing 100+ batches without ever changing the malt bill. I say go for it, if it fits you. Some key points people usually suggest are stick to light DME and or use the freshest LME you can find.

 

I've gone back and forth a couple times when I've been limited on time. First time I went back to extract, it took time to "get up to speed" on the process. It had been so long I forgot some stuff like what temperature to steep grains. Other than that, no other issues.

 

Once in a while I'll do an extract batch for one reason or another--usually because I'm pressed for time and because it doesn't make a huge difference for the particular style I'm making. I'm generally pleased with the results, and always slightly amazed that I can actually brew decent beer in about two hours, start to finish. If extract brewing is what fits into your life at this point, then by all means, brew with extract.

 

To springboard off of what MLucky stated of: “doesn't make a huge difference for the particular style I'm making.”

There are a large number of beer styles where extract plus specialty grains will make great beers. Some examples: APA, IPA, English Bitter Ale, Belgian Ales (e.g., Abby and Trappist style ales), Porters, Stouts, etc.

Cheers!

 

This winter I did my first batch of extract after several years of all grain brewing. I brewed a lager and did a partial volume boil (three gallons for a five gallon batch). You definitely save tons of time skipping the mash, but doing a partial volume boil also really helped in chilling the wort down to lager yeast temperature. After chilling the wort as cold as my wort chiller would get me I poured in two gallons of ice cold bottled water and the wort was nice and cold and ready for the lager yeast. I think I will keep doing this for really simple lagers.

 

I must admit that my skill and patience required for a multi step wheat based brew usually means I just go with wheat DME. 12 pounds, noble hops up front, Bavarian strain. ferment. keg. always works.

it can be fun to do a quick 5 gallons and still have time to mow the lawn, take a nap. it's not a sin.

 

I would say that any style where there is a need for a malt/grain which is not present in an extract.

Some of those types of styles that I homebrew:

· Classic American Pilsner: this style needs an adjunct grain; I use flaked maize

· Wit: this style needs unmalted wheat; I use flaked wheat

· Oatmeal Stout: like the name says this beer needs oatmeal

The above is all that comes to mind right now, oh wait a minute I am also of the personal opinion that a Kolsch is best brewed all grain. I brew my Kolsch beers with 100% German Pilsner malt. There are extracts made with Pilsner Malt (e.g., Briess Pilsner DME/LME) but IMO this extract does not provide the same flavor/aroma; IMO a Kolsch is ‘defined’ by the German Pilsner malt flavor/aroma.

I am sure that there are other beer styles that I would add to the list given proper thinking time.

Cheers!

P.S. I just thought of another beer style that needs to be all grain: Grodziskie needs 100% Weyermann Oak Smoked Malt.

 

100% for going back to extract...same situation with 2 kids and trying to renovate my house, so time is of the essence. Not only the time saver factor but I find that I can be way more social when I invite friends over while brewing extract and the beer is basically the same quality.

To tag on the above question...Rauchbier or other smoked beers are one that you can't really do with extract. Sure you could use peat smoked....but i definitely don't recommend it.

 

Makes perfect sense to me. Good for you for rethinking this.

One other thing to consider: some people report they have saved a lot of time by brewing smaller batches. I assume the time savings results from the shorter time needed to heat and cool smaller volumes of water/wort. I have not done this myself, but I am tempted to give it a try. Time is often at a premium for me, too.

 

I would suggest buying 50 lb. bags of Briess Pilsen DME; that is a high quality extract and you can use specialty grains to achieve the malt profile of a given beer style.

Cheers!

 

Sours.

I've often thought about doing a couple extract batches to speed things up. I too, have two small rug tuggers crawling around, and I just don't have the time on the weekends at regular intervals to brew all the time.

When I do brew, I find that I smash in 2-3 batches at a time on a weekend to stock up, and end up hating doing the last batch because I'm worn out, tired, and still have to clean up!

A simple extract pale or IPA is something easy enough. DME, corn sugar and float some hops.

That said- the cost of extract sucks, so doing bigger beers it can get pretty costly. However, my time is worth quite a bit, I think- so..

 

I totally stopped brewing for a couple of years when my kids were really small. When I started again, two things helped.

1. overnight mashes. All I do to maintain temps is close the top of the fermenter. I lose a few (or 10) degrees but the beer tastes just as good. An overnight mash knocks 2 hours off my brew day. If you have young kids, you'll be up at 5:30am anyway. You might be done brewing by 9 or 10.
2. kegging. The start up costs are high but were fully worth the time I saved and the clutter I eliminated.

 

I usually mash and lauter into my brew kettle after the kids go to bed, then wrap the kettle in a old sleeping bag fresh from the drier. It usually gets down to the 130s by the morning, plenty hot to keep baddies at bay . . .