Partial Mash brewing for a total beginner.

Many, many? Can you name some? Based on my experiences, I would have said very, very few commercial breweries (of any size) are using extract, unless it's for topping off high gravity beers.

 

Sure, Pacific used extract for their first 15 or so years and won 11 or so GABF medals. at one time they had the longest streak in victories. And Micropubs (i.e. Granite City types) use Partial Mash procedures all the time. It allows them to make more beer with the equipment they have.

Look I'm not saying it's the best way. I'm saying it's a fine way of brewing on your stove top, and a great improvement over extract alone. My main point is when someone asks for help the answer isn't always "change to all grain". And that seems to be the answer too often. Yes, all grain tastes better. Yes, all grain actually costs less. No, you don't really need much more equipment to do all grain, especially with the rise of BIAB. But people turn to more experienced brewers on forums like this for help, and far too often they get told the answer to their question is all grain brewing. As if you aren't a real beer hobbyist unless you are using only all grain. My question is where does it end? When I started brewing we had to do step mashing. The grains weren't well modified back then. If we wanted a real malty grainy taste, we had to do decoction mashing. Are you less of a brewer than I am because I generally still follow those procedures? Am I less of a brewing hobbyist than the guy who malts and roasts his own barley? Are you not a real brewer unless you harvest, culture, and perfect your own wild yeast strain? What if you bought your equipment? I know A guy who made his own kettle from copper. Literally hammered out the copper. He brews over a coal fire forge he built. Is he the ultimate beer hobbyist? Do the rest of us need to hang up our paddles? No, we're all hobby brewers, we need to support each other.