How does a full mash compare to a good kit?
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guest5234
How does a full mash compare to a good kit?
I would like to one day try my hand at a full mash, after going through partial mashes, can you please be honest and tell me how they compare the the best kits, woodfordess brupaks etc?
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ColinKeb
its a different experience entirely mate, youve done all the work and produced the beer yourself, its much much more satisfying and the beer tastes amazing 
it does take time though , i use a whole day 9-5 making one batch so there is that small downside but if you enjoy really getting stuck in then its for you.
good luck
it does take time though , i use a whole day 9-5 making one batch so there is that small downside but if you enjoy really getting stuck in then its for you. good luck
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Andy
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You're making beer using the same ingredients and process as the big boys and you can device you own recipes easily. There's more potential to c*ck up than from using kits but it's all part of the learning experience.
It's a very addictive and satisfying activity. Especially when your mates rave about the end product!
It's a very addictive and satisfying activity. Especially when your mates rave about the end product!
Dan!
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ColinKeb
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Horden Hillbilly
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I have been brewing ag for about 11 years now after using kits solely for a good few years, but on odd occasions I still use kits if I am pushed for time, like I am now! I have a woodfords wherry bitter on order from H&G along with grains & hops.
There is nothing wrong with the top of the range kits, on the odd occasion I have used them I have not been disapointed with them, but there is no way they compare to the satisfaction I get from ag, it is great having a good quality beer in your tankard knowing that is all your own work, another advantage of ag is that you can brew exacly what you want and if it is not so, ie not bitter enough or too bitter you can easily make adjustments to your next brew, you have 100% control over it therefore you can make your brews to your requirements.
There is nothing wrong with the top of the range kits, on the odd occasion I have used them I have not been disapointed with them, but there is no way they compare to the satisfaction I get from ag, it is great having a good quality beer in your tankard knowing that is all your own work, another advantage of ag is that you can brew exacly what you want and if it is not so, ie not bitter enough or too bitter you can easily make adjustments to your next brew, you have 100% control over it therefore you can make your brews to your requirements.
guest5234, I am a recent convert to the 'darkside' (full mash) after doing kits solid for a year (done 24 of them since late Jan), and once you have your gear, you can make approximately three all grain brews for the price of a decent all malt kit.
As the other replies have said, the beer tastes great and even better cause you've made it yourself, I went straight from all malt kits to full mash and didn't have many problems, you can make most of your kit, only having to buy certain bits and bobs which you couldn't make or it's much cheaper to buy the 'made' article anyway. (spiny spargers for example)
I find I'm brewing much more often now than when I did kits, every weekend or every other weekend, it's loads more enjoyable. On Friday I have a quick look in the ever growing 'brewery store cupboard' and then have a look at recipes which I fancy doing. Quick nip to the LHBS and I'm brewing early morning the next day. Go on, make the leap, you know you want to. and there's a multitude of highly experienced lads on here who can give you invaluable advice and keep you right all the way.
Good luck
As the other replies have said, the beer tastes great and even better cause you've made it yourself, I went straight from all malt kits to full mash and didn't have many problems, you can make most of your kit, only having to buy certain bits and bobs which you couldn't make or it's much cheaper to buy the 'made' article anyway. (spiny spargers for example)
I find I'm brewing much more often now than when I did kits, every weekend or every other weekend, it's loads more enjoyable. On Friday I have a quick look in the ever growing 'brewery store cupboard' and then have a look at recipes which I fancy doing. Quick nip to the LHBS and I'm brewing early morning the next day. Go on, make the leap, you know you want to. and there's a multitude of highly experienced lads on here who can give you invaluable advice and keep you right all the way.
Good luck
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guest5234
Garth wrote:guest5234, I am a recent convert to the 'darkside' (full mash) after doing kits solid for a year (done 24 of them since late Jan), and once you have your gear, you can make approximately three all grain brews for the price of a decent all malt kit.
As the other replies have said, the beer tastes great and even better cause you've made it yourself, I went straight from all malt kits to full mash and didn't have many problems, you can make most of your kit, only having to buy certain bits and bobs which you couldn't make or it's much cheaper to buy the 'made' article anyway. (spiny spargers for example)
I find I'm brewing much more often now than when I did kits, every weekend or every other weekend, it's loads more enjoyable. On Friday I have a quick look in the ever growing 'brewery store cupboard' and then have a look at recipes which I fancy doing. Quick nip to the LHBS and I'm brewing early morning the next day. Go on, make the leap, you know you want to. and there's a multitude of highly experienced lads on here who can give you invaluable advice and keep you right all the way.
Good luck
I really want to give it a go, and will get the gear together in the next few months and post my results, what would you recommend my first (easy) brew should be?
I couldn't possibly tell you what to make, it's down to your own beer tastes and what you like to drink, and I ain't no expert.
For my first one I did a stout and I'm actually drinking it as I type, it's great, you can really taste the roast barley.
How about keeping it simple and do a brew with only a couple of different malts and one hop variety, for bittering and aroma?
For my first one I did a stout and I'm actually drinking it as I type, it's great, you can really taste the roast barley.
How about keeping it simple and do a brew with only a couple of different malts and one hop variety, for bittering and aroma?
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DJP
That says it all, really! I'm sitting here drinking my 21st All Grain right now (though I've been a kit/extract brewer since the mid 1990s) and it's just fantastic.Garth wrote:guest5234, I am a recent convert to the 'darkside' (full mash) after doing kits solid for a year (done 24 of them since late Jan), and once you have your gear, you can make approximately three all grain brews for the price of a decent all malt kit.
As the other replies have said, the beer tastes great and even better cause you've made it yourself, I went straight from all malt kits to full mash and didn't have many problems, you can make most of your kit, only having to buy certain bits and bobs which you couldn't make or it's much cheaper to buy the 'made' article anyway. (spiny spargers for example)
I find I'm brewing much more often now than when I did kits, every weekend or every other weekend, it's loads more enjoyable. On Friday I have a quick look in the ever growing 'brewery store cupboard' and then have a look at recipes which I fancy doing. Quick nip to the LHBS and I'm brewing early morning the next day. Go on, make the leap, you know you want to. and there's a multitude of highly experienced lads on here who can give you invaluable advice and keep you right all the way.
Good luck
I think that the main difference (apart from price) is that only certain beers can be done properly from a kit and so, although I've had some really good kit beers, there is a "Sameyness" to them.
By contrast, full mash can be exactly what you want from a beer.
For your first I'd recommend a simple English bitter. Don't go too strong, stick with an "Ordinary" (because it's easier to get the balance right) and then go for it. Also, don't try cloning your favourite commercial brew right off the bat - it's very difficult to clone a commercial brew and you'll be disappointed. Your best bet is to do a tried and tested home brew recipe and I'm sure someone will be along with one shortly!
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mysterio
I can only repeat what the other guys are saying.
Your first all grain beer will definately be the finest beer you will have ever tasted in your life. After that, no beer can compare.
Sure, an all grain batch can take the best part of a day but it's an enjoyable process and theres plenty of time inbetween stages to have a beer or clean up any mess. The equipment doesn't cost that much, especially if you can make some of it yourself. The control over what you make is the major advantage. Any style you can think of or dream up can be made for under a tenner usually.
Good luck if you decide to take the plunge, theres plenty of help on this forum if you do. You will certainly find yourself frequenting websites like this and scanning brewing books refining your hobby for a long time!
Your first all grain beer will definately be the finest beer you will have ever tasted in your life. After that, no beer can compare.
Sure, an all grain batch can take the best part of a day but it's an enjoyable process and theres plenty of time inbetween stages to have a beer or clean up any mess. The equipment doesn't cost that much, especially if you can make some of it yourself. The control over what you make is the major advantage. Any style you can think of or dream up can be made for under a tenner usually.
Good luck if you decide to take the plunge, theres plenty of help on this forum if you do. You will certainly find yourself frequenting websites like this and scanning brewing books refining your hobby for a long time!
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guildofevil
I have been brewing all grain for a couple of years now and I have never been tempted to go back to extract. The process is so much more enjoyable and the end results nicer and more satisfying, on many levels.
It takes me six or seven hours to knock out a batch, but there are so many slack periods in the procedure, that I have fallen into the habit of, not only cleaning as I go, thus eliminating the end of brew day clean-up, but doing the inevitable pile of dishes and giving the kitchen a good clean, while I'm at it.
Might go some of the way to explaining why my better half is so supportive of my hobby.
Be careful though. You should know what you are getting yourself into. If you thought brewing was addictive up to now, you should be aware that, once you taste the first beer you've mashed yourself, your life has changed forever.
It takes me six or seven hours to knock out a batch, but there are so many slack periods in the procedure, that I have fallen into the habit of, not only cleaning as I go, thus eliminating the end of brew day clean-up, but doing the inevitable pile of dishes and giving the kitchen a good clean, while I'm at it.
Might go some of the way to explaining why my better half is so supportive of my hobby.
Be careful though. You should know what you are getting yourself into. If you thought brewing was addictive up to now, you should be aware that, once you taste the first beer you've mashed yourself, your life has changed forever.
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bandit
I started all grain brewing with only ever doing one kit. That was woodfordes Nelson. It was Ok but nothing special, drinkable at best. I then built a simple brewery with the advise from this web site and my first brew was a standard bitter from Dave Lines Big book of brewing. I am just drinking the last few pints now. Its a bit cloudy but i didnt put any finings in. It still tastes better than the Woodfordes kit.
My next brew was Timothy Taylors Landlord (TTL) That is now in the keg and tastes gorgeous. Its maturing now but its hard to leave it alone.
My last brew was a guinness clone and I cant wait to keg that one as it smells fantastic.
I keep marine fish and the age old saying in that hobby is "Take your time". Dont try and create the ocean in your front room. living things need to evolve. Read more than you make and you will find its time well spent.
The friuts of all your efforts will be worth it. The best part is the surprised look on your friends faces when they taste your home brew. They all think it will taste of cheese or yeast or worst still elderberries, ENJOY.
My next brew was Timothy Taylors Landlord (TTL) That is now in the keg and tastes gorgeous. Its maturing now but its hard to leave it alone.
My last brew was a guinness clone and I cant wait to keg that one as it smells fantastic.
I keep marine fish and the age old saying in that hobby is "Take your time". Dont try and create the ocean in your front room. living things need to evolve. Read more than you make and you will find its time well spent.
The friuts of all your efforts will be worth it. The best part is the surprised look on your friends faces when they taste your home brew. They all think it will taste of cheese or yeast or worst still elderberries, ENJOY.
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guest5234
bandit1200s wrote:I started all grain brewing with only ever doing one kit. That was woodfordes Nelson. It was Ok but nothing special, drinkable at best. I then built a simple brewery with the advise from this web site and my first brew was a standard bitter from Dave Lines Big book of brewing. I am just drinking the last few pints now. Its a bit cloudy but i didnt put any finings in. It still tastes better than the Woodfordes kit.
My next brew was Timothy Taylors Landlord (TTL) That is now in the keg and tastes gorgeous. Its maturing now but its hard to leave it alone.
My last brew was a guinness clone and I cant wait to keg that one as it smells fantastic.
I keep marine fish and the age old saying in that hobby is "Take your time". Dont try and create the ocean in your front room. living things need to evolve. Read more than you make and you will find its time well spent.
The friuts of all your efforts will be worth it. The best part is the surprised look on your friends faces when they taste your home brew. They all think it will taste of cheese or yeast or worst still elderberries, ENJOY.
i can get my hands on a 10gallon baby burco, will that do for the mash and the boil?
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PieOPah
I started brewing by using kits about 2 years ago (maybe a bit longer). My biggest poblem was the lack of control I had.
I would try to spice up the kits by adding various extras (ginger wine to one stout, coffee to another. Different spices to a bitter. Bananas in one brew - that went horribly wrong, only batch I have ever ditched!)
After a number of kits I decided to take the next step and start extract brewing. Whilst this was enjoyable and I had control over the recipe, I found that it was costing me more than using kits - one of the original reasons I started homebrewing was to save me money!
After only a few Extract Brews, I took the plunge into AG. I did have to convince SWMBO that the cost of the kit would pay for itself in about 3 brews (okay, I already had my boiler for extract brewing so that wasn't a factor). Once she was happy with that (not that it would have stopped me just makes life easier) I bought everything else I needed.
Each of the last 5 brews has been a major learning curve for me. I have had fun working out all the little problems in my techniques. It is just a shame that once I had perfected my technique (or so I believe, I need to do a couple more brews to ensure consistency) I ran out of grain!! I will be putting an order in for some more in the near future so I can start brewing again (got a keg that is emptying faster than anticipated).
The cost of brewing no longer matters to me. I used to have a spreadsheet where I recorded every penny spent on kit and supplies I then tallied the price of a pint on average over everything I spent. To this I worked out how much I saved on approx pub/supermarket prices.
The last time I even bothered to look at the spreadsheet, my beer was working out to be about 5p more than buying in the shops (because of the kit).
While I now know that the price is coming down (not buying as much kit) I no longer care. I am just loving my hobby and the end results.
It would be very unlikely that I would ever make a kit brew again. In fact, I still have one in the shed (although I used the DME and yeast from it already!) which has been there for about 18 months.
I would try to spice up the kits by adding various extras (ginger wine to one stout, coffee to another. Different spices to a bitter. Bananas in one brew - that went horribly wrong, only batch I have ever ditched!)
After a number of kits I decided to take the next step and start extract brewing. Whilst this was enjoyable and I had control over the recipe, I found that it was costing me more than using kits - one of the original reasons I started homebrewing was to save me money!
After only a few Extract Brews, I took the plunge into AG. I did have to convince SWMBO that the cost of the kit would pay for itself in about 3 brews (okay, I already had my boiler for extract brewing so that wasn't a factor). Once she was happy with that (not that it would have stopped me just makes life easier) I bought everything else I needed.
Each of the last 5 brews has been a major learning curve for me. I have had fun working out all the little problems in my techniques. It is just a shame that once I had perfected my technique (or so I believe, I need to do a couple more brews to ensure consistency) I ran out of grain!! I will be putting an order in for some more in the near future so I can start brewing again (got a keg that is emptying faster than anticipated).
The cost of brewing no longer matters to me. I used to have a spreadsheet where I recorded every penny spent on kit and supplies I then tallied the price of a pint on average over everything I spent. To this I worked out how much I saved on approx pub/supermarket prices.
The last time I even bothered to look at the spreadsheet, my beer was working out to be about 5p more than buying in the shops (because of the kit).
While I now know that the price is coming down (not buying as much kit) I no longer care. I am just loving my hobby and the end results.
It would be very unlikely that I would ever make a kit brew again. In fact, I still have one in the shed (although I used the DME and yeast from it already!) which has been there for about 18 months.