going through the change

[chrisheartsbeer]

Hi.
This might be in the wrong section. Apologies if it is.
I wanted to ask though: How long did most of you wait before making the change to all grain. I've made about 6 kits so far, including 2 extract kits. Do you think I should wait a bity longer? I'll probably do 1 or two more kits before I buy the gear. I used to be a chef, so it's the 'cooking' and preparation stuff I really enjoy.
I also have a blog: http://chrismakesbeer.wordpress.com/ here. And there is only so much you can write about with can kits! Advice gratefully received.

[hobbsy]

I switched after only 1 kit. The kit left me feeling a bit empty, I too enjoy the process of making beer just as much as I enjoy drinking it. Nice blog btw.

[orlando]

Although I made a couple of kits in the 70's I was cured of ever wanting to do it again and went straight to all grain. However I have subsequently learned that kits these days are highly regarded and the opportunity to enhance them is a great lead in to AG. I was particularly struck by your comment about cooking. I too started out in working life in Hotel kitchens and although I didn't last long in the kitchens (hated commercial cooking), the fascination with the process and how even slight changes in either ingredients or technique can dramatically effect the outcome is a major part in why I love the all grain experience. Of course it opens you up to the sort of disasters that you don't get with kits. Well made, technically superb rubbish is possible The upside is, get it right and you can be drinking beer as good if not better than ones you buy commercially.

I don't think there is a "right" time so when you think your ready, your ready.

[chrisheartsbeer]

Hobbsy, thanks!
Orlando, thanks too. both comments really helpful. In a way the idea of making mistakes is quite appealing. Part of the problem with kits I find, is if they're not very nice. I don't know if it is the kit or me that is rubbish (me probably I know). So, like cooking, if I make a mistake it'll be easier to learn from. Hopefully. Cheers.

[orlando]

Part of the problem with kits I find, is if they're not very nice. I don't know if it is the kit or me that is rubbish (me probably I know).

For me it came down to, "do I want to make my beer or someone else's" ?

[crookedeyeboy]

I switched after only 1 kit. The kit left me feeling a bit empty, I too enjoy the process of making beer just as much as I enjoy drinking it. Nice blog btw.

Amen to that. I did one Woddfordes Wherry kit and then jumped straight in at the deep end! Never looked back.

[subfaction]

I think I did around 6-8 kits before going all grain, mainly to save money, but the quality difference is huge enough for that not to matter anymore. Kits are a great way to start and get used to many aspects of fermentation, sanitisation etc. once you taste your first ag I doubt you will consider going back

[Normski]

Hi Chris
I did lots of kits, then two extract. One using liquid malt, one using dried. Then to AG, because of the cost of extract.
Extract 3kg at a time is too bloody expensive. I can make a better beer than extract for a less than third of the cost.
If you start with inexpensive equipment or even a few saucepans, you will soon find out it’s the way to go.
Not to mention the far superiour quality of even the simplest AG brew.
Norm

[vacant]

I brew each month and did 17 kits then AG.

I tried quite a few one-can kits with beer enhancer, then settled on rotating twin-can kits - midas touch (favourite), fixby gold, wherry. I made a boiler and bought a net curtain and started AG with BIAB.

[Beer O'Clock]

I did Kits for about a year then did a couple of Extract brews. I then found out about BIAB. I then heard that Chris X-1 (Daab) thought it was a load of bollocks and, based on his opinion, decided to give it a go.

I've not looked back.

[oz11]

1 kit, 2 extract then AG.

[Belter]

two kits. straight to biab

[Baldbrewer]

1 kit, an enhanced St Peter ruby red ,it was a great brew and drove me on, now on AG#4 fermenting and planning Sarah Hughes ruby AG#5.
Its not as scarey as you think.

[Martin G]

I'm not really sure that making beer from kits teaches you much about all grain. Making the switch to an all grain approach is probably more to do with when you've got the kit, found the time and inclination to do it. If you made extract beers from recepies then you learn about the recepies and I could see how this might be useful knowledge once you do all grain.

[seymour]

When I chose to start making beer, I spent a while accumulating/building the equipment necessary to do the whole all-grain process from the very beginning. It seems most people and homebrewing books recommend starting with an all-in-one kit, then partial-extract or whatever you want to call it, and easing ever-so-slowly into all-grain brewing. But it certainly doesn't have to be done in that order.

It sounds like many of us sometimes go the other direction, too. I now occasionally use liquid or dry extract to make a quick "prototype" of a zany recipe, instead of potentially wasting an entire brew day on a bad idea. I think even Ditch said he used to do all-grain and has slowly whittled his process back to his nuts-and-bolts Coopers Stout regime, right?

Do you like to buy a cake, whip-up a cake mix, or bake a cake from scratch?

You can make good drinkable beer using any and all methods. It all comes down to personal preferences, why you're doing it, which way is more fun for you, the time and resources available, and how much control you want over each step.