What Is Extract Brewing?

Discussion on brewing beer from malt extract, hops, and yeast.
User avatar
Cobnut
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 758
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2018 4:23 pm
Location: Ipswich
Contact:

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by Cobnut » Fri Apr 30, 2021 10:27 am

MashBag wrote:
Fri Apr 30, 2021 7:46 am

Do you not find that even with DME (and I agree much better that LME) they seem to loose their 'middle' ?
I find beer drinking is giving me a loose middle 😂

I’ve not made a DME extract beer for a while, so hard to recall the differences between then and now.

I did make a very large (yeast starter) beer recently with a combination of LME & DME which certainly had a slight “twang”. Although I did my best to hide it beneath a high level of bitterness!
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!

sandimas
Steady Drinker
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2016 11:29 am
Location: Near Malvern

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by sandimas » Fri Apr 30, 2021 3:51 pm

MashBag wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 6:58 am
Extract brewing and all grain brewing are very different.
Sorry, but I disagree: the main difference between the two is that AG has a mash stage.

I brewed Extract for a long time before moving to AG, initially I was very disappointed with AG until I honed my technique. The big advantage with AG is that you can brew with an infinite amount of grains as you mash, so you can make many styles, whereas with Extract you are limited to pale malt in the form of extract plus grains that don't require mashing, such as crystal malt. But you can still brew a lot of great beers e.g. most British ales are pale malt plus crystal and some hops.

I reckon Extract beers are 80-90% as good as AG beers, and miles better that basic kits. That's why I never felt the need to move to AG for a long time. I started with the BrewUK kits then bought my own ingredients.

You have to be a little bit careful with the terminology as it gets mixed up a bit: some kit manufacturers refer to kits as "extract brewing" and the above method "partial mash": mashing is quite a specific technique where you need to maintain a constant temp around 65C for an hour, some of these "partial mash" kits contain only grains that don't really need a mash and would produce the same result steeped in hot water with no temp control.

Bibinimis
Steady Drinker
Posts: 33
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:44 am
Location: Wolverhampton

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by Bibinimis » Sat May 01, 2021 4:00 pm

f00b4r wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 10:13 am
http://beersmith.com/blog/2009/03/22/st ... r-brewing/

Although it is also covered in Jim’s link here if you read through that too.
That is useful thank you but the Beersmith page in turn provides a further link which lists base and specialty malts identifying the former as needing to be mashed. It states that aromatic needs to be mashed whereas I thought not from other sources. I claim no actual knowledge here and am trying to learn before my next brew which will be extract based. Any comments on the list in general would be appreciated.

User avatar
Trefoyl
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2519
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:28 pm
Location: New Jersey

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by Trefoyl » Sat May 01, 2021 10:10 pm

Crystal/ caramel, and roasted malts do not need to be mashed, just steeped. I steep ground grains in bags at 66C for an hour including the time it takes to heat up to that temperature. Take the bags out and let them drain in a pot, do not squeeze! And pour into the wort.
I found pale dry extract the best base, and use specialty grains for color. I did not care for darker dried extracts because the complexity is not there. Sparkling Amber is the darkest I would use.
I also do full wort boils. In my opinion dry malt extract can be virtually indistinguishable from all grain. I have not had good luck with liquid extract.
Sommeliers recommend that you swirl a glass of wine and inhale its bouquet before throwing it in the face of your enemy.

sandimas
Steady Drinker
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2016 11:29 am
Location: Near Malvern

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by sandimas » Sun May 02, 2021 9:54 am

Trefoyl wrote:
Sat May 01, 2021 10:10 pm
I also do full wort boils. In my opinion dry malt extract can be virtually indistinguishable from all grain. I have not had good luck with liquid extract.
Good point about liquid extract: likewise, and there's been a lengthy discussion on another forum about this, liquid can vary greatly in quality, I only ever use DME now.

One of the big selling point of Extract is that you only need a small pan for a small boil, and the BrewUK kits say do a 6-8L boil. However, by boiling a smaller volume you get less extraction from the hops so less bitterness, so whilst those kits make great beers, I've found you can make an even better beer by adjusting the hops to the size of your boil. A useful calculator here https://www.brewersfriend.com/ibu-calculator/

User avatar
MashBag
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2140
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 7:13 am

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by MashBag » Mon May 03, 2021 8:32 am

Trefoyl wrote:
Sat May 01, 2021 10:10 pm
Crystal/ caramel, and roasted malts do not need to be mashed, just steeped. I steep ground grains in bags at 66C for an hour including the time it takes to heat up to that temperature.
I have missed your point..."66C for an hour " sounds like a mash to me ?

User avatar
Trefoyl
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2519
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:28 pm
Location: New Jersey

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by Trefoyl » Mon May 03, 2021 11:34 am

I wasn’t clear, I was trying to paraphrase MoreBeer kit instructions
Take your cracked flavoring grains (such as crystal, chocolate, roasted barley, black patent malts, etc.) and put them into a large nylon mesh bag. Put the bag into the heating water and remove when the water reaches 170 ̊F, allowing about 30 minutes to do so. If you reach 170 ̊F in less than 30 minutes, turn the heat off and let the grains steep until a total of 30 minutes has passed.
I thought I read somewhere to steep for an hour, which I do, but I guess that’s not necessary. Next time I do an extract beer I’ll only steep 30 minutes.
Sommeliers recommend that you swirl a glass of wine and inhale its bouquet before throwing it in the face of your enemy.

User avatar
MashBag
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2140
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 7:13 am

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by MashBag » Mon May 03, 2021 3:24 pm

It wasn't the time... It was the temp that made me jump 😁 66°C is a enzymatic temp even for 30 mins.

But when I read 170f it made me double check.
(170°F − 32) × 5/9 = 76°C and that's a defo a steep. 👍

TheSumOfAllBeers
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 677
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 11:21 am

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by TheSumOfAllBeers » Tue May 04, 2021 12:12 pm

I made a saison with all DME once, no boil just straight into FV and mix, and isomerised hop extract for bitterness.

Not bad, but hardly subtle, the yeast won the day. Once thing to be mindful of was how quickly the beer would change colour in the glass (oxidation I bet). You could put a fresh glass beside one that was sitting there for 20 minutes and notice the colour difference.

User avatar
Crafty Tim
Steady Drinker
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2021 1:09 pm

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by Crafty Tim » Fri May 21, 2021 6:25 pm

I do like the idea of going all out and doing AG brewing . I've been doing extract kits for years now and although simple to do I still find myself learning little things each time. So , for the time being I'm more than happy carrying on with LME. If I'm honest I don't have the time or a decent spare area for all the kit and spending hours mashing, splarging and cool transfering I'm definitely happy with the quick lazy way although I do mess around with Dry Hop additions..just adding extra here and there .

Sent from my POT-LX1A using Tapatalk


User avatar
MashBag
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2140
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 7:13 am

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by MashBag » Sun May 23, 2021 9:12 am

It really doesn't have to take all day.

Have a go. But you might never be able to drink commercial piss again.

User avatar
Crafty Tim
Steady Drinker
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2021 1:09 pm

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by Crafty Tim » Sun May 23, 2021 4:45 pm

I do like it though

Sent from my POT-LX1A using Tapatalk


CJJ Berry
Steady Drinker
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:54 pm
Location: The kingdom of West Sussex

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by CJJ Berry » Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:51 pm

Hi all

I am 'tasting' a extract ale made 1.5kg of LME, 0.5kg demerara sugar, 40g Challenger, 30g bramling cross and 15g halluruten. lovley pale dry. 60min boil.

Opening some on Saturday for the England V Australia with a few freinds.

Cheers

WalesAles
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3899
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:07 pm
Location: South Wales UK.

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by WalesAles » Thu Nov 11, 2021 10:14 pm

CJJ,
Good for you! =D>
Now that you have more than 5 posts, you can show us pics of your Lovely Beer! :D
Beer Porn! =D>

WA

Australia will stuff the English.

User avatar
Cobnut
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 758
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2018 4:23 pm
Location: Ipswich
Contact:

Re: What Is Extract Brewing?

Post by Cobnut » Sun Nov 14, 2021 1:53 pm

WalesAles wrote:
Thu Nov 11, 2021 10:14 pm
Australia will stuff the English.
Ahem!
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!

Post Reply