But I have become kinda curious about all grain brewing and what it entails. I am not going to jump in that pool just yet, but have just been thinking about it and watching some youtube videos on it. Seems a bit more detailed than what I do now, but also seems that you have much more control over what is going to happen and what the end product is. For a new brewer, what do you all think is the best time to possibly think about switching over to all grain type brewing? Again, just wondering, I am no where near that stage in my brewing yet. Thanks all, have a great weekend. RR
Rather than watch YouTube videos of questionable authority, but the 4th ed. How to Brew by John Palmer.
Thanks, I will look into it. Like I said, nowhere near that phase yet, but if and when I get that far in my abilities, and when I have more free time, IE retire, I would like to get into this a bit more and have a few on tap for friends and family.
Thank you for your input though, I will look into the book.
I brewed with LME and DME for an unbelievable FIVE YEARS! Eventually I started brewing all-grain and I love the process but it definitely requires a bit of extra work and it also allows for questions to enter your mind about various pieces of the brewing process that you wouldn’t ordinarily have. I feel like the mash (with all of its variables… temp, pH, water composition, single infusion or step mash) is where so many brewers can get stuck in the mud and that includes me. You will need some new equipment and you’ll also want to have a good strategy regarding the water you use for brewing… either use spring/RO water or else have your source water analyzed so you know what’s in it. Source waters around the country range from “OMG you have the perfect water for brewing” to “unusable”. But there are some people on AHA who are fantastic at simplifying things so that you can concentrate on the important things first and maybe tweak things as needed as you go. Your brewday will be longer. You will spend some money on new equipment but grains are far less pricey than extract. Ask questions here, I guarantee you’ll get good information. Cheers.
That book has excellent info that will take you from your first extract batch all the way to advanced homebrewing
I second that about John Palmer’s book - it is a wonderful resource for all levels of brewing. I got it and a bunch of others and read them all (some were simplistic and others were more technical. A great set is the Malt, Water, Yeast and Hops books, (but the Water book was a tough read for me at the time.)
Once I started all grain brewing, I really enjoyed the process so much more, as it felt like I was really brewing from scratch and able to control the process (especially the mash). You can make absolutely great beer with extracts, so don’t get me wrong. But I enjoy the process so much more with all grain brewing and starting with RO water and building back based on the beer style I am brewing.
You can try out a simple BIAB for a start and you are not precluded from making extract or kit batches, regardless of your brewing knowledge level.
Glad you are finding your way!
Awesome info, thanks guys. Like I said, not there yet, but just looking forward to retiring and spending time in the garage with friends and family enjoying a cold one. My brother is more into the wheat beers, Shock top, Blue Moon, while I am more an IPA guy. My ultimate would be to be able to have both on tap so when he comes over I have his and mine at the ready. But, as I said, that is a ways away as I am into this almost 400 bucks and I don’t see my wife going for the upgrade right now. LOL. Either way, thanks again all, keep that info coming.
You can likely do all grain brew in a bag with the equipment you have. Don’t be tempted to spend money on stuff you don’t really need at this point. And at the risk of sounding self serving, you may want to check out Simple Homebrewing
Tomorrow I’m going try give BIAB a try. The only equipment that is needed beyond what is used for extract brewing is a bag and something to insulate the kettle.
I remember this very question being asked before from curious brewers not among them myself. The reason, the first time I ever brewed beer it was from an all in one kit from 1990. John Bull liquid malt in a can. I thought it was going to be so fantastic so much that I invited a couple work buddies over to try before I tried it. It was absolutely and undeniably an atrocious bucket of swamp nugget drizzlings!! Fast forward 15 years and the urge to make beer started to rumble forth. There was no way I was doing anything but all grain brewing at this juncture in time. Homebrewing had advanced tremendously as far as process, ingredients and knowledge. So, my advice, based solely on my experience, is to read as much as possible ( Palmer is a great start as Denny mentioned) from books, magazines and from this forum for there is a massive deal of knowledge right here. Have a question about something? just ask and you will receive a tremendous amount of feedback. This forum helped elevate my own skills and I am still learning from many of the contributors here just by reading.
Best wishes and Cheers!!
You don’t even need to insulate the kettle. I just stick it on the oven for the mash.
During BIAB, I insulate my kettle by wrapping a beach towel around it. You’d think you would need more but after an hour the mash only loses 1-2F.
Thank you for all the info. I am on my second 5 gallon brew. This time, I followed, loosely as I screwed up on a few steps, a brew recipe that was not an all in one deal. I am on my third glass, and to be honest, it is pretty good. I have a 5 or 6 gallon pot that I use as my brew kettle. I bought a kit from Northern Brew that has included two buckets and all the needed hoses and spigots. A hydrometer, I think that is what you call it, to measure the gravity and a bottle filler, that I have not used. I have a 5 gallon torpedo keg and a small fridge that was converted into a kegerator. So far, I have used the tap water from the San Francisco bay area, and I have no idea what is in it as far as chlorine and all that. All in all, I am enjoying it, and would not be upset if somebody, or many somebody’s said I am not ready to get into the grain brew. Just enjoying the time and learning as much as I can. RR
Will agree 100% on what you said about the forum and the members here. I have gotten so much feedback and support in my quest to start this hobby, it has been amazing. I check here daily and will read what I can. I may try the brew in a bag soon, but for now, I am just taking in all I can and learning as I go.
I did precisely one batch of extract before switching to all-grain brew-in-a-bag. Buy a grain bag, and you can do all grain brewing with only the hardware you already have for extract brewing.
I am really excited for you, it looks like you’re going to have a lot of fun with this. (I started reading this forum religiously for almost a year before I finally registered an account, wish I hadn’t waited.)
I started out with pre-hopped LME kit (I received a Mr. Beer kit from my daughter as a gift, I had never even thought to do homebrewing before her nudge); and then I bought another pre-hopped LME kit from Brewferm and some specialty grains for steeping, to experiment with modifying the LME kit. I think it was my 4th brew wherein I did an actual mash & BIAB on the stovetop. I’ve been making incremental tweaks and changes with pretty much every brew, still fine-tuning my process (including sometimes taking a step back from . I made quite a few ‘mistakes’ (or rather, less-than-optimal methods) and along the way I learned that not every ‘right’ way was best for me.
I don’t think there is a “best time” to go all-grain; it depends on your own comfort level, confidence, willingness to make ‘learning mistakes’ and not get disillusioned by it, and depth of research. I really like Denny’s threefold mantra, and finding that balance point between ease, quality, and enjoyment is going to be different for everyone. There have been batches where I’ve put a lot more effort into making a better beer, and I didn’t enjoy it as much. I take shortcuts that I deem justifiable for me.
For many decades, I would dream about getting back in a band again, and in my spare time I was composing music that I never recorded and never performed, but I still enjoyed playing it for myself. With a lot more effort and a lot more money, maybe some of those songs could’ve been big hits, or at least enjoyed by crowds… and those songs never got the chance. I’m the only one who ever heard them (well, my wife and kids did too). But that’s ok, they were my songs, and I enjoyed playing them for myself, and that was good enough.
That’s how homebrewing is for me. You’re ready to switch over to all-grain or BIAB or whatever other process-modification, when you want to try it.
Thank you very much for the write up and insight, it sounds like you were where I am now. I have enjoyed it and will take more chances as I go, but for now, I am enjoying it a lot.
As far as music, I understand. I play guitar and really enjoy it, although I don’t play nearly as much as I used to. Was in a band in high school and we were the best darn band that played my backyard. LOL. Still have dreams of playing, but I just enjoy the music and listening to whatever suits me at the time.
Rock on!!!
So, does that mean you’re no longer making Cabo Wabo Tequila now that you’ve moved on to homebrewing? 