All Grain Or Extract

[Zwickel]

A very nice statement AngelTearsOnMyTongue,

it hits just my point of view

Cheers

 

[barneyhanway]

AngelTearsOnMyTongue,
thats precisely the difference to me.

Where I am (NZ) I can't get fresh wort kits or super duper fresh extract, there isn't much comparison between what I can brew with grain (big partials at the moment) and what I can brew from a can. Fresh ingredients equals yummier beer. Thats an oversimplification of other aspects of the brewing process, but for me its that simple.
I very quickly migrated from unhopped extract and boiling/hopping etc, to partials with 2 -3kg of grain. As soon as I can get a bigger boil pot its all grain for me.
Even 6 months ago I swore I would never brew from grain, but the difference in freshness and taste is too big to overlook.

 

[Screwtop]

2,434 registered AHB members, 2434 registered opinions

That's the diversity of life, I for one like to see competitiveness between the Kit, Kits and Bits and AG Fraternities. You will find the same competitiveness in all disciplines, conventional medical practitioners and naturopaths etc. Whatever works for you and most of all makes YOU happy!


Now:

Now a full on fresh curry takes longer but the results are truley amazing. So much so that I cant help trying to think of what else I can do to improve the curry. Grow my own vegetables (tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums), done it. Grow my own chickens (mmm........ maybe eventually). Using freshly made stock, yep heaps better.

When are we going to have a Fresh Curry thread. How about some recipes, curry goes great with light ales and lagers.

I want to see some recipes ATOMT see if you can find the time PLEASE!

 

[DrewCarey82]

However, I think this last comment you have made may be worth putting into perspective. You seem to get peeved at the people who claim their AG brews are superior to your kit brews yet you fight back at them claiming that your Kit's make better beers... I think you may be playing a part of your own problem.

[/quote]

I dont claim there better, I just claim that they arent shit.

 

[Aussie Claret]

I have only just gotten into Ag brewing having now made 4, previously I did alot of K&K and partial brews.
Somebody in this thread stated that they were only kidding themselves when they made K&K that were as good as commercial beers. I have to agree to some extent with this comment, whilst I've made quite a few good K&K beers, the majority were pretty average. This is not to say that K&K are bad nor other peoples beers are not exceptional, but IMHO the K&K beers that I made were just average on the whole.
I'm am not try to be pretentious in any way but the AG beers that I have made are far superior to any K&K that I made. Not only are they superior to the K&K beers I made but I honestly beleive that the few AG's I've made are better than any commercial beer, that I drink.

I am extremely happy with my AG results and wouldn't turn back to K&K.

My comments reflect the beers that I made and I am not in any way trying to discredit other peoples beers or K&K in general, I'm just comparing the beers that I've made.

IMHO the K&K were a good stepping ground for my own progression into making great beer. The techniques and general grounding were and are invaluable.

Cheers
AC

 

[James Squire]

Yeah but certain AG's get so pissed off even at the mention that kits can make better beers then AG's.

Thats what shits me.

Eh hem.....

 

[Tseay]

Forgive me if I have misunderstood the tone of these posts but, I dont think "beer snobbery" discussions help the cause.

I picked up a first and a second in last years state comp with partial mashes, but the beers sitting in my kegs are doctored ESB kits and I don't think I'll be walking away from them anytime soon.
The vast bulk of brewers are going to be kit or modified kit bewers and they need to be encouraged to stay in the craft and improve their potential. It's for this reason we'll be following Wee Stu's example and including a kit section in this years (November) Castle Hill Championship. It's also why our upcoming team brew of an Imperial Pilsener will include a modifiied kit team.

All grain brewing opens up all sorts of opportunities to produce excellent beer. it also opens up all of sorts opprotunities to produce crap beer.

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde ' its doesn't matter how you brew, but that you brew(to your potential)".

T

 

[DrewCarey82]

This thread may have started with good intensions, but has clearly deteriorated.

Is there really any need to comment wether or not one styles better then the other? To me you can produce great beer with either.

The only difference with AG is that you have more control and can literally create anything.

Great if you really want to get into the craft and go the full hog, but most HB's just want to make a nice drinkable beer, similar to what they buy at the bottlo's.

AG's on here need to remember that just because the vaste majority on this board are AG's, it doesnt mean that as a whole the in the homebrew community that the vaste majority are AG's.

What are their about 100'sh regular uses on this board and how many homebrewers out there?

Might be food for thought for you guys.

 

[James Squire]

Now you're back to making sense Drew, welcome back to sensible street!

You are correct, there is no need to comment on whether one method is better than the other because "DING" correct.... both methods can produce great beer!

Thankyou for accepting my polite criticism and getting back to making this a constructive discussion about each and everyones journey through homebrewing. After all, for the vast majority that is exactly what it is, and most AG'ers here started their journey with K&K/Extract...

JS
(Halfway through the journey... Partials and modded Kits)

 

[DrewCarey82]

Its proven to me one thing at this stage of my brewing(where I am not sure if I'll ever bother progressing as I am quite happy with it) that this more a craftbrewers site then a homebrewers site and.

A) I cant contribute anything useful.
B) I cant really learn anything I didnt know.

Have to give serious thought to my continued visiting of it.

 

[colinw]

Its proven to me one thing at this stage of my brewing(where I am not sure if I'll ever bother progressing as I am quite happy with it) that this more a craftbrewers site then a homebrewers site and.

A) I cant contribute anything useful.
B) I cant really learn anything I didnt know.

Have to give serious thought to my continued visiting of it.

That's a bit hasty isn't it?

There's plenty of kit and extract discussion in the Recipes and Brewing Questions forums.

Although I am AG, I consider what I do "home brewing" and call myself a "home brewer".

cheers,
Colin
(who belongs to a club where AG, kit & extract brewers co-exist in peaceful harmony)

 

[redgums500]

Crumbs!!! My wife is into Dressage (horses for the uninitiated) and I thought they were a surly, bitchy bloody lot, but some of you blokes could run rings around those holier than thou chiks ! I brew for no other reason than the fact that I enjoy it. If i wanted to change how people brew and what they drink I,d make a career change and it would stop becoming a hobby. I couldn't care less if the homebrewer nextdoor stood on his head and vowed it was the only way to brew. What i like is going to be different to the next brewer. This entire argument put up by some on this thread is based on subjectivity... not objectivity.


My two bob :super:

 

[benhobbs]

Its proven to me one thing at this stage of my brewing(where I am not sure if I'll ever bother progressing as I am quite happy with it) that this more a craftbrewers site then a homebrewers site and.

A) I cant contribute anything useful.
B) I cant really learn anything I didnt know.

Have to give serious thought to my continued visiting of it.

Hi Drew,

I think your departure might be a little hasty.

I am sure it was only within the last couple of days that you were in a discussion about rehydrating yeast that you were a part of. I found it a valueable discussion, it made me question my practices in rehydration. A topic which is useful for K&K and AG brewers alike.

Cheers
Ben

 

[Murray]

Drew Carey, it seems the further people go out of their way to appease you, the more offended you get. If you are going to be offended by the fact that peoples personal experiences and opinions differ from what you would like them to be, perhaps you should save yourself the grief and not read the thread. I for one wont apologise for the fact that my AG beer is better than beer I made from kits and no-one else should be expected to either. This is an argument of your own making.

With respect to your claim that you cant learn anything you already dont know, with brewing just as in life, the more someone learns, the more they realise they dont know.

I normally don't like to bother getting involved in these threads, Im just annoyed at you firing up at a lot of good people who are doing their best to be PC and to not offend you.

 

[KoNG]

yeh, Dont leave just yet DC28.....
i'd be so bored at work without you.

 

[DrewCarey82]

Yeah may have been a bit of a over-reaction on my part. And I dont expect people to appease me, cause I certainly dont go out of my way to appease others

However courtesy is contagious.

And Murray feel free to hop off that high horse of yours anytime.

 

[T.D.]

Drew, I think this is what we are all trying to say - there is no high horse!! You are interpretting these comments as being pretentious, but I don't think they are meant that way in the slightest.

Murry, myself or anybody else saying "I have brewed kits and AG and I prefer the AG" is not a spiteful or elitist comment, its just a comment on what we have found ourselves. Nothing more. I think you are reading into these comments a bit too much.

In my opinion since I have used a similar brewing technique and approach (in terms of sanitation, temp control etc) for both my old extract brews and my current AG brews, I feel this is a good indication of the objective differences in quality. And in my opinion, the AG beers are better. Full stop. If you don't find that to be the case then great, however, I think you need to have some AG experience before objectively making such a statement. That is, in a nutshell, what I think about this whole issue.

 

[DrewCarey82]

Thats a fair comment but as I've re-iterated many times, this maybe the case(I dont know I havent tried AG) and people are welcome to their oppinions.

I have never picked anyone who's phrased it that way, I've only commented on people whom have said that all K&B beers are crap or something similarly disparaging.

And thanks Kong boards like these need personality, otherwise people have zero reason to come back.

If you dont have the odd flamboyant person like myself people quickly loose interest, I actually suggested myself for a mod but was shot down.

 

[Guest Lurker]

I say kill the thread, it's not needed.

Cheers
MAH

Yes indeedy.

 

[colinw]

I say kill the thread, it's not needed.

Cheers
MAH

Yes indeedy.

I'd better call 000 then, as someone is obviously holding a gun at your head and forcing you to read this thread.