Can extract be Craft Beer ?

[Online Brewing Supplies]

The Brewer's Association in Boulder, Colorado defines craft beer as beer made by a brewer that is small, independent, and traditional.
Do you think extract beers can be classed as Craft Beer, and why do you think so ??

 

[manticle]

The term 'craft' means as much to me as the term 'art'. People see art as a sacred cow and think if they see an artwork they don't like or think is stupid that it is somehow not art. It is art - it might be bad, stupid, ugly or pointless but it is still art.

Same with craft beer - I don't care so much whether it's defined as 'craft' but whether or not it is any good. You can have bad craft beer (and decent extract beer).

That said, I prefer to see companies use less convenience products with their food/drink products rather than more.

I didn't vote.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

I should clarify this question relates to a Uni assignment I am doing.
Even if you didnt vote manticle its is a valuable insight.
Nev

 

[bum]

I should clarify this question relates to a Uni assignment I am doing.

Introduction to trolling?

It's a pretty loaded question, Nev.

I see no reason why the use of extract should preclude a beer from being considered craft beer. Sure, a brewer may have less control over aspects of the final beer with extract but there's no reason why s/he can't still achieve small, independent and traditional beers (whatever any of that might mean).

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Introduction to trolling?

All part of creating a web presence, looking for material to post on my Craft Beer blog.
Nev not troll

 

[philmud]

I guess it's all dependent on how craft beer is defined. Can I make continental stroganoff and call it slow food? If I add ingredients and change it significantly, does that change the answer? I'm going to say no, but I'm aware that plenty of people will disagree.

 

[wbosher]

Initially, I was thinking no. If you take the terms "small, independent, and traditional", I guess the "traditional" part of that criteria would rule out using extract.

But having said that, if you take manticle's angle that craft beer is essentially "art" then why not? Malt extract is only a part (albeit very important) of the final result. Sure it's a short cut, but making a good beer is a lot more than just having a good backbone to that beer.

I guess I'd have to say I'm on the fence here, depending on the definition of "craft".

 

[Nick JD]

I think the final product is much more important to the consumer than the process. And both are less important to the consumer than how it makes them appear while drinking it with their mates.

If it tastes inferior to other craft beer due to it's shortcuts (though I would question the long term economic benefit of using extract or the entire industry would be using it) then there's your answer right there.

Extract beers are obvious in most subtle styles.

 

[BambisBrewingBeer]

My personal opinion, Extract/kit beers can be a Craft Beer if changes/ additions have been made to the recipe/ process. So in other work some craft has to be put into the beer.

If someone made a Kit beer and followed the directions to the T, I wouldn't consider that Craft Beer, I would consider it a Kit Beer. There is nothing crafty about following a kit recipe.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

I think the final product is much more important to the consumer than the process. And both are less important to the consumer than how it makes them appear while drinking it with their mates.

If it tastes inferior to other craft beer due to it's shortcuts (though I would question the long term economic benefit of using extract or the entire industry would be using it) then there's your answer right there.

Extract beers are obvious in most subtle styles.

Do you think drinkers/your perception of a beer would be swayed if the label stated "made with malt extract" ?

 

[Nick JD]

Do you think drinkers/your perception of a beer would be swayed if the label stated "made with malt extract" ?

I don't think a brewery would advertise this. Which kinda answers the question.

ED: if I owned a craftbrewery I'd be sneaking sucrose into everything until it was almost perceptable. Like the Aussie megaswilleries.

 

[wbosher]

I would guess that your average consumer couldn't care less about how it was made, as long as it tasted good. So a label saying "made with malt extract" would probably be overlooked. It would really depend on who the consumer was, a beer snob may well turn their nose up at it.

 

[Bribie G]

There has been a number of extract brewpubs around, for example Scottish Chieftans at Geelong. Isn't there one in the Margaret River area? How did their "craft beers" stack up?

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

I think I would be more critical of labeled extract brewed beer in the way I would consciously look for faults.
If it wasn't mention I think I would be less critical.
Nev

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

There has been a number of extract brewpubs around, for example Scottish Chieftans at Geelong. Isn't there one in the Margaret River area? How did their "craft beers" stack up?

Both I know of Chieftains and Inchant (perth) no longer trade.
Nev

 

[iralosavic]

Nev my opinion is no. A craft is a an activity that requires skill mastery to achieve an end result that is inspirational and exceptional. Take the ancient art of crafting a samuri sword, for example. Could you just angle grind a blade out of a piece of mild steel and put it in the same category? Maybe this is a bad example, but to me, that brewers' association is not taking enough meaning out of the word "craft". You are not crafting much at all if you are rely a mass produced tin of extract as the main basis of your beer. Not saying you can't make drinkable or even good beer that way, I just don't think it is deserving of the word craft, just like throwing some cheese in some bread isn't deserving of being called a craft sandwhich. Not looking for a war - Nev wants opinions and their supporting reasoning, so this is mine.

 

[Nick JD]

TBH, I think the labeling laws of alcohol in Australia need to be more like Germany.

Then again, they use a lot of hopsekstract.

 

[Mardoo]

Plenty of craft brewers use extract to boost OG on their high-gravity worts, so in one sense yes. However plenty of "brewpubs", the kind you find in a hotel in the States (as in a Holiday Inn, not a pub), brew decent beer that's full extract.

Is a decent beer a craft brew? For me, no. I do think the processes that go into the prodect are important to the definition. These are the kinds of things we have to answer as we continue building a craft brew scene in Oz.

 

[wbosher]

We have a pretty solid craft brew scene in NZ, especially here in Wellington. I don't think any of them use extract, although I'm happy to be corrected if I'm wrong.

 

[warra48]

I voted "never", because if you are using extract, part of the process is some other entity's craft, not your own.
You are either a craft brewer or not, you can't be a "semi-craft brewer".

Edit: For some reason my PC hates putting " into what I type.