SD, here's my short form response!
When we start out we tend to use Kits and follow the rules precisely, or at least as precisely as printed on the can. We make beer and heck it's good (even if it's not)
Pretty soon we start trying things, things we find out by joining groups such as this or by taking good advice from an experienced brewer/fermentation assistant. We add not just sugar, but maybe some dry malt extract, dextrose, even partial mashes with a small amount of grain etc. Then we start to add hops, maybe just some hop tea to a K+K but importantly we start to learn and to try new things. If you're like me not all the things you try turn out well though:huh:
Next step is to use extract, rather than kits. Take the malt extract, be it light, dark, extra pale etc, boil it up with hops of your choice and discover just how well you can make something. This is an extract brewer. Try new things and develop some experience and importantly some appreciation of what's good and whats not, not just you're own but also commercial offerings.
The next step I'm afraid is one of damnation and eternal ruin. You then decide to go 'All-Grain'. All of a sudden you're no longer a just a fermentation assistant but a BREWER (now that's going to start another flame session).
The reality is that youve made beer. It doesn't matter how, it doesn't matter what name or appelation you care to give yourself. The important point is that you've created something yourself, you have learnt, tried and done something you're proud of - oops I think I may have just started preaching again
Enjoy, RDWHAHB
Trev