Why All Grain?

[Diggles]

Looking to do my first all grain when my pH meter and bilge pump (don't ask!...see other thread) arrive, but been thinking: for those of us that haven't tasted an allgrain beer (apart from off the shelf, which I assume will be different)..........why bother? What's the deal?

The only justification I have is that it's the next step, must be worth it if everyone else is putting so much effort in to it!

It's almost as if I got to do it to see what all the fuss is about! :lol:

So, the challenge if you dare to stand and be counted is, answer the question......why bother with all grain?

Diggles

 

[doon]

Simply put they taste far better. I have converted my non beer drinking missus to loving dark hoppy ales. Am sure this couldn't of happened with kits of partials

 

[fcmcg]

Looking to do my first all grain when my pH meter and bilge pump (don't ask!...see other thread) arrive, but been thinking: for those of us that haven't tasted an allgrain beer (apart from off the shelf, which I assume will be different)..........why bother? What's the deal?

The only justification I have is that it's the next step, must be worth it if everyone else is putting so much effort in to it!

It's almost as if I got to do it to see what all the fuss is about! :lol:

So, the challenge if you dare to stand and be counted is, answer the question......why bother with all grain?

Diggles

Well....
It's quite simple....
I can drink exceptional beer that is as good as micro-brewed beer , that you can buy. Caveat is i made it...and i make 40 to 50 litres at a time...
I can make beers that i like...that is as little or as much hop as i want...of varying styles...
For mine...kit beer never tasted as good as all grain , homebrewed beer....
Ferg

 

[Phoney]

For much the same reason that you learn to cook from scratch when you could just reheat frozen dinners bought in a box.

 

[Bada Bing Brewery]

Looking to do my first all grain when my pH meter and bilge pump (don't ask!...see other thread) arrive, but been thinking: for those of us that haven't tasted an allgrain beer (apart from off the shelf, which I assume will be different)..........why bother? What's the deal?

The only justification I have is that it's the next step, must be worth it if everyone else is putting so much effort in to it!

It's almost as if I got to do it to see what all the fuss is about! :lol:

So, the challenge if you dare to stand and be counted is, answer the question......why bother with all grain?

Diggles

Diggles - remember your first car - sure it was great, got you from A to B .... then you jumped into a real car and thought .... shit. Same deal with brewing - K+K is a HG, all grain is a statesman ......
Cheers
BBB

 

[SJW]

For much the same reason that you learn to cook from scratch when you could just reheat frozen dinners bought in a box.

DOH, thats what I was going to say........so, while a store bought pizza or hamburger is ok, if u can be bothered making your own you have ultimate con trol over what you put in it and how its made. But best of all, if you do it right it tasstes every bit as good as any craft beer.
I had a mate over tonight who is a VB man. I have seen him dump 6 packs of Urquell and Chimay that was given to him as gifts as he loves VB. He loved my keg set up and had a schooy of each one I had on tap. German Pilsner, Czech Pilsner, APA, and an American Brown. To his credit he loved the first 3 but was not keen on the Brown. Best of all his first comment was "this does not taste like homebrew". What better compliment can a brewer get

steve

 

[SJW]

For much the same reason that you learn to cook from scratch when you could just reheat frozen dinners bought in a box.

DOH, thats what I was going to say........so, while a store bought pizza or hamburger is ok, if u can be bothered making your own you have ultimate con trol over what you put in it and how its made. But best of all, if you do it right it tasstes every bit as good as any craft beer.
I had a mate over tonight who is a VB man. I have seen him dump 6 packs of Urquell and Chimay that was given to him as gifts as he loves VB. He loved my keg set up and had a schooy of each one I had on tap. German Pilsner, Czech Pilsner, APA, and an American Brown. To his credit he loved the first 3 but was not keen on the Brown. Best of all his first comment was "this does not taste like homebrew". What better compliment can a brewer get

steve

 

[fawnroux]

for those of us that haven't tasted an allgrain beer (apart from off the shelf, which I assume will be different)..........why bother? What's the deal?

Why do you assume it will be different? It might be filtered, but..

Compare a K&K beer to a nice, all grain, well made beer from a micro/not so micro brewery. Then realise you can make beer this good yourself. Maybe even better!. Then realise it's cheaper (so to speak) to make it yourself. Then realise it's a fun hobby to have, even if you are banished to outside all day (is this really a bad thing? ). Then realise that suddenly, chemisty and biology are in in fact, fascinating. You now read all you can on enzymes, amino acids, sugars, yeast, polyphenols,2-3 pentanedione.. Shit, realise thats heavy stuff, you need a beer. Realise that beer tastes pretty fuckin awesome. Who made this? ME?? Sweet. Realise all grain is as good as you remember it. Realise your late to catch up for that local brewers meeting your going to, think "damn, those boys (and girls) make some pretty sweet beers" and grab that gnarly American IPA and Russian Imperial Stout you brewed a few months back and take em along. Realise brewing is pretty damn good craic and are so glad you started.

Why bother? Why not? For me, brewing is a great hobby that results in a product I'm fascinated with and proud of. Usually they're pretty good drinking.

Whats the deal? Honestly, you either get it or you don't. I've had K&K's chuckle at me wondering why I go all the trouble, but honestly, beer is not about about alcohol to me. It used to be, but not these days. It's about beer, and the respecting and understanding the process. I dunno, I'm a chef, so all grain is a natural state of culinary curiousity for for me. I'll happliy go to the same amount of trouble to make cheese, bacon, butcher a lamb etc.

Long story short, I think all grain brewing is the shit. Thats why I bother :beerbang:

 

[Lodan]

It's worth noting that an all grain crap beer is no better than a k&k/extract crap beer

That is to say, all grain is only better if you can make it better.

 

[Diggles]

Just as I was hoping for, all the encouragement I need. Thanks boys, all I got to do now is nail a few recipies and hey presto I'm there. Just read the John Plmer book, and I like hi quote that goes along the lines of:

"Being able to walk to any bottle shop and say with confidence about any beer in the shop, I can brew that"

Keep the good work going, cheers.

Diggles

 

[Wolfy]

So, the challenge if you dare to stand and be counted is, answer the question......why bother with all grain?

I recently gave a talk about home-brewing at my sister's Probis group's monthly meeting, and I had to work out a way to explain kits, partials and all-grain to non-brewers.

The analogy I used was baking a cake:
You can go to the shop and buy packet-mix (kits) and that will make a cake, it will be cake and it will be edible, but it is also clearly made from packet mix.
The next 'step' includes adding your own ingredients like your own eggs, and fruit to give the cake mix more character, and usually the cake will turn out noticeably nicer.
However if you want to make the best cake possible, if you want to make any cake you can imagine a recipe for, nothing compares to a cake made from scratch using good fresh ingredients, and that is what AG is all about.

 

[chunckious]

Be careful though Diggles, you will absolutely turn into a beer snob. Once you get your processes right and start making great beer it will **** with your taste buds.
Go drink a Crownie or the like in 12 months time, you'll be astounded.

 

[freezkat]

It's worth noting that an all grain crap beer is no better than a k&k/extract crap beer

That is to say, all grain is only better if you can make it better.

So if you make a crap all grain you are out 4-6 hours of a day versus 1.5 hours...

It is harder to screw up an extract beer. Much less mess.

Buy unhopped extract, add your own.

All grain "can" be cheaper than extract brewing.

Any moron like me can extract brew. I've done a couple all grains. They turned out fine but I am certain I did something wrong. Somebody needs to teach me/show me how to do this.

 

[Yob]

Mostly because it's fun, an equal amount to that is i enjoy the challenge of building a functional brewery,

I was making fantastic Kits n bits / partials when i decided to go AG and was spending almost as long on the brew day as doing an ag.

When you start to get grain by the bag it becomes significantly cheaper.

Im still searching for consistamcy... but then again my equipment hasnt stabilized yet as im still tweaking and learning my system.. this, im sure will iron itself out when my system settles down.

Mostly, it's coz it's a whole truck load of fun though.

Yob

 

[Diggles]

Be careful though Diggles, you will absolutely turn into a beer snob. Once you get your processes right and start making great beer it will **** with your taste buds.
Go drink a Crownie or the like in 12 months time, you'll be astounded.

Mate, I'll look forward to the day where I don't try to emulate the shelved beer, and look at them as inferior....might take some time tho

 

[QldKev]

I may kits for many years, and thought I made the best beer around. Like most brewers I started kit and kilo sugar to make a cheap offering. Then I progresses to Dex, and malts and hops, then steeped a couple of grains. Then the hobby bug bit, and I no longer worry about the cost of brewing, I want to enjoy it.

My best kit, is about the same as my worst AG. To make AG better than kits is not hard, once you get the hang of AG you brew far superior beer.

Plus a bloke has to have hobbies to keep him sane.

QldKev

 

[mje1980]

"Being able to walk to any bottle shop and say with confidence about any beer in the shop, I can brew that"






I've never been able to brew beers like Wells Bombardier, Timothy Taylors etc. I've made some bloody great ales, and i love brewing all grain beers, but saying you can brew any beer is a bit far.

 

[chunckious]

As Qldkev said mate it's about getting your processes right, then your laughing.
I had never done any brewing of any sort. I followed NickJD's $30 stovetop method (because of equipment already hagging around the place). It taught me mash temps, boil times, pitching yeast, things I knew zero about. Made mistakes on the first 2 brews, buy the 3rd I was drinking hoppy APA's. Hpw far you take it is up to you. :icon_cheers:

 

[Logman]

for those of us that haven't tasted an allgrain beer ..........why bother?

That's kind of like having your first wank and then asking 'why bother with women' ?

 

[Superoo]

Better tasting beer, and the flexibility to do more.
Plus the feel of doing it more as a fully natural additive free beer.

The other big thing in improving brewing i reckon, is going to kegging.
That really changes home brew to craft beer if you are a patient brewer.