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I know I've seen it somewhere,
What's a good source to study?
What's a good source to study?
converting extract to allgrain
- Thread starter headshaker
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Google can find you lot's to read. The big problem with info on converting extract recipes to all grain isn't finding it, it's figuring out which ones can be trusted. I found a complete set of instructions confidently telling me everything I needed to exactly convert my favorite extract recipe to all grain. Then the author went and ruined it by saying, "And I am doing my first all grain batch today!" Full disclosure, I'm just getting back into the hobby after many years and I am still in learning mode, but I have several original all grain recipes under my belt, all of which were translated from my partial mash and extract recipes. I do keep good notes, though. 
The only thing that needs to change in your recipe is the mashed stuff, so I would suggest as a start just replacing the LME or DME with an appropriate amount of 2 row (I'm assuming your first try will be a fairly straightforward ale) and trying a batch. How much 2 row is appropriate? I would suggest first putting the extract recipe into the Recipe Builder and noting the OG, then going back and delete the LME/DME and adding in about 1.4 times as many pounds of 2 row barley. If the OG is too high, take some out, if too low, add some more. The real conversion will depend on your efficiency, but the recipe builder assumes 75% which is as good as any to start with. Another way to translate it is to find an all grain recipe that is similar in style, color and ABV to your current extract recipe, and substituting in your hops and flavor grains to make it your recipe. (That's how I did it originally.) Finally, there are tons of sites that will give you conversion tables for DME/LME/Grain. This one's as good as any. http://www.jaysbrewing.com/2011/11/17/l ... lme-grain/
In in my experience, your first try will be pretty close but it takes a bit of tweaking to get the exact flavor profile you're used to. And when I say tweaking, I mean, a second batch, then maybe a third.... (It's not as bad as it seems. You get to drink the experiments!) At some point it's either good enough, or its better than the extract recipe anyway and you decide how much more tweaking you want to do. All grain has a lot more variables than extract, but by reading up on all grain technique, you can fairly quickly hone in on what to change in the second batch to get it to taste how you want.
FWIW, your question is actually how I came across Brewer's Forum! The tools here allow you to easily play with ingredients to tailor your recipes, and the calculators are more complete than most I've found. Two batches down the line will be my first try at translating an old wheat beer recipe I used to make every summer (and used to have to wash off the bathroom ceiling often enough that my wife still cringes at any beer I ferment in the basement. :lol: ) I'm still wavering on using honey instead of candi sugar, though. The scientist in me says just change one variable at a time, the artist in me says I don't have that many years left!
Wow, didn't mean to write a book, but I hope that helps.
The only thing that needs to change in your recipe is the mashed stuff, so I would suggest as a start just replacing the LME or DME with an appropriate amount of 2 row (I'm assuming your first try will be a fairly straightforward ale) and trying a batch. How much 2 row is appropriate? I would suggest first putting the extract recipe into the Recipe Builder and noting the OG, then going back and delete the LME/DME and adding in about 1.4 times as many pounds of 2 row barley. If the OG is too high, take some out, if too low, add some more. The real conversion will depend on your efficiency, but the recipe builder assumes 75% which is as good as any to start with. Another way to translate it is to find an all grain recipe that is similar in style, color and ABV to your current extract recipe, and substituting in your hops and flavor grains to make it your recipe. (That's how I did it originally.) Finally, there are tons of sites that will give you conversion tables for DME/LME/Grain. This one's as good as any. http://www.jaysbrewing.com/2011/11/17/l ... lme-grain/
In in my experience, your first try will be pretty close but it takes a bit of tweaking to get the exact flavor profile you're used to. And when I say tweaking, I mean, a second batch, then maybe a third.... (It's not as bad as it seems. You get to drink the experiments!) At some point it's either good enough, or its better than the extract recipe anyway and you decide how much more tweaking you want to do. All grain has a lot more variables than extract, but by reading up on all grain technique, you can fairly quickly hone in on what to change in the second batch to get it to taste how you want.
FWIW, your question is actually how I came across Brewer's Forum! The tools here allow you to easily play with ingredients to tailor your recipes, and the calculators are more complete than most I've found. Two batches down the line will be my first try at translating an old wheat beer recipe I used to make every summer (and used to have to wash off the bathroom ceiling often enough that my wife still cringes at any beer I ferment in the basement. :lol: ) I'm still wavering on using honey instead of candi sugar, though. The scientist in me says just change one variable at a time, the artist in me says I don't have that many years left!
Wow, didn't mean to write a book, but I hope that helps.
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Yes extractly what I needed.thanks jim
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You'll run into a few other issues as well. Light crystal malts yield a lot more sugar mashed than steeped, for example. Your boil gravity will be less, increasing your mash efficiency.... Converting the LME/DME to grain (a base malt will yield about 37 ppg times your efficiency, start at 80% for a yield of about 30 points/pound/gallon. LME yields about 36 ppg so if you're converting from liquid, multiply your amount of LME by 1.2. DME is very concentrated at 42 ppg so multiply your DME by 1.4 to get the appropriate amount of grain.
