Extract to start

I did one extract a 5 gallon with a buddy. We were going to learn to brew and brew together. 1 week before bottling day Covid shut EVERYTHING down so I was stuff at home by myself. I then started 1 gallon batches all grain and went from there.
 
Started with extract kits, then to brewing my own recipes with DME/LME and steeping grains, did two partial mash brews then switched to all grain.
 
I did about 4 with extract. Never quite got what I wanted. BIAB was a MAJOR improvement even on the 1st one.
If I can still lift and still have my house, no way in hell I would go back.
 
philjohnwilliams said:
Started with extract kits, then to brewing my own recipes with DME/LME and steeping grains, did two partial mash brews then switched to all grain.
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I'm pretty much the same as this, but I have started using extract a bit more lately. Whether to hit numbers or to whip up a quick wort.
 
I've never done extract.
I started with a 10 litre biab kit (made up by the brew store).
Plenty went wrong but to my surprise a very drinkable end product.
Still on biab and still 8-10 litte batches
 
First batch was an extract kit from Amazon, all grain ever since.
Well, until I started doing partial mash a year and a half ago
 
Started with big cans of Munton and Fison extract decades ago - actually when I was underage. Extract felt like the only game in town back then unless you were very serious. Stopped brewing after 25 or so extract batches, and quality was hit or miss. Started back again with all grain BIAB in late 2023 and don't plan to use much or any extract.
 
Bought extract kits as I live in Portugal and don't like generic lager. After about a dozen, got a brewzilla and haven't looked back. More recently got a new toy and now grind my own malt as well. Usually design my own recipes. Just the job!
 
I started with extract. My father an experienced country wine brewer went to a evening course to learn how to make brew. I used the recipes he got from that. Then I moved to partial mashing with extract you used to get with the enzymes in it. Then a few years ago I moved to full grain mashing. I now have a malt mill so buy uncrushed grain which lasts longer. I have a 25kg sack of Maris Otter malt in the attic. I made a clone of Wadworth's 6X with it and heritage crystal malt and it finally tastes as nutty as the original.

Now to make this year's batch of Imperial Stout with it. I have been brewing it better and better with every year, in two years I will find out what it's like with Maris Otter.
 
I should add that I have never used a kit and have no intention of ever doing so.
 
SabreSteve said:
Did like 3 extract and then moved to BIAB but I've gone back to extract a couple times since the twins were born just to cut down on time
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I brew for taste not to get pissed. I would therefore not ever go back to extract. In fact high strength recipes reinforced with extract I converted to full grain. I only brew 15L so can go up to the 23L gear to handle those brews, still resulting in 15L.

My imperial stout matures for a year in a 3G glass carboy. That is heavy enough, a 5G one would be unmoveable.
 
In 1993 after coming back stateside after being stationed in the Uk I had to find some real beer again something besides Budweiser, but my only choice for that was home brewing. So I started with the extract kits they used to sale back then which were by Muntons. I used to take the kits and add DME and they came out ok. Then after I got the bug I went all grain and haven't looked back.
 
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Started brewing with budget range extract lager kits, first three were basically failures (I now know why and can brew extract lager kits successfully). A bandmate had made some bitter from the same range (Geordie - one of Muntons ranges) so I had a bash at that and it worked first time and I was off and flying. Wasn't big on bitter at the time so tried all that was available in that range from a chemist store who no longer stock. Discovered Geordie Scottish Export extract kit and I still brew a batch of that annually 40 years on. I sometimes use dry Spraymalt with extract kits and the difference is very significant. Have since gone through various extract kit ranges and consider Ritchies Festival range to be the best overall. The clone kits of Woodfordes beers produced for them by Muntons are very authentic - a comprehensive marketing strategy of brewery with chain of pubs and beers also available bottled, canned (including mini-kegs) and extract kits. Quite a few of the budget ranges have one or two kits which work very well - they taste good to me or I wouldn't keep brewing them but yes I have had some extract kits I consider to be poor quality.

A few years ago I progressed to dry hopping initially with the extract kits which come with free pellets. More recently I have started acquiring pellets separately and using my own combos. So far so good with this chapter of my homebrewing.

I have some recipes for all grain and finally located a localish supplier. Unfortunately my housing org are going all electric so my plans to try all grain after the reno are probably hit on the head for the time being. But I would love to have a go at all grain as my first brew in a new home whenever and wherever that may be.
 
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