In a previous post (Return to Extracts), I pondered the value of doing a little extract brewing when I don’t have the time available for my 6 hour all-grain sessions.

I was pondering some of my recipes and decided that I would convert on of my recent American Brown ale recipes to an extract version.  When last I brewed it as all grain, I really enjoyed it an thought I had hit a real nice balance between malt flavors, chocolate notes and residual sweetness.  Although it is an American Brown ale, I kept the hopping to a milder schedule to not overwhelm the flavor with citrus and piney flavors typical in some American hopping schedules.

I offer the converted recipe below:

American Brown #1 Extract

If you’re a regular reader you know that I recently added a second brew assistant to my brewhouse.  With two sons now at home it becomes more difficult to find time to brew.   I have been thinking of ways to get in brewing sessions that are short and quick to slake my thirst for brewing whenever I have time.

I have been pondering the occasional dabble in extract brewing again.  I don’t plan to abandon my all-grain brewing setup as I love the process and the control.  But extract brewing would be a quick way to bang out some easier beers, experiment with ingredients and just stay active in the hobby when a 6-7 hour brew session with all-grain won’t cut it.

So this post is a call to all our extract brewing readers. What styles of beers really lend themselves to extract brewing?  I was thinking of putting together a simple Amber recipe to get myself started in the 2010 brewing season. I figure maybe a good dry Irish Stout and maybe a couple good English Brown ales, milds or other session style brews.

What is on your extract agenda these days?

BREW ON!

Ok.  So here’s another reason I should just go all grain…

I don’t know how great Munich malt extract is.  It seems the brands that produce Munich malt extract mix it with a base malt.  None of the descriptions I read stated that they were 100% Munich malt.

They cut it with some percentage of base malt, which is good…I guess…if you just want to brew with one type of malt extract and it happens to be Munich.

I want to brew with both Pilsner and Munich malts…and if I go back to extract, I am at the mercy of the maltster.

Here’s a good example for beginners.  When a more experienced brewer says that you have less control of your malt profile using extracts, this situation is what they mean. 

I think I can make a better Maibock with an all grain bill than extract.  More to ponder.

I was thinking for my first lager that I would “go back to extract” just so I could focus all my energies on the fermentation temperature control.  I guess with a few all grain batches under my belt I could do the whole process, but I sorta want to know if lagering without a fridge is really doable and want to take the issues of messing up the beer on brew day out of the equation.

What do you think?  Am I just being overly cautious?  Should I just go for it?

The grain bill for the Maibock is going to be ultra simple - just Pilsner and Munich malts…

Probably just one hop addition with 60 minutes to go in the boil.

I don’t know.  I could simplify it even more and just focus on fermentation.

Extract brewing is easy, quick, and convenient; sometimes I miss the good old three hour brew-day.  But I don’t miss the increase in freshness that all-grain has over extract.

A recent discussion I had with a couple other brewers yielded these ideas which help extract brewers bring more freshness to their brews:

1. Dry malt extract is generally more shelf stable and gives a fresher flavor than canned liquid extract.  I tended to use DME exclusively over LME before I switched completely to all-grain.  A possible exception to this would be if your local shop carried bulk LME in a drum, that is routinely purged with nitrogen instead of air, and has a high turnover rate.  I have a local shop that used to have the drums but their turnover wasn’t so good because more and more folks started doing all grain batches, so then “canned” the barrels (no pun intended).  Not to mention that the barrelled LME can get pretty messy with all those people trying to fill a 1 gallon container with 1.2 gallons of extract for that little extra value!
2. While it is a common practice for some, I think the use of steeping specialty grains is under-valued for its freshness contribution.  For the most part all your caramel/crystal grains, your toasted and roasted grains, and some of your other wacky grains (acid malt and melanoidin malt) do not need to be mashed.  Using them for your color and flavor will bring a much fresher taste and value to your wort than using amber extract alone.  Not mentioned in part 1 but praised quite a bit by us here at Brew-Dudes, we always recommend the lightest extract you can get.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask your local shop folks how long any product has been on the shelf.  Don’t just go to the store and grab a 6oz bag of any old thing.  It’s tough to tell from sight how fresh a little bag of black patent is, so you have to ask.  It’s like purchasing beef at the market with a blindfold on, only to get it home and see that it’s all gray and nasty.  With brewing ingredients, you may not realize freshness issues until the beer is brewed.  You can taste a few kernels on any malt and they should have a clear crunch in your teeth.  If not, they are likely a little stale and you should find another source.

Ingredients are expensive and so is your time.  If you want to make beer that you can drink and pass out on, then I encourage you to go get the discounted extract cans at your LHBS.  However, if you are interested in making a beer that rivals your favorite commercial beer for flavor and freshness follow those practices above!

BREW ON!

Mike and I were working on a project on Sunday and we were discussing some Brew Dudes tips.  One of those tips was about the use of Light Dry Malt Extract.

We feel a best practice for extract brewers is to use the lightest malt extract available.  For color and flavor, steeping grains should be used.

For an extract brewer to transition recipes to an all grain procedure, it’s probably best to have your “base extract malt” to be light to better match the base malts like American 2 row or Pilsner.  A darker malt extract would harder to replicate since it is based on a secret recipe.

We feel steeping grains give the brewer more control over flavor and color too.

Now, I am not sure where we stand on the dry vs. liquid debate.   I like dry because it is easier to measure and I have had good results in making light colored worts.  

What do you think?

Related Posts:

Home Brewing Ingredients 

What is Lawnmower Beer?
Well it’s not really a recognized style of beer, but more a moniker for the type of beers that are light, crisp and have a mild flavor. There are many different styles that already fit the bill. However many people associate a simple malt bill with some adjunct sugars to dry out the finished product.

Now you might be thinking about the big nationally recognized brewers, but it is possible to brew something just as satisfying at home. More importantly, as an ale!!!

The approach I like to take with lawnmower beers is to keep the flavors clean and simple. Using a good neutral ale yeast makes for and easy ferment, and a quicker turnaround time than if you tried to brew up a lager. I like using American Ale yeast for this. I especially like to use a repitched slurry of fermentis US-05 from a previous beer. Even though this is a dry yeast, it seems to perform unbelievably well on a second pitch. If you can’t plan a brew session when you have this yeast ready, then either make a starter with some White Labs WLP001, or go ahead and pitch two packages of the US-05 (after proper rehydration of course).

Here is another quick and easy light summer beer recipe to continue our trend as summer rounds the bend. Enjoy!

LAWNMOWER BEER

5 Gallon Batch
OG 1045-1050

6.6 lbs light malt extract (2 cans)
1 lb Rice Syrup Solids
1 oz Styrian Goldings (5%AA)- 60 minute boil
American Ale Yeast of choice (I prefer US-05)

Focus on keeping your fermentation under 70F and above 65F. Break out the old “swamp cooler” and that should help you manage your temps.

These summer beer recipes are short and sweet. I’d rather spend my time enjoying good beer on a hot summer day, than brewing it.