Brew Extract Beer That Tastes Like All Grain

[@Unsub-Me-Now]

I've always said DME is the superior extract. Thank you for settling this on your channel.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

LOL, so far DME 1 v 0 LME :)

[@DrDepperLP]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge now there has to be a DME vs LME vs all grain

[@wonyankeesays5661]

U never used IREKS liquid extract,,but I don't know if it's still sold or is as good as it was

[@AM2PMReviews]

can we just take a movement to talk about how he was filming behind a plexiglass and writing backyards perfectly?

[@HOMEBREW4LIFE]

solid experiment!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thanks.

[@normlang1994]

Thanks for having me back Martin, outstanding beers and a fun test. Can't wait to see what you do next! And I'm really enjoying the growlers! 🍻

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Can you still tell which beer is which in the growlers? 😀

[@normlang1994]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge Definitely. I drank about 2/3rds of the grain and about half the extract before losing the carbonation.

[@nickrussell8453]

The best part of this is the taste test. Both of you blokes are having such a great time. Always great to watch but really enjoyed this one mate.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thanks!

[@dschneid11]

I agree with what others have said. I only use DME, never LME, and my mash adjustments are usually lactic acid and maybe a 1/4 tsp of CaCl2 and/or CaSO4 depending on the style I'm brewing. I brew partial mash with just enough base malt to allow conversion in the mash, but most of my gravity points come from DME which I add at flameout and allow to sit for 15 minutes before cooling. I never boil my DME and have had no issues as far as off flavors, darker color, or clarity issues.

[@rogerschulz8721]

Thank you for revisiting this.

[@Tricky_Adventures]

Good one today. I've always felt my prior extract with steeping grains or mini-mash were pretty on par with my later all grains.

[@superslyko123]

I brewed 3 different extracts before I ever had an all grain. I've been brewing all grain for 15 years now. BIAB & plastic bucket fermenters. I did splurge for a 4 tap DIY Keezer. German Helles is my favorite style. 👍👍👍

[@scottsteenburg]

Fantastic video. I was a bit surprised that you added salts to the extract version because the maltster has presumably done so when making the DME. I dunno. But the results speak for themselves. This makes me want to do an extract batch. Thank you!

[@DarkArtGuitars]

Unless the kit is specifically for destilled/ro water, the maltster can't really adjust for water salts, since they will be different for everyone.

[@HopsANDgnarly]

The whiteboard!! Cool to see this made it over from your other work!

[@tobibatiste7859]

Where do I recognize him from?

[@azerbouf]

DME is good and you get the right color and flavour (almost), but keep in mind that it's twice expensive than all grain. If you are an experienced brewer, all grain is the best way to go, but if you are brewing like once a month, DME could be an awesome alternative. Btw, I am always adding DME for my DIPA's to get high ABV =)

[@TroubleBrewing]

The light board is really cool! Also great working making them so similar, can tell alot of thought went into it! Cheers!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thanks!

[@Casperr123]

Very interesting test, thx Martin, great. I also like your new gadget board :)

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thanks!

[@CascadesHomebrew]

Well done! More and more I am convinced that with quality DME, one can make very good beers. A while back I did some 1 gallon SMaSH beers to evaluate base grains, and I added in one with Briess Pils DME. Versus Weyermann Bohemian Pils the DME was just a touch darker and sweeter, and lacked the subtle bread crust notes of the Weyermann Pils. In your batch, I suspect the Carapils added back a touch of grain character and the lower OG of the extract batch might have worked in your favor to lighten up the body.

[@jamesmoretti4847]

One style I'd LOVE to see you try Martin (maybe using your new board!) Is the fairly new style if a white stout!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Interesting….

[@fabriziodifazio8439]

Wow I'm so glad you gave this one another shot. And both beers looked delicious! This was definitely a more like-for-like comparison, as your extract recipe was a better conversion of the all grain. Also you were more mindful about not scorching the extract. It all made a huge difference. Cheers! P.S. - Your light board is awesome :)

[@Fyrwulf]

I suspect the quality of the malts has a lot to do with the quality of the malt extract. I think the holy grail of beer kits is someone coming along with single source malt extract from a craft maltster, Incognito and/or Spectrum in a reasonable container size, and the appropriate adjustment salts.

[@chuanj8964]

谢谢这期视频。我是一个正在准备精酿的新手，设备原因，准备使用extract brew，但又担心口味上和all grain有大的区别。您的这期对比视频，刚好回答了我的这个疑惑。

[@dannyarcher6163]

Does extract not come with the salt profile from the water used to 'extract' the sugars in the first place?

[@theindustriousant8280]

Love the light board addition Visual reference for recipes and procedures is a plus

[@RussInGA]

Anytime I brew extract I use Pilsen DME as the base malt then steep perhaps dark/caramel etc malts. no carapils needed with pilsen DME as it has all that sort of character already. Also always dissolve the DME in the full water at around 160F to avoid boil over when adding and mix well... chunks of dme will caramelize a bit

[@Duci1989]

Hey cool, thanks for readdressing this!

[@user-kx3jw9oj6f]

Well done ! extract brewing gets a bad rap when comparing apples to oranges but when water and malt are treated the same the score evens up quite a bit.

[@MrPAWorthington]

I like the live-writing. Great video!

[@suziederkins3310]

So this will make a great ‘step’ between extract beer, and all grain (BIAB) ive been looking for. I’ve been added specialty malts and additional hops to my canned extracts for a while, but the investment into all grain was more than my wife could tolerate. This could be the ideal compromise. Thanks for another wonderful vlog Martin, also Saints looking nicely in the middle of the table this year! ⚽️

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thanks. And yeah not awful for the Saints so far.

[@TheBruSho]

Interesting results! I think all grain just has that touch of complexity that makes it stand out. Maybe that’s what you were getting?

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

With the previous experiment that certainly was the case. With this one, although the beers were marginally distinguishable there's wasn't really a difference in complexity. I'm quite sure the beer style helped

[@cogeek797]

Looks to me at the tasting that the extract is a bit more clearer. Blows my mind since I have never had clear extract brews plus you didn't have a vigorous boil with the extract. I always thought the boil contributed more to clarity. Good job on using the same style glasses this round, that drove me nuts last time 🤣. Think this is definitely going to get me to try my porter or brown ale again with extract AND all grain. The two beers everyone loved when I first started out. Have switched the recipes to all grain but never have tried them side by side

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Yeah the extract was one of the brightest beers I’ve poured in a while. Surprised me too.

[@kratomseeker5258]

and thats why i choose to be lazy and make extract beers.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

LOL I've brewed a bunch of extract beers in the past that I really enjoy.

[@dexterne]

The biggest advantages of all grain IMHO are Cost is significantly cheaper (about half). More choices in grain bill (ever seen DME Maris or Golden Promise?) More control in profile from mash technique The only downsides are time to mash (mostly passive), and a bit more cleanup (if you use a separate mash tun, pumps, etc) There should be no question that excellent beer can be made with extract, particularly simple styles. But for me, half of the fun is the process, and I love that I can make an entire keg of exactly what I want for the price of a couple six packs.

[@dexterne]

I still use DME for starters, baking bread and occasionally, reluctantly for adjusting OG if I miss my target. Though I usually just say "its a session beer now!" if I'm a bit low.

[@user-gv9my3jy4b]

I just replicate with my own little experimental twists the DME brewing I learned from craft-a-brew kits.. any more work would kill it, its just enough work to make it fun and gratifying. 1 gallon at a time, I still buy their DME and I buy my own steeping grains about 5lbs at a time and hops.. perfect imo.

[@jeffrenz6624]

For me, I am overly sensitive to high temperature processed flavors. This includes both spray dried dme as well as uht lme. It hits me as a very unpleasant almost sweetness that I can't get past. Good job on getting them close!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thanks. Yeah, couldn't detect a sweetness from the extract in this case.

[@timwood8733]

great video with excellent comparison & example of how to -well done

[@konanoobiemaster]

"The second one was an Eggs-Stracked"

[@Wind_Ninja_Jubei]

My view of extract is the coopers can or the like and suger. That is not as good as all grain. However doing a boil with try or liquid malts i have not done. But I will stick to all grain I think.

[@JKBTLB]

Really well done. I was critical of your first extract vs. all-grain video and made a comment ... so it's only fair that I make a comment here and give you props for a job well done. Cool light board, too. And yeah, I always preferred DME to LME.

[@JesterStuttle]

What was easier to make? It looked like the extract had more labor than the all-grain.

[@roomwithabrewbrew1371]

Really interesting, I await round three when you get both beers to the same OG and near same FG. There is quite a difference between 1042 and 1050, maybe just a really weak boil on the all grain system to get the volumes the same and the same length boil. I love that lightboard with the black outfit and no sound you have a slight Marcel Marceau look!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Yep, would like to get the gravity closer for the next one.

[@samuelrybiak4564]

Love the new tech!

[@fifis101]

It'd be interesting to see if the gravities were the same whether they would be even closer. Great experiment!

[@shacowboy]

Keep it up love the content. A challenge in new ways. Gotta love it!

[@chrisb5839]

Surely the extract brew shouldn't have any grain added for a true all-grain vs extract test? 🤔

[@irrlicht6997]

That's a very interesting test and video! I wouldn't have thought they would be THAT similar, whenever I make extract beer with DME I always think it have a certain aroma and flavour.... but it was quite some time I did it now and perhaps do it again, in the name of science :) One thing though, I thought extract beer was best using no water treatment, just pure R/O water? I've been told as the mash already been done for these they already included the necessary salts.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

I agree, and didn't adjust water in my previous comparison but several folks said they do so gave it a try.

[@ChristiaanKZ]

Lijghtboard efforts from the IBM videos are getting pretty damn cool!

[@JP..]

Thoroughly enjoyed the video (as always). Thanks Martin. Looks like you guys enjoyed the tasting and outcomes too which is great to see. It would be interesting to discover if extract comes that close to AG with a darker malty beer like a English Bitter.

[@williamhouse5081]

DME makes a far superior beer to LME, Extract's also contain most of the minerals necessary so distilled water works best I do add a little gypsum for hoppier beers. I have made many beers with LME and none of them were very good, I've tried all of the different techniques and always had the same results. DME makes excellent beer, AG still has the edge but DME is a close 2nd.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

I'm all aboard the DME train. Would like to try a hoppier beer with that gypsum addition.

[@AcidUK]

As a new dad I've found it very hard to find time for brewing so I watched this experiement very carefully. Thank you for taking it so seriously, and also for your enthusiastic attitude towards a 'simpler' method. I was really interested by your results! I have sometimes heard that extract brewing can lead to 'thinner' beers with poorer mouthfeel. Was that at all noticable for you?

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

No thinner mouthfeel with this one. I'm all for saving time - my all-grain brews often feature 45 min mash and 30 min boils.

[@Tricky_Adventures]

I found they can be thinner/flatter if you are only using extract without any steeping grains. Most kits used steeping grains. You can also do mini-mash kits or make your own mini-mash recipes up as an in between extract and all grain. You use BIAB (Brew In a Bag) method in your "normal" 5 gal extract brew kettle and mash your grains (1/2 the grain bill) like a normal all grain and then add your DME/LME (2nd half of the grain bill) to your kettle then for the 60 min boil. A small amount of extra work, but you get almost all the all-grain advantages without having to upgrade any of your equipment to larger more expensive brew kettles, etc. I did mini-mash for a long time before getting my all grain setup.

[@Sol-vk7xr]

I am in the same boat as you are. I'm doing extract mostly now and I'm making really nice beers. The guy that taught me how to do all grain brewing told me one of my extract beers was the best homebrew he ever tasted. He didn't know it was extract and was blown away when I told him. If I had all the time in the world, I would do only all grain, but I don't and I still really enjoy the hobby and make good beers.

[@Tomtiburon]

Great video! Greetz from germany!

[@TheMortgageBrewer]

great video again!

[@piazzonim]

Perfect episode. It really shows off the Clawhammer "basic" system with extract versus its big-brother (bells and whistles) with the all grain. This helps someone just starting out, and not worrying about DME and steeping grains. Of course, now's the time to ferment at 50°F (if you don't have temperature control.) One question - what was the final gravity / ABV for both?

[@thebackyardbrewer5611]

For isomerisation of the hops with DME it seems there's no way round the fact that you need to simulate a 60 Min boil, or could you do a 15 minute boil with more hops for the same IBU and not affect the flavour? I thinking this because if it takes the same amount of time whether DME or all grain then it makes no sense to use DME as its more expensive and your not saving time so all grain would win overall

[@TheLolstyle]

You could also just use hop extract for the bitterness, and use some aroma hops in a short whirlpool kinda thing.

[@Dievas99]

Great test, great video and another vote for DME!

[@Al-Brewster]

I see you've adopted the presenting format from your IBM Cloud videos...nice

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Yes, they kindly let me use the studio to shoot this.

[@Al-Brewster]

That was very kind of them. Well done on revisiting this experiment. Great content as always.

[@rafaelpestano7436]

Can we have a NEIPA extract going directly to the whirlpool vs an all grain? The "white"board was amazing! Cheers!

[@JoeGraves24]

Excellent content as usual! I would echo the sentiments of other commenters here: line up AG, LME, and DME for a shootout. Maybe brew on three separate days on the the same system?

[@magnetomage]

This looks like a quantum leap from the first try.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Haha yeah.... so much better.

[@tylerwaite7201]

Can you do a video on how you are harvesting yeast after 100+ batches??

[@familycraftandroastery3578]

Hello, I'm Saingleng, from Cambodia! I wonder, the weather here about 30-35 °C inside room! So I would like to ask you, can yeast beer produce methanol in my homebrew? How we know, methanol appear in our homebrew?

[@TheEllegaard]

Hey champ. I'm sry, but that Red Flanders you had cooking. Did I miss your video about it, or is it still in the making? Cheers From Denmark:)

[@glutenfreebrewing]

Awesome stuff loved this one

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thanks!

[@Kaesekuchen002]

I think the light board is a great addition. Great video as always.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thanks!

[@pbshooter100]

Just seeing this 2 month old video but had to comment anyway and yea big fail right out of the gate by adding salts to the water for the extract. The common understanding is that the extract wort has the proper water profile built in so the water used needs to be RO or distilled such that no additional minerals are added. Then again there is no way to match the water profiles of the two beers since the extract version is unknowable unless you are able to get the extract manufacture to tell you.

[@novastar2486]

Would you consider sharing your Beersmith files from you 99 Brew challenge? Or have you already shared them under a username on the Beersmith cloud?

[@Matowix]

Coopers is the twangiest extract beer

[@TheBMurph43]

Okay so my mind won’t let this one go…. So how in the flippidygibit do you write one the light board? Are you that good at writing backwards so we can see it from right to left? Or is it a camera origination/placement trick that I can’t seem to work out. Either way great video as always. Side note in about a week or so when I get back home from work I’ll be brewing a Maibock. I’m really excited for it cheers 🍻

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

No skill on my part thankfully. I just write on the glass facing me and we flip the image in post production. That why I appear to be writing with my left hand (but am right handed). Good luck with the Maibock!

[@TheBMurph43]

Summamagun! That does make sense. I have seen you writing In other videos and now I remember in this video you were writing with your left. Touché Sir.

[@dolbranch1119]

i ment to buy dme but got lme instead and now am trying to find a recipe that use 5 lbs of lme. any one out there got one

[@pdubb9754]

Wait, were the ingredients ashown at 1:53 the recipes you were comparing originally? Why did you think that a recipe with Special B would be comparable to one without?

[@DarkArtGuitars]

I have never understood the appeal of extract, sure it is a bit easier, not having to deal with as much grain, but if you still do steeping grains the difference there is minimal. What is a huge difference (at least at my homebrew store) is the price, with the extract beer coming in at over twice the total cost to the allgrain. The little equipment that is needed less for extract would be made up in just about two or three brews. So even if they taste just as good, I still don't see why so many people use extract (correct me if I missed something).

[@CascadesHomebrew]

It is just so much easier to brew a 5 gallon extract batch on a stovetop with a cheap 4 gallon kettle. Even if doing BIAB the same size all-grain batch likely requires a much lager kettle, likely a propane burner or other heat source, and an immersion chiller. Smaller batch all-grain is an option, but the 5-gallon range is pretty standard. If you just add your steeping grain to the water as it heats up and reduce your boil time, extract can be a much faster brew day.

[@DarkArtGuitars]

@@CascadesHomebrew Ok, that makes some sense. So you dilute the wort with water after boiling to be able to brew 5 gallon in a 4 gallon pot?

[@CascadesHomebrew]

​@@DarkArtGuitars Correct. A concentrated boil is one potential benefit of extract brewing. Also, when just steeping grains, I don't see why so many instructions call to hold for 30 minutes at mash temps, like it is a partial mash. But I do agree with the general premises of your initial comment. BIAB and the electric systems has made the entry level for all-grain brewing so easy, and I do believe there are a number of advantages to all-grain brewing over extract.

[@richardwilkinson77]

I don't see the advantage in using extract over all grain if you have to steep/mash for the same time and boil for the same time with both? Can someone please explain?

[@andrewpbarry]

Did you really train yourself to write backwards, or did you flip the video?

[@Matthewbraaten]

He's writing with his left hand. I have no idea if Martin is left handed, but the odds are that they flipped the video.

[@theefishlippedone]

@@Matthewbraaten He's drinking with his right

[@Matthewbraaten]

@@theefishlippedone So yeah, they flipped the screen when he was writing on the thingy. "writing' with his left, drinking with his right.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

So yes I'm right handed. I draw facing me, and everything is flipped in post. Have to be careful not to wear clothing with logos or text as it'd be backwards.

[@kodydubarry4827]

Was that mirror writing on that light board? Really cool!

[@skroz1]

Or he's right handed.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

I draw right handed with the text facing me, and it's flipped in post.

[@kodydubarry4827]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge I figured it was a fun edit trick! Very cool!

[@TheAlchemistsBrewery]

So... you topped off with water the all grain one?

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

No, although the all grain had a slightly higher FG. Was thinking I might pick up a little more sweetness in the AG as a result but that wasn't really apparent.

[@EnglishLevy]

Egg-stract beer 🤔 you were feeling brewdy! ...Broody chicken ahhh I'll stop

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Tell me you're a software engineer without telling me you're a software engineer - That Glass Whiteboard 😅 Fun experiment though! For some reason I always have a weird flavour with Extract brews. They taste great! But they often have something similar that seems to shout "This is an Extract Beer"

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

LOL. Yeah the extract "twang". Not the case this time as far as we could tell.

[@NikitaVorontsov]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge interesting! Maybe that was the DME

[@eddjordan2399]

boom

[@Thepuffingyank]

what the helle

[@Tricky_Adventures]

Made up my first yeast bank (they are in the freezer in isopropyl) today following your video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYq5oXVpfdmkbKM

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Excellent! You’ll have yeast for years.

[@MRW3455]

Great experiment, I suspect you have upset some purists and for that I doff you my cap ;)

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

LOL. Don't have a horse in this race, just interested to see the results.