People who read on the production of home-made beer may get tipsy over terms, definitions and distinctions between all grain brewing, extract brewing and fermenting beer at home. The fact is that there really is no distinction between the three.
All grain brewing produces the extracts used in extract brewing, and fermenting beer at home picks up the process from after the extract has been mixed with more water and is ready to be fermented.
All grain brewing is how it all starts
In practical terms, both extract brewing and home fermentation are among the last stages in the over-all process of beer-making. The important preliminary stage wherein the beer wort is formed is what all grain brewing is all about. A person who understands how all grain brewing is done can, from start to finish, make beer that is 100% his own creation.
All grain brewing includes everything you need to do to prepare the beer mixture for fermentation.
- It starts with selecting the specific types of grain and establishing their proportions (if your are using multiple grain types).
- The grains are then simmered in hot water. This allows the protein and sugar in the grains to form. The procedures are called protein rest and sacchrification rest respectively.
- Next, the mixture is sparged or filtered. This is the process which extracts the proteins and the sugar (which were formed in the previous stage) with hot water, while leaving the dregs of grain behind. Sparging produces the beer wort (pronounced wert) or extract.
- The last step is where the hops and the yeast are added to the wort while it is boiling.
The obvious advantage of all grain brewing
Because with all grain brewing, you yourself can select the grains you want to brew and, furthermore, can specify the proportions of grain to use, you can determine what type of beer is produced. In contrast, extract brewing picks up the process after the beer wort has been made. Obviously, you are limited to the kinds of extracts that are available in brewing supplies stores.
Additionally, since you did not really see how pre-made extracts were made, you have no definite way of telling whether what you got is what you paid for. Some people report that, with some brands, they get the same flavor with pre-made extracts even if the packaging claims different flavors. Whoever said that ‘If you want something done correctly, do it yourself!’ is proven right once more.
Implements for all grain brewing
A complete setup for all grain brewing will include propane or methane gas burner, a brewing pot and a shallow metal ladle. For sparging your beer mix, you have two options; you can extract the beer wort using a sparging bag alone, or you may get a sparging container which is fitted with a fine sieve midway to the bottom to filter out the wort. The container should also have a spout to which a hose or tube may be attached firmly. The hose/tube should have something to adjust the flow of the liquid through it. This will enable you to regulate, and further filter, the amount of wort flowing out into the other container.
Easy to follow detailed guides
You should now be able to follow and understand most of the tutorials for all grain brews that can be found on the net.