First time posting here, but looking for pointers to good extract beer recipes. My friend and I have been all-grain brewing for a couple of years, but I recently became a father for the first time, which cuts down my spare time significantly! I’m finding that I just don’t have the time for all-grain brewing any more, so I was wondering if folks had good recommendations for extract based recipes, which might work better in my new time-poor lifestyle? :)
My friend and I have been pretty varied in our previous brews, from spiced stouts to wheat beers to mild ales, so if it’s good, we’ll probably like it!
Thanks in advance!
Congratulations on becoming a father! I was only doing extract brewing when I became a father. It’s been a few years since I actually did any brewing, but I’ve been itching to get back into it.
“…but I’ve been itching to get back into it.”
No time like the present! :)
Wow are you me? I’ve been considering selling my equipment the last few months for this exact same reason. An 8 hour brew day isn’t in the cards for me anymore with a 2 year old. I hadn’t thought of swapping back to extracts. This would shave a few hours off the brew for sure. I made about 20 different recipes using extracts several years ago and noticed that the best ones tended to be lighter. I don’t have any recipes since extract brewing is rather straightforward but after being spoiled with all grain for years I’d suggest sticking with ambers, cream ales, or similar. Always add a bit more hops than you would with all grain since extracts in large quantities can add a tininess that you want to control for. Thanks for the idea too!
If you have the money, consider an all-in-one system like Grainfather. Brew days can be 4-5 hours without rushing and most of the day can be handled via a programmable controller.
Interestingly, I used to do extract brewing, then switched to BIAB, and now an all in one. I don’t think BIAB really increased my brewing and cleaning time much.
With my All in One, I think I’m right back to my extract days in terms of time spent because I ferment right in the AI1. Very little cleanup. (Or at least the cleanup is spread out a lot more.)
I totally get that an AI1 system would be faster and easier, but for me it just defeats the fun of the hobby! I like the random variation because my temperatures are a bit off, or I forgot to add the hops at the right time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always trying to get it ‘right’ but I like the manual bits. I also do a lot of woodwork by hand for the same reasons, so I think it’s very much a personal preference thing.
