What’s the Difference?

[barleypopmaker]

I know the difference between hopped and un-hopped extract. But is there a real difference between John Bull, Alexander’s, and other brand name liquid extracts? If so what makes them different? Is the difference really noticeable, or do you have to have a pretty attuned sense of taste to notice. This is just something I have been wondering about for a while.

[21st-Amendment]

I'd like to hear an answer to this myself also, my first homebrew came kit came with Munton's and ive been using them every since, kinda like a "if its not broke, don't fix it" deal.

[mikfaria]

I second that. I've been using Muntoneand have gotten many compliments along wiht my satisfaction. I did ust Coopers Bitter once and it was nice, but not a bitter. I had to dry hop it.

All that said.....care and finding your taste is what makes a beer yours

[Trogger]

From what I’ve read in books, etc, most manufacturers of extracts, liquid or dry, are relatively secretive about which grain combination they use to make the wort from which the extract comes from. The difference, IMO, it going to personal preference, and experience, which I have little of. For preference, I read that Coopers light DME is always made from 100% malted barley, so basically like using a base grain. I prefer to use that, or an equivalent liquid light extract. I consider that my base grain, then I attempt to make the recipe, and subsequent beer style I’m going for all out of steeped specialty grains and/or a small (4 pounds or less due to my current capacity) partial mash. One other factor I consider on occasion is the beer type I’m trying to make and where the extract is made. Coopers is made in Australia, but I find it a satisfactory base for most things. Moutons is made in England, so maybe a good choice for British/Irish styles? That is all just preference and guess, really. I don’t know if it makes any noticeable different. Lastly, I consider price. I don’t usually go balls-out on the extract. I save the budget for the specialty grain, which adds the bulk of the grain flavor, I think. Here again, I find Coopers relatively cost effective.

Just thoughts. A more experienced brewer may have better ones.

[barleypopmaker]

So it sounds like basiclly they are pretty much the same for the most part. I use Munton's also in all the recipes I have done myself, and gone pretty much by what was written if I try a recipe I find here, or in a book. It is just that Munton's is slightly cheaper at the brew store here so I mainly wanted to know if it will make a big difference if I sub Munton's Light for say John Bull Light and so on. Thanks for the input so far.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by barleypopmaker
So it sounds like basiclly they are pretty much the same for the most part. I use Munton's also in all the recipes I have done myself, and gone pretty much by what was written if I try a recipe I find here, or in a book. It is just that Munton's is slightly cheaper at the brew store here so I mainly wanted to know if it will make a big difference if I sub Munton's Light for say John Bull Light and so on. Thanks for the input so far.

They can be quite different. The difference can be one uses pale malt vs. pils malt vs. 2 row vs 6 row in conjunction with 20 L crystal or 60 L or munich or ....... Potentially you have a pretty big difference there. Also for sure, there is a difference in the fermentability of different brands - see Ray Daniels "Designing Great Beers" for a discussion of this. Also this thread.

http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1399

[HogieWan]

My LHBS only has Munton's. I've been getting horrible chill haze. Does anyone else have this problem?

[fatboy570]

My first kit beer was Muntons Bock. It was a syrup kit, and made good beer. I have used several syrup kits since, and lately have progressed to making my own recipes or variations of existing ones. Mainly I now use dry malt extract, and have noticed an improvement and quality and flavor over the syrup kits. As for kits, I never used the same kit or beer style twice in a row. Fast Eddy is right though, each comany will use its own ingredients and recipes for their product

[fuji6100]

I agree with Fast Eddy, each brand has its own characteristics and fermentability (some brands are known for their low fermentability, leading to fuller bodied beers, while others are known for more, ect...)