brewing question

[BigHead]

What is the difference between all grain and extract brewing? Could it be I like Bud cause they do it one way and Coors does it the other?

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by BigHead
What is the difference between all grain and extract brewing? Could it be I like Bud cause they do it one way and Coors does it the other?

All (or almost nearly all) commercial breweries do all grain. But, personally, I'd grab Coors over Bud.

[gone_fishing]

Well,both start with grain, but extract brewing is when the manufacturer has mashed the grain and then dried,either to a powder or to a super concentrated liquid the resulting runnings from the mashing. We then buy that extract in cans, bags or whatever, add it to water, boil it with some hops, add yeast and ferment it. All grain is just that, we (meaning those home brewers who use it...not me yet) start with grain and mash it ourselves and then boil the runnings, add hops, and yeast and ferment. Both make beer, all grain is cheaper, takes more time and equipment, and some say it gives you more control over the finished product.

[mookow]

Originally posted by gone_fishing
Well,both start with grain, but extract brewing is when the manufacturer has mashed the grain and then dried,either to a powder or to a super concentrated liquid the resulting runnings from the mashing. We then buy that extract in cans, bags or whatever, add it to water, boil it with some hops, add yeast and ferment it. All grain is just that, we (meaning those home brewers who use it...not me yet) start with grain and mash it ourselves and then boil the runnings, add hops, and yeast and ferment. Both make beer, all grain is cheaper, takes more time and equipment, and some say it gives you more control over the finished product.

AG definitely gives you more control over the finished product. The malt extract has a certain mix of fermentable and unfermentables. If you are going AG, you can mash at 149°F for a highly fermentable wort, or you can mash at something like 156° for a less fermentable wort.

[corkybstewart]

There are so many specialty grains and base malts available to the all grain brewer that the extract brewer can't control. Who knows exactly what is in your amber extract? Also the process involved in turning wort to extract causes changes. For instance,it is harder to make a very pale beer with extract.

[danno]

Originally posted by BigHead
What is the difference between all grain and extract brewing? about four hours per batch, traded for a 50% cost reduction... this doesn't include education time or equipment costs...

Originally posted by BigHead
Could it be I like Bud cause they do it one way and Coors does it the other? nope...

[toneyc]

I think all grain only added about two hours to my brew day. I could whip out an extract batch in about three hours, but AG takes me about five.

Education was watching someone else (thanks, Fast_Eddy!) do a batch and then getting low efficiencies for about three or four batches while I figured out temperatures and pH.

Equipment costs was about $20 for a cooler and stainless braided hose assembly.

However... this all misses Bighead's question. The answer to his question is "No, that's not what makes Bud different from Coors" since they both use AG. What makes them different is the recipe and ingredients they use.

:)
Toney.

[corkybstewart]

And a lot of the "grain" they use is corn and/or rice.

[gestyr]

and the unique taste of Budweiser is due to the "clydesdale water bio-filtration" system. :)

[corkybstewart]

A key component of Coors is of course the special high altitude, Rocky Mountain trout urine.