Should i make malt syrup or grain beer?

Question

I have looked at a few sites w/ recipes and grain seems be fun but involved. I also hear that syrup beers are not so good.

Answer 1

You can make syrup beers that are quite good. I started with them, but I've been moving towards using syrup and some adjunct grains. I'd like to make some all grain batches soon for the exact reason that they are more involved and seem  more fun -- if you think you're up for the challenge, go for it! If you'd like to start with malt extract syrups, don't feel like you'll be making an inferior product.

Answer 2

Start with the malt extract for your beer. That is what I doing. I have brewerd with friends before and on July 4 I will brew my first solo beer.

Answer 3

As an all grain homebrewer I am whole heartedly against any people that nay-say malt extracts whether they be liquid (syrup) or dry.  Malt extracts have come a LONG way even in the short time I've been brewing (almost 3 years w00t).  If you want to brew with extracts I say go right ahead, it's totally within the realm of possibility to make great beer without grain (most extract beers actually steep small quantities of grain but I digress...).

The biggest advantage, and the only one really coming to mind at the moment to grain is variety and control.  As of right now there are far more malt varieties and it's easy to mix and match them since it's dry weight.  You also have a bit of yield control in the way of how fine you crush your grain but that's going a bit over your head at the moment.  All grain brewing vs. extract is like being the kid in art class with the biggest box of crayons vs. the kids with the smaller boxes; all of you could very well draw great things but the kid with the bigger box of crayons is going to be able to convey his vision more truly.

Answer 4

For your first couple of brews make extract. You will build a good foundation of the brewing process. What the extract is is a concentrated sugar syrup meaning most of the water has been removed from the wort solution.

The real decision I see is between cost and time.

Since the mashing has been completed for you your brew time is decreased. You also do not need equipment that is necessary in the grain brewing recipes. Extract brewing has its limitations in flavor, and color control. You should be able to control the alcohol (ABV/ABW) and body of the beer by controlling the density (specific gravity or (S. G.)of your boil/extract mixture, fairly well.

In the grain brewing you will need to plan to spend 2-4 hours longer on your brew day for the mash/sparge procedures. You will also need equipment (mash tun, sparge arm, liquor tank) to mash your grains. However, the payback in the time and monetary expense to grain brew is great. You can have the pride of designing a great beer recipe-like a beer chef. Also you will learn what and how to manipulate the grains in the mash for your purposes. You have grater control on S.G., alcohol, flavors, color, indeed the final beer in in your hands.

Extract first then progress.

Enjoy it...

Answer 5

Nothing to add but my opinion.

Extract for now.

Answer 6

Did you learn to drive by entering a NASCAR event? Start out by brewing an all-extract beer. Once you feel comfortable with that, progress to extract plus specialty grains and then to all-grain. Eventually, you will find a technique that you like. Stick with that, at least for the most part.

Answer 7

I would go with grain. You actually make the beer. It is more complicated, and more involved. The malt syrup is not so good, and it makes the beer much harder to carbonate so you wind up with a flat sweet beer. YUCK!! Or try both and see which you like better. But in my opinion, even though the grain is harder to deal with, it is worth it.