[Clint Yeastwood]

I am back in the brewing game after about 16 years off, and I got myself a used Braumeister because I am lazy. I just made an ale, and I like the Braumeister just fine. Problem: I have read that in order to make heavy beers, I will have to resort to adding extract because the Braumeister's grain capacity is limited. I have the 20-liter machine.

I have never made an extract beer. The obvious question is this: will adding extract to all-grain wort diminish the quality of the beer?

As I recall, Denny Conn was the big-beer expert back in the old days.

[dmtaylor]

Have no fear.  You can supplement any recipe with pale DME as needed and turn out a great product.

I would avoid LME however, it stales much too quickly.

[Clint Yeastwood]

I have read that some people think extracts get a bad rap because kits that include hops in the mix aren't so great.

[denny]

I have read that some people think extracts get a bad rap because kits that include hops in the mix aren't so great.

I don't think it was necessarily the hops in the extract. More likely stale LME, as Dave said. Hopped LME isn't all that common any more. But DME is a very viable ingredient, especially for bumping up a high OG AG beer. My experience is that it won't diminish quality. Likely you'll never know it's there.

[hopfenundmalz]

It is no secret that many Breweries will use DME on big beers that exceed their mash tun capacity.

[Clint Yeastwood]

Thanks, everyone.

Nice to get a response from you, Denny. You gave me a lot of advice long ago, when I was using another handle on rec.crafts.brewing. I wonder if any of those guys are still kicking.

I had a transforming experience with Rasputin Imperial Stout over the last few days, so I may be asking more questions about big beers. Maybe I'm headed for your side of the fence.

[denny]

Thanks, everyone.

Nice to get a response from you, Denny. You gave me a lot of advice long ago, when I was using another handle on rec.crafts.brewing. I wonder if any of those guys are still kicking.

I had a transforming experience with Rasputin Imperial Stout over the last few days, so I may be asking more questions about big beers. Maybe I'm headed for your side of the fence.

I seem to really develop a taste for OR in the winter when it's cold and rainy. Probably drink more of it than I should!

[Steve Ruch]

I am back in the brewing game after about 16 years off, and I got myself a used Braumeister because I am lazy. I just made an ale, and I like the Braumeister just fine. Problem: I have read that in order to make heavy beers, I will have to resort to adding extract because the Braumeister's grain capacity is limited. I have the 20-liter machine.

As I recall, Denny Conn was the big-beer expert back in the old days.

You could make a smaller volume batch.
Denny still is the man.

[denny]

I am back in the brewing game after about 16 years off, and I got myself a used Braumeister because I am lazy. I just made an ale, and I like the Braumeister just fine. Problem: I have read that in order to make heavy beers, I will have to resort to adding extract because the Braumeister's grain capacity is limited. I have the 20-liter machine.

As I recall, Denny Conn was the big-beer expert back in the old days.

You could make a smaller volume batch.
Denny still is the man.

Thanks, Steve. I think you meant to say "old man"

[Steve Ruch]

I am back in the brewing game after about 16 years off, and I got myself a used Braumeister because I am lazy. I just made an ale, and I like the Braumeister just fine. Problem: I have read that in order to make heavy beers, I will have to resort to adding extract because the Braumeister's grain capacity is limited. I have the 20-liter machine.

As I recall, Denny Conn was the big-beer expert back in the old days.

You could make a smaller volume batch.
Denny still is the man.

Thanks, Steve. I think you meant to say "old man"

Not to someone younger than me kid. 😉

[Clint Yeastwood]

I seem to really develop a taste for OR in the winter when it's cold and rainy. Probably drink more of it than I should!

Now I have to ask what OR is.

[rburrelli]

Old Rasputin

[denny]

Old Rasputin

Yep. Sorry.

[BrewBama]

Didn’t Jim do reiterated mash technique to brew high test to overcome his MLT capacity here?

Chris Colby wrote about the technique in BYO but did a visual tutorial on grainfather.

[denny]

Didn’t Jim do reiterated mash technique to brew high test to overcome his MLT capacity here?

Chris Colby wrote about the technique in BYO but did a visual tutorial on grainfather.

You can do that.  I find adding extract much easier and produces nearly identical results. But my experience with double mashing is limited to about 3 trials.  I guess because I found it to be a PITA!