Exract taste vs. all grain

I have moved my brewing mostly into the all-grain approach vs. extract. When comparing the taste profile of the extracts to the all grain batches, I have noted that for the extracts, I always end up with a "molasses" kind of flavor and aftertaste, where in the all-grain I get a cleaner truer overall taste profile. Does anyone get this as well? If yes, why? Thanks for your help.

Instant coffee will always be inferior to freshly ground and brewed beans.

I don't agree with Maine home Brewer. Excellent award winning beers can be made with extract.  I've coached a few new Brewers through extract brewing.  They have all made excellent beers before mo ubg to allgrain . Two secrets:

Always use fresh liquid extract. If you can't get fresh liquid extract use dme.

Never use amber or dark extracts. Always use the lightest color extract you can get. Get dark color, roast and caramel flavors from steeped grains (crystal, chocolate, black patent, etc). 

As always fermentation temperature is key.

In my experience the poor flavors come from old or canned (or old canned) lme. Fresh bulklme from a lhbs that sells a lot can make ggreat beer.

It's a matter of perception. Some people either don't taste or don't mind the subtle tang that extracts leave behind. I can taste it every time. I'm not saying that all extract brews are terrible. Using steeped grains and good hops a good beer can be made using extracts. I just can't get past that mineral-like aftertaste.

I agree from random taster to taster... However, when people win gold medals at major competitions using extract, I can't agree that it is a fundamental flaw of ALL extract. I agree that poor quality extract will make a poor quality beer that has that twang. I brewed extract for 4 years before switching. I mostlyused ccanned amber extract because Iddidn'tkknow better.

My lhbs goes through a 50 gallon drum of pale extract every day or two.  There were 40 people in there yesterday. So, it is extremely fresh.  Freshness plays a key role.

Also note that moonlight brewery brews entirely with extract on a professional scale. 

Extract Brewers as a general rule are newer and more likely to have less evolved fermentation and sanitation practices.  I think that contributes to the flavor rep that extract gets.  The last guy I taught bought a fridge and a temperature controllerfor his very first beer.  Other than a couple recipe issues (he didn't use the recipe I recommended from bcs), the beer was quite good... No twang, that's for sure.

tom_hampton said:

My lhbs goes through a 50 gallon drum of pale extract every day or two.  There were 40 people in there yesterday. So, it is extremely fresh.  Freshness plays a key role.

Click to expand...

My experience in tasting at competitions as well as homebrew clubs is that freshness can make the difference in having that extract tang.  This is especially true in lagers and lighter beers like a mild or blonde ale.

I agree that technique is key in avoiding that classic extract twang all too often associated with extract brews. Granted going all grain or even partial mash does give your brew greater malt complexity you just can't quite get with extract alone.

Experience plays a big part in the quality of your brew. Many all grain brewers started with extract kits and moved to all grain from there, bringing with them the experience of having endured a batch or two with that twang - myself included - before they improved their technique.

My first two brews were extract kits and not having had the experience to know fermentation temperatures were so critical; they both had that classic twang., and I know in both cases the ingredients were fresh.

Not too long after those first two batches (and one chest freezer and Johnson controller later) I had 6 or 7 more batches with no such twang, and they were made from extract and steeped grains or partial mashes, one of which was a pale ale that took gold at a regional competition.

Most of what you will taste in your brew is a culmination of quality ingredients and the effort you put into brewing it, and with some practice you will gain experience and your brews will just keep getting better and better, no matter what the brewing method.

I can brew all grain, but most of the time I brew with LME because it's more convenient and the results are tasty.

LME having an inferior taste is a myth that might have been true many years ago.  I've only used LME from Morebeer.  Maybe the can of Breiss at the lhbs isn't as good.  I don't know since I've never tried it.

Stone brews with extract and plenty of people seem to think they make good beer.