I just started the transition from extract to "all-grain". Now in northeastern Ohio, have lived in the Southwest, Midwest and Germany. Since beer-making isn't about saving money or time, my quest is to make the best lager I can.
That's what I'm aiming at, too. Or more precisely: the best pilsner - or even more precisely: the best German pilsner
.
I've been brewing for 8 years now, but there are always things to learn. Actually the beers keep getting better, and as there is more to learn, I can hope the improvement will continue.
I've never brewed with extract, but I feel certain all grain has an edge. Still, mashing and boiling isn't where the key to great beer is to be found. Just don't make any big mistakes, keep pH under reasonable control and avoid unnecessary splashing. I've tried LODO-brewing, and found it didn't make any difference, but that doesn't mean HSA should be totally ignored. I've also tried decoction, and didn't detect any effect from that. (It is fun to do, though
.)
Brewing pilsner is very much about making a clean beer. And most of those flaws you want to avoid stem from fermentation problems. And fermentation problems are most often related to the way you treat your yeast. So that's where I'm concentrating my efforts.
Another puzzle I'm trying to solve, is how to coax as much flavor and aroma as possible from noble hops. Sadly I seem to be far away from the solution there.