SEPTEMBER 23, 2000: Charlotte, NC-- Are you still at the extract or partial-mash stage of brewing? Well, there's no shame in it! Very good (even exceptional) beers can be made by using extracts, and some simple tips. Of course, never assume that extract or partial-mashing is easier when it comes to the homebrewing basics of cleanliness, fermentation temperatures, and the use of yeasts. Beginner extract brewers through the experienced all-grainers need to follow the rules of the road!

But getting back to extracts and partial-mash processes. You're in good company! Many well respected brewpubs throughout the country use partial-mash processes for their beers as have many award winning homebrewers.

If you are new to the hobby of homebrewing, you should master the techniques of extract brewing before venturing into the all-grain arena. So where to start? A complete novice should most likely start with a well known commercial extract kit (such as Mountmellick, John Bull, or Alexanders ). The instructions on these cans vary and are sometimes a bit over simplified, however they do teach the basic principles of brewing and make pretty good beer. Speaking from experience, your first beer, no matter how bad, is going to be great! -- however, you may be drinking it on your own...

How to improve on the basics

Okay, you've done a batch or two using only the can kits, following the instructions that come with them. What's next? Well, the simplest would be to steep some specialty grains to get more complex flavors and colors. Check your favorite homebrew recipe book to get some ideas, but by starting with a good quality pale (or light) dry malt extract (DME) and then adding anywhere from a 1/4 pound to 1 pound of specialty grains, you're on the right track. Crack your grains, place in a grain bag (a.k.a. muslin bag), and then place in your brew kettle along with the DME or commercial canned syrup. Try to maintain the wort hot but not quite a boil (about 155 deg). Keep it there for about 30 minutes to get the grain goodness out... After this time, simply toss the grains (or recycle as bird feed, bread, etc. - use your imagination)

The beauty of this process is that it doesn't add significantly to the amount of brewing time, but helps significantly in the flavor department.

How to improve beyond the basics

The key is the yeast! It's critical to making good (or great) beer, so don't skimp on this step. Many of these canned kits come with a yeast packet under the lid. My advice is to toss it and upgrade! Today's homebrewers have an incredible selection of yeast strains available to them from some great labs such as White Labs and Wyeast.

Liquid or Dry? Good question... the easy answer is: If you are a beginner, stick with the dry. Rehydrate your dry yeast in a half cup of warm water. Let it sit covered with aluminum foil for about ten minutes before pitching into your cold wort.

Liquid yeasts may require a few more steps and a bit more preplanning, but don't worry, it's still quite easy. If you've selected a Wyeast smack pack strain, you should seriously consider making a starter. Smack the pack?!? Wait a minute -- let's back up! When you smack the pack of Wyeast, what you are doing is breaking a small chamber in the pack that contains a variety of yeast nutrients. By breaking this chamber, the dormant yeast "wakes up" and starts eating (and multiplying). You'll see the pack swell after a couple of days.

Okay, I've smacked it, now what? Well, you could pitch this into your wort, but you'd be much better off by creating a starter first. A starter is simply a tiny batch of beer (a pint to a quart) for your yeast to use as additional nutrients to produce a high yeast cell count. The higher the yeast cell count, the faster your wort will start working, hence reducing lagged fermentations, or the possibility of infections.

Way to much work and preparation you say? There is an alternative: pitchable liquid yeasts. These variations already have the cell count recommended for five gallon batches (if you're doing a ten gallon batch, you should create a starter). All you need to do is let it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours and then pitch into your wort! to learn more about this, check out a recent article on the subject: The White Labs Liquid Yeast Alternative!

Well, there you have it! These simple tips will improve your brew by leaps and bounds! And for those of you that are a bit on the adventurous side, you're not too far off from all-grain, but we'll leave that discussion for another day...