All-Grain Kits...
I Don't Get It
Don't get me wrong. I am not criticizing anyone. But when I began brewing a "kit" was a box that contained liquid malt, hops and a sachet of dry yeast. There was no such thing as an all-grain kit.
When homebrewers at the time moved from extract kits to all-grain brewing they did so by buying their malt from a store that sold homebrew supplies. And there weren't very many dedicated homebrew supply stores. Actually the more I think about it the more I cannot remember ANY such retailers selling nothing but homebrew supplies.
There was a beer, wine and liquor store that had a small but fairly complete selection of base grain, specialty grains, hops and yeast plus some basic equipment. The only other place that stocked a few basics like starter sets and liquid malt was, of all places, a local greenhouse and garden supply center. Online shopping wasn't a thing at that time either. The internet was in its infancy and most discussion of beer and brewing occurred on Usenet newsgroups.
There was a beer, wine and liquor store that had a small but fairly complete selection of base grain, specialty grains, hops and yeast plus some basic equipment. The only other place that stocked a few basics like starter sets and liquid malt was, of all places, a local greenhouse and garden supply center. Online shopping wasn't a thing at that time either. The internet was in its infancy and most discussion of beer and brewing occurred on Usenet newsgroups.
I have no idea what the mash schedule may have been. There are no data points like OG/FG, IBU or SRM. Gypsum is noted on one but how much? Not a single tasting note... unless the crossed out recipe means it wasn't any good? Your guess is as good as mine.
I do remember however that I enjoyed the hell out of making those early beers and I still do.
I read a comment on social media this week that made sense of all-grain kits for me. The author stated that he buys kits of styles he has never made before. This gives him a recipe that he considers trustworthy, tested and reliable. Then, if he likes the result he will start making adjustments on his own to fine tune the recipe to his liking.
Still however, I would prefer to find a tried and true recipe and then source the ingredients myself. And finding reliable recipes can be a minefield itself. I may just have to write something someday about where to look for trusted recipes that aren't junk. And believe me, the junk is out there.
The bottom line: all-grain kits have their place. They take a lot of steps out of the process of making beer. I happen to like formulating recipes and then fine tuning them. But others prefer the ease of opening the box and having everything you need inside and ready to go. Again, no criticism being hurled at anyone. It just seems foreign to me. Then again, I play my music on vinyl records and like to drive a stick shift so maybe I'm just a boomer.
Still however, I would prefer to find a tried and true recipe and then source the ingredients myself. And finding reliable recipes can be a minefield itself. I may just have to write something someday about where to look for trusted recipes that aren't junk. And believe me, the junk is out there.
The bottom line: all-grain kits have their place. They take a lot of steps out of the process of making beer. I happen to like formulating recipes and then fine tuning them. But others prefer the ease of opening the box and having everything you need inside and ready to go. Again, no criticism being hurled at anyone. It just seems foreign to me. Then again, I play my music on vinyl records and like to drive a stick shift so maybe I'm just a boomer.
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