Any non-kit extract brewers on board?

[Sam]

Hi, glad to have joined your delightful looking forum.

I'm wondering if any other members boil unhopped extacts, maybe with steeped grains or mini-mashes? I started with the no-boil kit beers about a year back, and they both turned out terribly, so I quickly upgraded to doing partial boils alongside steeped roast grains (crystal, chocolate, roast barley etc), and the quality of my beers really increased (as it must be said did the length of my brewing day). Much more fulfilling too I've found, though not disparaging those who don't.

This week tried my first mini-mash, (essentially heating a small amount of grain at a certain temperature in the oven, and then sparging over my pan), then proceeding with the boil and adding extract, hops etc. This took flippin ages frankly, though I'm sure I'll convince myself to do it again if the oatmeal stout turns out to be any good. I'm sure their are plenty of hardened mashers on here, but anyone else dipping their toes into the scary world of full-mash brewing?

Anyway, glad to be here, and a dancing banana will hopefully redeem this overlong post.

[Daft as a Brush]

I follow a couple a extract recipes from Dave Lines brewing beers like those you buy and am pleased with the results.

If you want to try delving a bit deeper into the all grain world why not get yourself a picnic cooler from Argos for 15 quid and mash in that. Warm it like a teapot first, fill it with water at around 72 degc then add your grain to bring the temp down to 66 deg c. After 60-90 mins, bail it out into a mashing and sparging bag (£7.50) supported in a fermentor bucket (with tap) and sparge by pouring hot water over as normal.

The picnic cooler can later be modified to take a manifold and tap if you choose to contine down this route or if not, used to keep your beer cool when you go off to the beech.

Converted coolers make the best mash tuns and can be further insulated by throwing a blanket over.

By the way, I will always beat you hands down for unecessaraliy long posts, I usualy bore mysel..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz