Malt vs. Malt Extract
If you want to brew, you need wort. You can either create this yourself with malt, or buy it ready-made as malt extract. There is of course a third method, with a mixture of both. Before we can emphasize the differences between the two, we need to understand what they are.
Malt is germinated grain, that is modified to develop enzymes that will in turn be used to create fermentable sugars. Different grains can be used for this. Depending on production, you can get different results. Apart from base malt, you can create sweeter crystal malt or smokey black malt, for example. Most beers use a combination of malts. Brewing with only malt is also known as All Grain Brewing.
Malt extract is a technique where all water is removed from the product. The result is a concentrated viscous substance that is easier transported and stored. Thanks to this, you can skip the step of mashing.
Malt
+ Creative control: You decide what and how many malt you use, which will form the end result.
+ Tweaking: With some small adjustments you can perfect your beer.
+ Cost: Bags of malt are cheaper than extract.
- Equipment: You need a bigger setup, but this is not really an issue for professional breweries.
- Mistakes: Doing everything manually will increase the chance errors.
- Time: This process takes a little longer and requires more cleaning.
Malt extract
+ Setup cost: You don’t need huge equipment for mashing.
+ Less errors: Because you skip a step, things can’t go wrong there.
+ Saving time: Skipping the mashing will make the process quicker.
- Cost: Malt extract is a lot more expensive.
- Lack of creativity: You will have less of a signature in the end result.
- Control: Making the ideal beer is harder, because you can’t change the extract.
As with everything in brewing, everything comes down to personal taste. If you are still discovering your own way of brewing - or if you want to save time - malt extract can be an excellent choice. But if you want more creative control of your recipe, normal malt might be your preferred pick.
