Adding Malt

[fogartn]

So this could be the dumbest question ever but when you use malt do you have to do it in a boil
(only really just started doing boils and stuffing round with bits) because I tried to just add it in to the
hot water and it all went lumpy. So I tipped it into a pot and boiled it and it did disolve.
Im flying solo here so im just making it up as I go.
All help would be great

 

[redunderthebed]

No you shouldn't have to just add it to rest of your fermentables and it should be fine.

 

[enoch1973]

Depends what your doing. Generally if you're adding malt to your fermenter (which is what I assume you're doing) generally you would add around 2 cups of boiled water to the fermenter and dissolve all your fermentables... Can of Kit fermentables e.g a Coopers Kit or what ever you're using.
You then dissolve your Dry Malt in the fermenter. I got lumps the first time I used dry malt.
Once I filled it up with cold water though it all dissolved. I wouldn't worry about the lumps. Just try and squish them as best you can with your spoon...
I generally only boil my malt as part of an Extract Brew.

 

[beerbog]

You can do either, as mentioned before adding to a boil is mainly for an extract brew where you can also control the hop quantities/times.

I've thrown LDME into a fermentor without boiling and it went all lumpy. Don't worry about it or even trying to stir it in, it'll eventually dissolve and ferment out just fine. :blink: :blink: :blink:

 

[fogartn]

would it do any harm being in the boil??

 

[beerbog]

No way, that's exactly what you do with an extract brew, about 1/2 kg of malt per 5 litres of water to get the right OG for adding hops.

 

[manticle]

Lumpy malt will eventually dissolve and ferment. If you are concerned about lumps use boiling water and a whisk.

Whether it's best in the boil or not is dependent on whether you are boiling in order to add hops and how concerned you are about sanitation. Some poeple like to boil all their sugars before adding to make sure any bugs are killed. If you are adding your own bittering hops, it's best to do that in a liquid which has a gravity of between 1030 and 1050 to optimally utilise the hop acids in conjunction with producing a smooth bitterness. You will get better utilisation from boiling hops in water but it is suggested you can also get unpleasant bitterness. Having never tried the latter, I can't vouch for this - easy enough to make a 1040 wort with 100g DME:1L water.

To summarise - it's not necessarily necessary dependent on the necessity of whether it's necessary to make what ever it is you are making but dependent on how you are making it, it may be necessary and where it's not necessary it may still be beneficial (dependent on various factors including how you are making whatever it is you are making).

 

[kelbygreen]

yep in extract add 100g per 1lt of water to give you 1.040 SG then last few minutes of the boil dump the rest of the malt and sugars in so they dissolve and it also sterilizes them not that thats a must but I think you cant be to safe . Although if you go to malt grain then you cant boil that you have to steep the grain to extract the sugars then you remove the grain and rinse and then boil the water left without the grain. There is many ways to make beer better, your in the right place most of what I said prob makes no sense but it will soon

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

So this could be the dumbest question ever but when you use malt do you have to do it in a boil
(only really just started doing boils and stuffing round with bits) because I tried to just add it in to the
hot water and it all went lumpy. So I tipped it into a pot and boiled it and it did disolve.
Im flying solo here so im just making it up as I go.
All help would be great

Speaking from my very limited experience I have found that the Cooper light dry malt is an extremely fine powder, and it can be difficult to dissolve. I have stopped using it because my LHBS sells LDM that is more coarse and much easier to work with.
If you are stuck using the very fine malt, I have found that if you put it into cold water, and slowly bring it to the boil it will dissolve easily enough with constant stirring.