Dried Or Liquid

[woodwormm]

Hey guys,

I'm making the jump from K&K to full extract (i'm on the downward slope to AG!)

The times i've used Dried Malt extract in the past, I despised it... much prefer liquid.

However I do like the idea of saving a few extra dollars.

So has anyone got any tips/tricks for using DME ? or real reasons to use it instead of LME?

Is there any discernable taste difference between the two?

cheers

 

[slash22000]

Liquid malt extract is dry malt extract + water. That is the only practical difference. There's about 20% water in liquid extract, so 1.5kg of liquid = 1.2kg dry extract.

I bloody hate liquid malt. It takes 500 years to gloop out of the can; if I put it in hot water to make it runnier then I always end up burning the **** out of my hands on the metal, or the label gets all mushy and sticks up my can opener. Damn nightmare.

I've also heard quite a few times the theory that the "off" taste you get from extract kits comes from the can, which is another reason that dry extract is theoretically superior (no can, no weird can taste).

What exactly do you "despise" about dry extract?

 

[bum]

So has anyone got any tips/tricks for using DME?

I found it dissolved better in cold water rather than the boil. YMMV.

 

[woodwormm]

I bloody hate liquid malt. It takes 500 years to gloop out of the can; if I put it in hot water to make it runnier then I always end up burning the **** out of my hands on the metal, or the label gets all mushy and sticks up my can opener. Damn nightmare.

I've got this method where i turn the can upside down over my boil pot (sitting on/in a colander) and it steams out all of the goop. easy and no hassle.

I've also heard quite a few times the theory that the "off" taste you get from extract kits comes from the can, which is another reason that dry extract is theoretically superior (no can, no weird can taste).

intriguing... i hadn't heard that before, i always thought the 'off' taste was meant to be from isohops in the kit cans...

What exactly do you "despise" about dry extract?

the glue like behaviour when it hits the water - dissolving it basically is my issue.

 

[woodwormm]

I found it dissolved better in cold water rather than the boil. YMMV.

aaa HA! ist that all I have to do?!

 

[roverfj1200]

LME is cheaper than dry. Some dry malts have a burnt taste. I only use Coopers dry malt for this reason. But When I do extract I only use LME. Price and convenience. I open the can with the tin lid still attached and wedge it in the top of the fermenter it can drain for the time I am boiling the rest of the goodies.

I never add the "rest of the ingredients" before the end of the boil. I think it makes cloudy beer. Cool the boil and you will get a cold break then pour off the mix leaving as much of the hops and gunk behind..


Cheers

 

[Impy]

Hey guys,

I'm making the jump from K&K to full extract (i'm on the downward slope to AG!)

The times i've used Dried Malt extract in the past, I despised it... much prefer liquid.

However I do like the idea of saving a few extra dollars.

So has anyone got any tips/tricks for using DME ? or real reasons to use it instead of LME?

Is there any discernable taste difference between the two?

cheers

In my last few extract beers I was experimenting to get rid of the homebrew twang. Through a fair bit of research I narrowed it down to the LME being the problem. I did a few brews using just DME and the taste disappeared.

The theory is that since LME is still in a liquid state it's still chemically active and can age/change in taste which is the "homebrew twang". Since DME has no moisture in it, it's profile stays largely unchanged from the day it was packaged.

Anyway, it's up to you really, try a recipe with LME and one without and see if you have a preference.

 

[Weizguy]

aaa HA! ist that all I have to do?!

Seems that way. Just dissolve before you heat the water.

Great beer flavours, IMO, compared to LME (or at least the LME I have used).

 

[woodwormm]

I guess there's a stigma in my head about dried too! I just have to get over it.

As (and i guess most brewers do) I started with Kits, then started adding stuff and now moving to full extract so I can gain greater control and flavour control. Moving away from LME to a furher processed product (DME) just feels wrong! I know, I know, beer comes from grains I should just go AG!

I may just have to do some comparison batches. Maybe a dried and a liquid done on same day with identical hops schedules, cooling regimes and fermented out together...

 

[J Grimmer]

Personally I have found very little difference between the dried an liquid coopers malt extracts and more often than not I use the tubs from my lhbs and he assures me that his turnover is very high. I recently got my hands on some breisse malt extract and all that I have read suggests that they are the best for brewing.

 

[soundawake]

One of the reasons I switched to AG (amongst other important reasons) is I hated dealing with DME. When you measure it out and weigh it, DME dust gets into the air and leaves a fine layer of it all over my kitchen bench which if you don't clean up straight away goes really sticky. ******* pain in the ass. I'm glad I've said goodbye to it.

 

[pcmfisher]

I use 500g of dry malt in 5litres of water for my hop additions.
Steep grains in another container, strain off and boil up resulting liquid while the hop boil pot is cooling.
Add the rest of the fermentables to the fermenter, usually a can of liquid malt, some dex and maybe a small amount more dry malt.
Use the boiled grain water to rinse out the liquid malt tin and to dissolve all the stuff in fermenter, add contents of cooled hop boil pot and fill with cold water.

EZY

 

[verysupple]

I have never noticed any quality difference between LME and DME (as long as the LME hasn't sat in the shop for ages). I use both but I it seems that there is a much larger range of LME to chose from.

I use 500g of dry malt in 5litres of water for my hop additions.

+1 That will give a good SG for balancing hop utilisation (bitterness) and proteins for getting the other goodies out.

 

[tricache]

I know LME is more prone to going "off" on the shelf when compared to DME...I have used LME and DME but mainly use DME