Using Malt vs Dextrose?

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reimana

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Hi,

I have been using dextrose or brew enhancer with my kits but now want to make a Mountmellick cream ale but use a can of amber malt. Do I need to boil the malt or do I just toss it in to the fermenter as I do the kit?

Thanks
 
Boil the malt first, mixed with perhaps 5 litres of water, 15 minutes should be fine.
 
Why treat a can of malt any different from the kit.

I think with the malt instead of dextrose you will get a better beer.

my 2c
 
What brand of Malt is it? I have been using malt for 2 years, from the LHBS and from Coopers and only ever boil enough to bring my hop boiling volume up to an SG of approximately 1.040. Never boiled a kit and as Ian suggests I can't see the difference. I do find that a lot of people boil their kits and malts, I thought it was an American tradition
B)
 
I agree that boiling previously unopened extract is unnecessary but you must boil liquor from steeped/mash grain. Grain harbors lots of nasties and the liquor must be sanitised by boiling.
 
First; I also agree there is absolutely no point in boiling freshly opened LME.
In fact I believe boiling can adversely effect the malt, as well as drive off some of the subtle hop flavours (applies only if the LME is hopped).

I have another question which is sort of related:
Almost every time I go to use Coopers Enhancer 2, or Coppers Light Dry Malt, I find the pack contents have solidified.
You tend to discover this when its too late & you have started putting down the brew!
I find it very difficult to actually get the solidified stuff dissolved, it seems to require separate treatment involving a separate rolling boil in a boiling pot. Don't know if this is harmful?

Does anyone else have this problem & how do you deal with it?
BTW the Coopers packs are not date stamped or marked with a "use by date" which seems remarkable.
 
Liquid malt extract has had the crapper boiled out of it twice, first in the kettle when they boiled the wort (LME starts off as a standard beer wort, but unhopped) and then a second time under vacuum to reduce it to sticky extract, although that boil is at a lower temperature of course. How many times do you want to boil the poor sod?
 
I have 2 boxes of Coopers enhancer 2 and they still in powder form and I am in NZ so they have come a long way. I have been brewing heaps of Coopers as they cheap NZD 14-17 and always make a good beer. Have just made the Cerveza with dextrose and the missus even likes it! So I get to buy more kits on the grocery budget :chug:
 
peterlonz said:
First; I also agree there is absolutely no point in boiling freshly opened LME.
In fact I believe boiling can adversely effect the malt, as well as drive off some of the subtle hop flavours (applies only if the LME is hopped).

I have another question which is sort of related:
Almost every time I go to use Coopers Enhancer 2, or Coppers Light Dry Malt, I find the pack contents have solidified.
You tend to discover this when its too late & you have started putting down the brew!
I find it very difficult to actually get the solidified stuff dissolved, it seems to require separate treatment involving a separate rolling boil in a boiling pot. Don't know if this is harmful?

Does anyone else have this problem & how do you deal with it?
BTW the Coopers packs are not date stamped or marked with a "use by date" which seems remarkable.
Hey Peter

I have had this happen a couple of times with LDM purchased from Woolworths. I haven't used a BE since my 3rd brew. I'm guessing that my local Woolworths doesn't move much LDM. Anyway I don't but Coopers LDM anymore due to that reason, I do however buy lots of Coopers canned LME. LDM is from LHBS or Craft Brewer.

As for boiling the LDM, there isn't an issue - I often use LDM in my hop boil because it is easy to measure out. When I'm adding LME to the hop boil it can end up anywhere between 1/4 and 2/3 of a can.
 
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