What grain is used in LME/DME?

[welly2]

I'm curious as to what the grain they use in LME and DME is - for example in Coopers LME? Is it published anywhere? Does anyone (outside Coopers) know? Does it actually matter? Probably not but I'm curious. I'm assuming a malted barley but what malted barley?

 

[Toper]

Coopers used to use 'Schooner' malt several years ago,not sure if it's still their variety.

 

[MHB]

There are going to be as many answers as maltsters, as per Troopers comment I asked on a tour of Coopers a couple of years ago about Schooner and was told that they at that time no longer used exclusively Schooner. They used to own Adelaide Malt and make their own malt but that was sold to Jo White years ago. Jo white still run (or did last time I looked) a maltings in Adelaide primarily for Coopers and do make malt to Coopers specifications - that is what will be used mainly in their extract.
Black Rock says that their malt extract was made from 100% NZ Lager malt.

Muntons and the other reputable extract makers will be using what is local to their works. After that it can get pretty hazy, some of the low priced extract carefully avoids using the word Malt as it is manufactured enzymeically from what ever is cheapest. There was a report that one reasonably well known kit maker in the US was found to have made kits without any malt extract in them at all, sugar caramel and some "syrups" but no Malt extract.
So I guess you pay your money and take your chances.

That said I have found the malt available in Australia from good suppliers to be excellent. I did get sent a sample of "Malt Extract" (DME) from China that on evaluation I wouldn't put in beer, I just hope no one decided to import that crap.
Mark

Mark

 

[Bribie G]

When the Oakey maltings were still going, our brew club North of Brisbane would buy a ute load of malt for a dollar a kilo that they had left over from various batches. Mostly China - bound malt, but on one occasion we got a batch that they had made for Nestle to be turned into malt extract. It made reasonable light-flavoured beer styles.

 

[homespewer]

I find Briess LME really good if you can get a hold of it. They specify the different malt percentage they use on their website. Some of the malt state they use 99% "base malt".

 

[Barry]

I tasted a beer that was made with the Chinese malt (given as a sample), it was easily decided my the people involved not to import it.

 

[HBHB]

I did get sent a sample of "Malt Extract" (DME) from China that on evaluation I wouldn't put in beer, I just hope no one decided to import that crap.
Mark

Mark

It's everywhere now Mark. Pretty sad that it's price before quality these days & frankly, the beers it made were very bloody ordinary. On the upside, it was a great feed for microorganisms that make plants happy.

 

[MHB]

It's everywhere now Mark. Pretty sad that it's price before quality these days & frankly, the beers it made were very bloody ordinary. On the upside, it was a great feed for microorganisms that make plants happy.

Bugger - I cant follow the tight over flavour argument, if I put 5-6 hours work into a beer I'm going to try to make the best beer I can.
The difference between the cheapest ingredients and very good ones wouldn't make $10 difference to a batch 17 cents a schooner and I don't need 17c badly enough to put up with anything other than the best.
M

PS another very good reason to go AG, even the cheapest crap extract is more expensive than the best Malt and you get total control over the outcome.
M