Dried Malt Extract, can you taste it?

Clann · 12-02-2010, 11:57 AM

It seems like every time I make a brew with DME in it I can taste the dme as a very malty. Not beer malty but more like the malt flavor from a malted milk shake. I cant taste this in any of my beers that have just LME. The last one I made was NBs British Bitter. It only has 1# of DME but I can still taste it. Is it just me, do I have a sensitivity to DME? Anybody else notice this? Or am I just crazy?

Clann · 12-02-2010, 12:22 PM

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**CrookedTail** · 12-02-2010, 02:43 PM

Never had that issue. Maybe the extract is old?

**motobrewer** · 12-02-2010, 02:57 PM

On a few beers i've made and my friends have made I could taste that.

But on my friends' latest amber was 6-7 lb DME, and it was a very clean tasting beer.

Clann · 12-02-2010, 03:44 PM

@CrookedTail
It was not old DME, it seems like its all DME

@motobrewer
Was there anything in particular about those beers? I've not brewed anything extravagent or made any brews that were 100% DME

**motobrewer** · 12-02-2010, 03:56 PM

to me it was higher finishing gravities. one was a maibock, the malt flavor had a tinge to it.

i've made that british bitter kit and didn't get that taste. first beer i made, actually. lol.

**scrambledegg81** · 12-02-2010, 05:03 PM

Wondering if the flavors concentrate more as the liquid is drawn out, perhaps?

**starrfish** · 12-02-2010, 05:07 PM

Have you tried other brands?

Llaglander dry malt extract finishes with higher residual sugars.

LD Carlson Dry malt extract adds carapils for better head retension.

I prefer Munton & Fison it's 100% of their 2 row base grain (so you can actually make a true extract S.M.A.S.H. with it, but that's just my preference.

ChrisS68 · 12-02-2010, 05:13 PM

Since you mentioned malted shakes, I think it might just be you.

Seriously though, if anything, I think LME tends to come out more malty. If you're truly getting a cloyingly sweet taste, I would think the beer is either underattenuated or under hopped. What else is in the recipes? I use DME pretty much exclusively and have no trouble with beers coming out sweet.

HeavyHandedBrewing · 12-02-2010, 05:28 PM

I use mostly DME since it stores better and only use LME when I order a kit which contains it. I think my beers have improved since using only DME in the recipes I create. That may be because they are not coming from a kit, but who knows. But to the point: the greatest part of homebrewing, in my opinion, is that you, as the brewer, can brew whatever you want, with whatever you want, in whatever manor you want. If you don’t like DME, don’t use it. If you prefer malt beers, like me (which might explain why I prefer DME), then brew them, if you prefer ESB's or cream stouts or any other style or taste, brew it. I know what I like, and that is what I brew.