lme vs dme?

brewyourown4life · 08-08-2010, 05:17 AM

tried to find some info on this and couldn't. just been hearing that lme gives you the extract TWANG and dme won't. any thoughts, suggestions or input would be greatly appreciated

**ChshreCat** · 08-08-2010, 05:20 AM

LME is just fine if it's fresh. I use LME in all my brews and I finished second place in last year's HBT competition. To get fresh LME, avoid the canned crap and get the bulk LME. It's always fresh from the factory and most LHBS sell enough of it that it never sits very long.

**Austinhomebrew** · 08-08-2010, 05:27 AM

DME is made from LME. Niether of them have "Twang". The metal can that extract sometimes comes in has a metalic twang, but that is the can not the extract. Use fresh extract from bulk.

Forrest

**ChshreCat** · 08-08-2010, 05:51 AM

AHS has good turnover, but at your local shop you never know how long that dusty can has been sitting on the back of the shelf before you buy it.

**CrookedTail** · 08-09-2010, 12:12 PM

I prefer DME. I've brewed good beers with LME, but I find DME to be easier to work with.

mmcloug3765 · 08-10-2010, 02:09 PM

DME is great because you run less risk of caramelizing it on the bottom of your brew pot if you're not careful, but you also run more of a risk of a boil over with DME.

**ChshreCat** · 08-10-2010, 03:37 PM

It's all a matter of preference. I greatly prefer LME, but for the same reason CrookedTail prefers DME. IMO, LME is far easier to work with than DME.

MTMuggs · 08-10-2010, 04:36 PM

I personally didn't care for having to get the sticky LME out of cans (bad me!), I've never used the bulk jugs. To get it out of measuring utensils, do you just swirl the cup around in the pan on the stove, since the cup is sanitized? The only thing I didn't care for with DME is how it tends to attract moisture and makes everything slightly sticky that the dust touches.

**ChshreCat** · 08-10-2010, 04:46 PM

I buy bulk LME for each recipe I brew. So I buy exactly as much as I need, no measuring utensils needed. When I start my boil, I put the container in the sink and cover it in hot water. That thins out the extract and makes it easier to handle. When it's time to add it to the boil (I always do a late extract addition, last 5 minutes) it pours pretty easily and the opening on the container is big enough to get a spatula in easily and I can pretty much get every little bit of it out. My brewing assistant stirs while I add the LME so by the time I get it all out, the kettle can go back on the heat for another 5 minutes and we're done. No clumps to whisk out like with DME and it dissolves right away. Never had any issues with it scorching on the bottom, even when I was a new brewer and was adding it at the start.

tenchu_11 · 08-10-2010, 06:11 PM

When i get my kits they have the exact ammount of LME "when i brew I brew alone" (bad george Thergood pun) so i don't have a stirring partner and I get very minimal scorching not enough to complain. But i see the small ammount that didn't dispurse during my stirring. Since it comes in a bag I just pour some hot water inside the bag shake it up and get the last few ounces out. I do use Pilsen Light DME about 1 1/2 cups in every brew and its just for my starter. Either way i don't have enought expirience with DME during a large brew boil to say anything bad about it. Only thing i can say is I would use either DME or LME for my brews but only DME for a starter. Can't imagine trying to measure out 1 1/2 cup of sticky malt.