LME additions

so I have noticed some suggestions that malt extract should be added at different points in the boil. does this make any difference? What effect does adding malt at different times have on the beer?

malt extract will darken the longer it is boiled. thats it. just color. when i do extract i just do what the recipe says. but either way you choose to go your beer will be fine.

sorry, also there is other stuff about the worts gravity, and wether you are doing a full boil or not that affects the hops a little. but if you're just starting out (maybe even if you're not just starting) i'd say its not worth worrying about.

It only affects color if you are doing a partial boil and it merely reduces the caramelizing (reducing the darkening effects of a partial boil). It has a pretty major impact on hop utilization, increasing the overall bitterness contributions.

http://brewtarget.sourceforge.net/
Brewtarget lets you enter your ferment-able ingredients "late" and gives you an idea of the impact on hop utilization.

Late addition also reduces the energy necessary to maintain a rolling boil, since there's less mass in the wort. That's the primary reason I do it.

oh thats a good call. I have noticed that ive done a few pale ales with pretty different recipes but similar results on the hop bitterness of the final product. I'll see if this changes anything as I only do a partial boil for my batches. thank you