LME: To boil or not to boil?

I am a week into my second batch with is a True Brew Amber Ale. I have learned that kit instructions should be only used as a guide, if at all. This was my first boil kit so being new to the hobby, I wanted to keep it fairly simple. Instructions stated to bring the water to a boil, remove from heat, add LME, DME, and hop pellets, stir until disolved, return to heat until it foams, remove from heat until foaming stops, return to heat and boil for 20 - 30 minutes.

So now I am a week in and everything is running smoothly, but now I hear that you should never boil LME.

Just wanted to find out what others think about this. Any responses would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Its ok to boil LME as long as its not pre-hopped.

The kit contained hopped amber malt LME. So what effect will the fact that I boiled for about 30 minutes have on the beer?

Pretty much all the True Brew kits that contain hopped LME say to dump it all in the pot with the water and boil for 30 mins. I've modified that a bit based on stuff I read here, and for the last two or three batches boiled the non-hopped LME for 30 mins but added the hopped LME about 10-15 mins before flame-out. None are ready to drink yet so I don't know the difference. But I do think it's interesting that the kits all say boil the hopped and non-hopped together for the same amount of time.

Another thing I read said boiling LME is silly altogether, it doesn't need to be boiled at all.

Not sure what to think....

Did a bit more research and found a blurb in "How To Brew" by John Palmer that basically states that if adding finishing hops to hopped malt extract, boil for 15 to 30 minutes. If using bittering hops with hopped malt extract boil the hops anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes adding the hopped malt at flame out. We'll just have to wait and see how it comes out. If I do this kit again I will have to try adding the hopped malt extract after the boil.

Hi fozz and 'guy'
I have this same kit that will be my first batch. I am having the same delima as to when to add the LME and hop pellets.

Any tips?

Thanks!

Right so it isnt silly to boil extract. LME and DME are the same thing, just with different amounts of liquid in them. Malt Extract does need to be boiled for a minimum of 15 minutes to properly caramelize the sugars in the malt. Boiling it any longer will not hurt nor change your end product. Also the sugars in malt extract play an important part in bittering hop utilization. many brewers only add 1/4 or 1/3 of their ME at the beginning of the boil with their hops, and then put the rest in @ 15 mins. this is called a late malt addition. If you follow the instructions for the kit it should turn out just fine. Definitely add the hopped when it tells you to so you can get the correct hop utilization. but if you want to wait till 15 mins to add the rest it really doesn't matter.

fozzman said:

I am a week into my second batch with is a True Brew Amber Ale. I have learned that kit instructions should be only used as a guide, if at all. This was my first boil kit so being new to the hobby, I wanted to keep it fairly simple. Instructions stated to bring the water to a boil, remove from heat, add LME, DME, and hop pellets, stir until disolved, return to heat until it foams, remove from heat until foaming stops, return to heat and boil for 20 - 30 minutes.

So now I am a week in and everything is running smoothly, but now I hear that you should never boil LME.

Just wanted to find out what others think about this. Any responses would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

did you follow the instructions that came with the recipe?

if so, you should be ok... those recipes are designed to achieve a certain result.

Does the remainder of the extract need to be added before flameout? I've been adding the bulk of mine once done for a long time now. My OG is typically up to .005 points higher than what's anticipated on the brew calculator (I don't buy kits, but make up my recipes using Hopville), though once in a while they hit the target.

I've read there is no reason to boil it.

techbrewie said:

RMalt Extract does need to be boiled for a minimum of 15 minutes to properly caramelize the sugars in the malt.

Boiling it any longer will not hurt nor change your end product. .

Click to expand...

That's strange- I've never ever heard that before, that "extract does need to be boiled for a minimum of 15 minutes to properly caramelize the sugars in the malt". Can you provide a link to your resource?

It goes against everything I know about maillard reactions and caramelization. To caramelize, you'd have to go far above boiling temperatures, although you could get maillard reactions. I need a link or an explanation for this new thinking.

Boiling it longer WILL change the end product, due to excessive maillard reactions.

rodwha said:

Does the remainder of the extract need to be added before flameout? I've been adding the bulk of mine once done for a long time now. My OG is typically up to .005 points higher than what's anticipated on the brew calculator (I don't buy kits, but make up my recipes using Hopville), though once in a while they hit the target.

I've read there is no reason to boil it.

Click to expand...

on the suggestion of some folks in here, i started adding at least half of my extract at flameout, and letting it set for 15 minutes to pasteurize.

i didn't like the way it turned out, so i made an adjustment and now add it at the 15 minute mark, just before my flavoring hops.

then i wait for the little "mini-break" as the wort comes back to the boil, and add the hops, etc.

the result seems to be better for me. nicer color, clearer beer.

...i made an adjustment and now add it at the 15 minute mark, just before my flavoring hops.

then i wait for the little "mini-break" as the wort comes back to the boil, and add the hops, etc.

Click to expand...

I do this exact thing, except with ALL of my extract. I boil the hops in plain water for 45 min, add my malt, bring back to a boil, and boil the malt and finishing hops another 10-15 minutes. Works for me.

BetterSense said:

I do this exact thing, except with ALL of my extract. I boil the hops in plain water for 45 min, add my malt, bring back to a boil, and boil the malt and finishing hops another 10-15 minutes. Works for me.

Click to expand...

i still put "some" extract in at the beginning, but not nearly as much as i used to, and i cut back each time.


i should just bite the bullet once, and see what it does when i just add the water from the steeping grains, get to the boil, and go with it.

probably will reduce my exposure to boilover somewhat, too