Differences Between LME and DME

I just brewed an Irish Stout that used LME in the boil. I just picked up two clone kits from my LHBS and both of them use DME (both kits have a crap ton of DME packed in them.)

What is the difference in quality, ease of boil, etc...if any...between LME and DME?

The main advantage of DME is that it lasts longer (as long as you don't get it wet. The main disadvantage is that it tends to be more expensive. There shouldn't be a difference in flavor.

I don't live near a homebrew store, so I always liked DME because it was easier to store for me. As long as it's kept in a dry place tightly closed, it lasts a long time. LME can get moldy if it's in an opened container, and it doesn't keep as well long term.

If you can buy fresh LME from a homebrew store that has it in bulk, I think it's about the same quality as DME. LME tends to be cheaper.

The only differences I've ever seen are that LME seems to come in more varieties (Munich for example), and it seems that even pale LME is a bit darker than light DME. I'd use whatever I found most convenient and with the best price.

LME is 20% water so 3 lbs of LME will get you less ABV than DME. I've found DME to be much easier to handle as well.

Each kit contains two bags of DME...how well does this dissolve in the water? I am doing partial boils so I begin with 3.5 gallons to achieve 3 gallons after the boil is completed. It looks like a ton of DME and I am not sure how well this would dissolve in the boil...

I do partial boils with DME too. I don't have any problems with it dissolving. When I'm done steeping or partial mashing, I just bring the wort to a boil, take the pot off the burner, and have someone pour in the DME while I stir. I could easily do it without help though. The bigger issue for me is that if it gets poured too slowly it clumps up and sticks to the bag, but even that's not a big deal as I can just grab the clump and throw it in.

DME can be a little harder to get dissolved into the water because it's a powder and tends to float and clump up. Folks often find that a whisk is very helpful in getting it mixed in properly since you can break up the clumps easier with that than with a spoon.

It clumps big times upon initial addition, but just stir it for 4-5 minutes and it'll all dissolve cleanly.

Read up about late malt additions too. That will definitely increase the taste of your beer imo because you eliminate the risk of scorching / caramelizing your beer during the 1hour boil (Basically over boiling it). This just involves making the beer kit as normal with only 1-1.5 pounds of DME and then in the last 5-10 minutes adding the rest of it. You also supposedly get better utilization of your hops which everyone wants anyway.

It dissolve pretty quickly actually. It will all fit.

+1 on the wisk. I add my DME at flame out and use a wisk to break the clumps and then my paddle to make sure its mixed in well.

here's a question... I'm looking at the Stone IPA clone recipe on page 44 here, and it says to use 5lbs light DME, then 1lb 10oz light LME as a late addition. Does anybody know why this would be the suggested malt bill? Would it be close enough to just use another 1.5lb+ of DME at the end of boil?

platypotamus said:

here's a question... I'm looking at the Stone IPA clone recipe on page 44 here, and it says to use 5lbs light DME, then 1lb 10oz light LME as a late addition. Does anybody know why this would be the suggested malt bill? Would it be close enough to just use another 1.5lb+ of DME at the end of boil?

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My guess is that the LME is used for the late addition because it dissolves easier without clumping. You could definitely use DME if you wanted, you'll just have to stir more. I did it with 3 lbs at the very end of my boil on my last batch and it worked fine. The number I have written down is that DME = .89*LME which gives 1 lb. 7 oz. or ~1.5 lbs of DME if you were to substitute.

The differences that I've noticed when boiling is that you need to remove the pot from the burner when dealing with LME because it tends to fall to the bottom and will lead to scorching if not stirred in well enough. DME on the other hand doesn't do that but it tends to lead to boilovers in much quicker and more fantastic fashion. I like DME because it's a little easier to work with, just watch what you are doing.

Also, I thought the conversion was .8 to 1.

Neonsilver said:

Also, I thought the conversion was .8 to 1.

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It looks like you're right. I've always used beersmith or similar so I've never put it to practical use. I'm not even sure where I got my number from. So the adjusted amount of DME would be 1 lb. 5 oz. or ~1.25 lbs.

I'd like to preface this by saying.... This is pure speculation, and conjecture purely for the purpose of spawning debate and or discussion.


Considering the process of deriving one or the other is completely different, I would suggest that DME is far different than LME. I did my currently fermenting stout with all DME. The smell was different. It didn't seem to have that crazy, malty, fill your house with malt goodness thing happening. However... I noticed when I tasted my post top-up sample there was good malt flavor, however, it didn't seem to have the incredible sweetness of the syrup.

Here comes the speculation part.... I would have to guess that the things that get left behind during the slow evaporation process of making LME may be different to things in DME due to the fast spray drying process. There may actually be some chemical difference between the two. Maybe not, but logic (maybe not good logic) would believe me to think this. It is never easy to get the same results with the same materials through two different processes. Also, materials left in a liquid state will probably change more, and more quickly than materials in a powdered state.... thus the freshness being an issue. I.E. Wheat flour in water develops gluten even without being kneaded or mixed, the longer the two are combined the more gluten develops, though not at the rate it would if stirred. So, I would say, other than being derived from the same material, and being fundementally made up of the same elements, DME and LME are drastically different.

I have always used Wheat LME from Northern Brewer for my recipes. The last 2 batches I brewed I ordered from Rebel Brewer which sells Wheat DME cheaply, so I tried the DME. The result was that during fermentation both 5 gallon batches violently overflowed my 6 gal Better Bottle for about 24 hours (ambient temps were 65-68f). The jugs never overflow when I use 6 lbs Wheat LME + 1 lb Wheat DME. I don't know if that applies to non wheat extracts, but it is certainly a difference to consider.

Could this lead to greater head retention? I'll find out in about 2 weeks once these DME batches are carbed.

+1 more vote for the whisk. If you stir with the whisk in one hand and pour the DME in with the other, you will avoid the clumping issue and it is a breeze to work with.