DME Clumps

Thanks to this board I know to expect my DME to clump up when I add it to my water.
What is the best way to mitigate this effect besides adding the DME very slowly?
Wire whisk? Do the clumps sink or float?

Thanks!

removing it from the heat will help. i usually add mine as the wort is heating up (just before it hits it's boil)

i add mine with one hand while constantly stirring with the other.

it still clumps a bit, but i don't worry about it...the yeast will get to those sugars.

Just stir - nice and gently and it will all dissolve.

If it is taking a while and you are worried about it sinking and caramelizing you can pull the pot off the burner until it is incorporated.

+1 to removing it from the heat. This is a must in my experience. Add it slowly and stir constantly and it will dissolve. The nice thing about DME is that the clumps float unlike LME which just sinks to the bottom and scorches.

Just keep stirring, sometimes mashing the clump against the side of the pot a few times and stirring somemore helps too....

Out of curiousity one day I wanted to see what would happen if I added malt faster than I normally do (I usually add it with a 2 cup glass or 1 cup plastic measuring cup, or a soup ladle, soaking it in the hot wort to dissolve the excess, usually no more than 2 cups of DME at a time) I did 8 pounds in 3 large dumps of the bag and stirring each "dumpclump" until it dissolved before adding the next...

Eventually each huge clump dissolved thoroughly...it just took patience....and a heck of a lot of stirring....

use a wisk.

Sounds good - thanks

I sorta sift my DME as I add it, so it doesn't enter the wort in big globs. still have to stir like hell but its a little easier.

I add all my dme to the pot all at once. I have added as much as eight pounds just by dumping it in.

Does it clump? Oh yes. Does it dissolve? Yes, in less than 7 minutes with stirring. When I dumped eight lbs into the wort, it was so thick on the top I couldn't even see the liquid before. Huge clumps. It looks like it will NEVER dissolve and you have screwed things up, but all dissolve, no problem. Its not like flour, it doesn't gelatinize.

We bring the pot to the boil, take it off the burner and stir until the DME is dissolved. Bringing it to the boil first lessens the recovery time to boil due to DME addition.

Onces its back to boil, add hops and start the countdown timer.

The moral of the story is.....Don't fear the clumps!



Gedvondur

Chello said:

use a wisk.

Click to expand...

+1 This is the way to go. I dump a bag at a time and then wisk it. works like a charm.

g_rath said:

+1 This is the way to go. I dump a bag at a time and then wisk it. works like a charm.

Click to expand...

+2

I used the whisk attachment on my immersion blender, which made quick work of it.

+3 The whisk works like a charm.

Yep, pour it in slowly, and whisk the hell out of it- works just fine for me, I can usually get everything dissolved within a few minutes.

I pour it in 1 lb at a time and dissolve it before adding the next lb.

Do remove it from the heat first...

Used the whisk on my last batch. Worked great.

When using a whisk or a blender does any one worry about “hot-side aeration? Don’t get my wrong. I don’t really know what it does of how bad it is. I’m just looking more info.

I just assumed that I needed to be real gentle and to keep air out of the wort until it was time to aerate and pitch.

I slowly stir my clumps around the pot until they melt. I have to stand “boil-over” watch anyways.

Thanks

Krimper said:

When using a whisk or a blender does any one worry about “hot-side aeration? Don’t get my wrong. I don’t really know what it does of how bad it is. I’m just looking more info.

I just assumed that I needed to be real gentle and to keep air out of the wort until it was time to aerate and pitch.

I slowly stir my clumps around the pot until they melt. I have to stand “boil-over” watch anyways.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Hot side aeration is one of those "bogeymen" of the home brewer....It really only affects commercial large batch brewers and doesn't really affect us small batch homebrewers......It's one of those urban legends that people debate endlessly about and no conclusions are drawn from the discussions.....There's been some great experiments done buy the Basic brewing podcast guys if you are interested.

I add my DME just before the boil starts and use a whisk. If I pour slow enough, it is pretty much dissolved within a few seconds after hitting the wort. Also, I only use 3 lbs DME per batch at the most. the rest is from the mash.

Revvy said:

Hot side aeration is one of those "bogeymen" of the home brewer....It really only affects commercial large batch brewers and doesn't really affect us small batch homebrewers......It's one of those urban legends that people debate endlessly about and no conclusions are drawn from the discussions.....There's been some great experiments done buy the Basic brewing podcast guys if you are interested.

Click to expand...

I stirred (more like beat) my first couple of batches with a whisk the entire 60 minutes of the boil...which was a TON of hot-side aeration. Then I heard about the whole hot-side aeration thing, and freaked out. Suffice to say, I didn't get any cardboard or other oxidation flavors with those beers, nor have I with any batches since. I do stir gently with a long-handled spoon now though (at least after I get the DME dissolved, if I'm using it.)

i put it in a kilo at a time, stir the cr@p out of it, then another kilo. Repeat...

Why do the clumps matter? Who cares if it dissolves? As long as its in the pot for like 10 mins it will be sanitized whether it dissolves or not.


Ya I know...just being difficult.

The clumps can sink to the bottom and scorch.


TL

I just whisk the hell out of it until it starts to boil again. Never have any clump issues.