Malt Help Please! Diastatic Extract

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

NWPAbrewer

Active Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2008
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Location
Pittsburgh
I'm trying to brew up a Pumpkin malt for the fall, and the recipe I'm looking at is calling for Edme Diastatic Light Malt Extract. I've been looking around and I can't find it anywhere stateside, and it seems the only distributors of it are in the UK. I'd rather not pay the extra shipping to have it shipped internationally, so is there anyone selling this in the US, or is there something I could substitute it with?
 
From what I can find on the interwebz, Edme is the Brand, and the type of malt is Diastatic. Just about any malt extract that you can find will work, so long as it is light malt extract. If you post the recipe we may be able to provide a little more help.

Read here, here, and here, for info on Edme Diastatic Malt Extract.
 
I don't think the Edme products are still imported. Your best bet would be to sub a few pounds of pale malt and do a mini mash.
 
Edme is the Brand, and the type of malt is Diastatic. Just about any malt extract that you can find will work, so long as it is light malt extract.

No, it won't. The key here is that the malt is diastatic. That means is contains conversion capable enzymes. Typical malt extracts do not have any enzyme content.
 
Well it would seem that I have been corrected. It may be beneficial then to check the available maltsters websites and see if their products are diastatic or not.

Are you planning on an 100% extract batch of beer, or are you going to be steeping any grains?
 
Id really prefer to go 100% extract, but I can use grains if that's what has to happen. Here's the full recipe.

1 tsp. Gypsum
12 1/2 lb. Fresh Pumpkin
3.3 lb. Edme's Diastatic Light Malt Extract
3.1 lb. Alexander's Pale Malt Extract
1 1/2 oz. Williamette Hops, in boil 60 min.
5 tbsp. Pumpkin pie Spice
1 tsp. Irish Moss powder
Wyeast American Ale yeast
 
Looking at that recipe I am unsure what you would need the diastatic malt for. The only assumption that I can make is that you are going to steep the pumpkin at around 150 to convert the starches in it to sugars. Other then that, as soon as you heat the extract above 170 you render the enzymes useless. Unless you are trying to convert some form of starch into sugar you really don't need any enzymes in a 100% extract batch.

As per the Diamalt.co.uk website, they offer the John Bull Bulldog Blend line of Diastatic Malt Extracts. Which can be found here in the US at homebrew supplies, such as: Homebrewers Outpost, Central Homebrew supply.
 
well I guess I just assumed it was needed to convert the extra sugars from the pumpkin. But you're right, it says right in the recipe to add the extract at 160 degrees and steep for 30 min. However, it is noted directly in the recipe 'Be sure to use Diastatic extract'
 
Is the pumpkin in there at that point? If so then they are using the diastatic malt in place of having any grains in there. 160 is still in the range of conversion, just be sure to not get the wort above 170. I can see where the recipe is coming from now. You should be able to use some of the John Bull Bulldog blends as I posted above. According to their site it is a diastatic malt extract.
 
Yeah, I linked to two stores that sell it here stateside, I know I have seen it in a few LHBS also. I think, but am not positive, I would have to dig my notebook out, that my first kit from Northwest Homebrew Supply was a John Bull Kit. But that was 8 years ago and I can recall off the top of my head, it may have been a coopers kit.
 
You can use amylase extract to mash the pumpkin. Certainly the easiest way around the problem.
 
Back
Top