Do You Buy More DME or LME?

Just doing a quick poll on purchasing extract.

Feel free to chime in why you buy more. For example 'because it's cheaper'.

DME as find it easier to work with. Also, I have read that it has less of the "extract twang". I hope to confirm that for myself here soon as I have a batch of blond ale done with LME carbing right now, and will be doing another (only slightly different) batch using DME later this week.
Really looking forward to the jump from partial mash to all grain. I'm eager to get rid of extract use altogether.

hagar said:

DME as find it easier to work with. Also, I have read that it has less of the "extract twang". I hope to confirm that for myself here soon as I have a batch of blond ale done with LME carbing right now, and will be doing another (only slightly different) batch using DME later this week.
Really looking forward to the jump from partial mash to all grain. I'm eager to get rid of extract use altogether.

Click to expand...

Interested to hear your findings on that. I can tell you I personally have tasted beer and knew right away it was an extract beer.

I however have never done a side by side analysis to confirm that.

I brew almost exclusively all grain. I keep DME for starters and adjustments, and the very occasional extract batch.

So I use very little of it and haven't used LME for 6 years. The LME came with my first 4 or 5 kits. After that I went with recipes. Made my own and used DME instead of LME.

stylus1274 said:

Interested to hear your findings on that. I can tell you I personally have tasted beer and knew right away it was an extract beer.

I however have never done a side by side analysis to confirm that.

Click to expand...

It does seem that "extract twang" happens. But there are plenty of people who have won competitions with extract beers.

I have great water in my town and I would put my extracts alongside the best of my all grain brews. I don't know if it is the water, my processes, or just dumb luck but my extracts have been very good.

kh54s10 said:

It does seem that "extract twang" happens. But there are plenty of people who have won competitions with extract beers.

I have great water in my town and I would put my extracts alongside the best of my all grain brews. I don't know if it is the water, my processes, or just dumb luck but my extracts have been very good.

Click to expand...

Funny you mention this. I myself brew mostly AG as well. There are two instances when I don't. When I'm lazy or brewing my lone extract house recipe.

I have a recipe that I strictly use extract (DME) and everyone loves it. So I keep doing it. I'll never do an AG version of it.

Like you said; it may be just dumb luck

I use up to 6 lbs whole grain, adjusting whole grains down by the size of LME containers.
Then I use DME if I still needed to knock the whole grain down below 6 lbs, I need less than the smallest LME container, or if a corresponding LME is not available.

Why not DME?
Because I cannot keep from making a mess. For me, clean up of the stock pot and the stove is much easier if I don't use DME.

I typically use Briess LME with my partial mash brews. The LME dissolves quickly, doesn't clump, and comes in a nicely sealed container.

Lefou said:

I typically use Briess LME with my partial mash brews. The LME dissolves quickly, doesn't clump, and comes in a nicely sealed container.

Click to expand...

Do you buy online or from your LHBS?

I prefer Briess LME in original containers from love2brew, straight off the shelf.
Another homebrew shop is closer, but they get bulk Briess LME by the barrel and re-package inhouse. Their inhouse containers aren't vacuum sealed or dated and tend to be more expensive by weight, but their malted grains are less expensive, so there's a trade-off to be had. Second, their DME stock is never predictable. One instance it will be LD Carlson, the next, Munton's.
I simply prefer LME in original containers because I'm picky about perceived freshness. I do the same with any craft beer I purchase. If there's no obvious date/time stamp on the bottle, the beer stays on the shelf.
Twenty-six years ago, when Killian's Red was new and all the rage, a bad sixpack left me with a nasty heartburn for days. I've got a looooong memory.

I started out extract brewing with LMEs, but quickly grew tired of that. I use DMEs now while prepping equipment and garage space for all grain. Hope to soon be rid of MEs all together and explore...maybe use it for yeast starters solely.

stylus1274 said:

Interested to hear your findings on that. I can tell you I personally have tasted beer and knew right away it was an extract beer.

I however have never done a side by side analysis to confirm that.

Click to expand...

Well, I did my little test and, FWIW, my opinion is that the beer with the DME tasted largely the same as the one with the LME. I really can't tell the difference well enough to say.

Both came out quite nice, though. Cheers!

I went on sabbatical from all grain brewing back in September and have returned to Cooper's kits as my primary source of homebrewed beer. I generally buy a kit and a kilo of DME (along with extra hops, specialty grain and different yeast but that's beside the point). So I guess that makes my LME consumption slightly higher (by weight and cost anyway).

hagar said:

DME as find it easier to work with.

Click to expand...

I use LME for this very same reason.

I don't use too much of it. I partial mash, and use 1 or 2 lbs of LME for a typical 6.5 gallon batch, and use it for starters.