Confusion with a recipe (dry and liquid malt extract) in Palmer's book

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Seb

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I'm currently reading Palmer's book How to brew. I'm at Chapter 7 : Boiling and Cooling and he has this step by step process of boiling, using a recipe.

One thing that got me confused is the fact he uses 2 kinds of malt extract, dry and liquid.

At page 81, before boiling the wort, he says to add dry malt extract. Then in page 83, with 5 minutes remaining after the 1hr count, he says to add the remaining liquid malt extract.

Why is he using these two? Couldn't he simply go with one or the other?

I don't get it.
 
LME usually comes in 3.3 lb cans, where as DME is usually in 1, 2 or 3lb bags (yeah I know you can get other breaks). So if you need a 1.040 OG with 5 gallons, you need 200 points - how to get there with extract and have as little as possible in an open bag or can? mix LME and DME.

Another reason for using LME is it is less expensive than DME - to make DME they first make wort, then dry it out to LME and finally take the LME and make DME - well roughly. So you see extra step to get to DME, therefore more $ for DME.

That is probably why he is using 2 different types of malt. There is also a possilbity when he made the recepie that you could get some malts only in liquid or dry.
 
I do late extract additions with half the 3lb bag of plain DME in the 2.5G boil. I do my hop additions,remove from heat,then add the remaining DME & the LME. Cover & steep 15 mins while still boiling hot. The steep helps kill whatever might've been in the remaining malts. It also gives lighter color & cleaner flavors when ferment temps are kept in check.
 
So there are no scientific reasons as to why use both kind of malt extract, it's only a matter of preference of the brand and needs?
 
Well... preferences and needs are perfectly valid scientific reasons. But yeah, many recipes can be made with either LME or DME, to the point that no one could tell the difference.

But selections and availability are different. You can get Munich LME for example, but not as DME (AFAIK). Or Laaglaander DME, which is not available as LME.

As with many things in life, the correct answer is, "it depends."
 
Seb, you can use LME and DME, either will produce the same results. As stated above the variables are:

price
type of extract available
package size of extract available.

The late extract addition is a very good process, in my opinion, and one that should usually be used, whether using liquid or dried extract.
 
Amen,pappers! I like the performance of the DME in the boiling stage. I think it works better,as it seems to be more heat tolerant than LME,ime.
 
So there are no scientific reasons as to why use both kind of malt extract, it's only a matter of preference of the brand and needs?

If by scientific you mean 'fermentablity' or 'taste' then no. They pretty much are the same, and Yeast by CW+JZ says soemthing liek 90% of the beer flavor comes from the yeast - type, quality, quantity of pitch, ferment temps, etc(good read btw). So unlikely that will be affected.

If by 'scientific' you mean some of the others characteristics like color, or style guidlines, then the type of malt is very important. You obviously can't get a pale ale using amber malts, or wheat without using a partial wheat malt.

But I sense you are more asking about flavor and ferment, so no. Price, availablity, preferences, etc are probably drivers and +1 to the suggestion of late malt additions to keep it lighter in color.
 
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