Advantages to Late Extract Additions

What are the advantages to late extract additions? -- I have read that late extract additions make the beer lighter in color, but I have also read a longer boil of 90 minutes would make the beer lighter in color too --

Is there a reason to boil for 60 minutes other than for hop bitterness extraction?

The main benefits are better hop utilization and truer color. I wouldn't say you get lighter color, just truer color. Boiling wort longer will not make it lighter in my experience. I always thought longer boiling meant darker wort actually...

OrangeCatBrewery said:

What are the advantages to late extract additions? -- I have read that late extract additions make the beer lighter in color, but I have also read a longer boil of 90 minutes would make the beer lighter in color too --

Is there a reason to boil for 60 minutes other than for hop bitterness extraction?

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90 minute boils will certainly not lighten the color. The color darkens from caramelization of the extract. The late addition gives this reaction less time to take place.

Soulive said:

The main benefits are better hop utilization and truer color. I wouldn't say you get lighter color, just truer color. Boiling wort longer will not make it lighter in my experience. I always thought longer boiling meant darker wort actually...

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Soulive's right...longer boils concentrate the wort, therefore making it darker. hence the idea of adding the LME late in the boil.

Sounds good to me....I have always boiled all my extract for 60 minutes.....Never done a late addition but I am always looking improve my process.

Will late additions allow for better fermentation? I ask this due to the caramelization.

I think the amount of water you are boiling with your extract will make a bigger impact on caramelization the time in which you add it. When I was doing extracts I still did a 60 minute boil, but would add as much water as I could handle. In order to keep the beer more true to the target color.

If you are boiling just water and hops you will get better utilization from your hops, then you could add your extract with something like 15 minutes to go if you are worried about having a light beer. This could be a great idea to stretch hops a little further.

sittingturbo said:

This could be a great idea to stretch hops a little further.

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That's for sure. I forgot to lessen the amount of bittering hops in my Blonde Bizatch and instead of a slightly malty brew, it tasted more balanced. It doesn't really bother me though. I believe that in heavier brews the better hop utilization wouldnt be as noticeable than in a lighter one.

Im not going for a light colored beer. I just was not sure as to why a late extract addition was used. I have always done 60 minute boils with 1.5 gallons water to make 5 gallons. I am going to do a 3 gallon boil this next time.

As I learn thinks I like to try to work them into the process where I can. And it seems that larger volume boils will be an improvement. I am trying to figure out if late extract additions are advantageous.

Thanks for all the info!!

I noticed a rounder malt character and a fuller mouthfeel with late malt additions (a LME LMA?) Nothing dramatic, but it seems to help with that subtle watery mid-body that extract brews so often have. That and the other stuff already mentioned. I never really noticed a color difference, but I never really did any very light colored beers.

Thanks Germey, I know that watery-body feel that some extract brews have. Your answer gives me a little better understanding as to the advantages to late addtions.

I am planning on doing a late extract addtion in my next batch. Before I "did it" I wanted to know why I should "do-it".

Are there any disadvantages to an LEA with LME?

From everything I have read you have to have some amount of sugar in the water for proper hop conversion.

Also, even with full boils, late extract helps keep the flavor and color better. When you think about it extracts have already been boiled and then condensed, so they really don't need a lot of boiling when you add them to the beer.

I know of no drawbacks, just be careful on your hop ratios so that you don't throw the beer out of balance. (If it is going to be a very large amount of extract in the end and you had tons of hops to get the proper utilization because of all that extract it can get a little messed up.)

In order to have good hop utilization you DO NEED some extract in the water...When I used LME I used half in the beginning and half in the last 15 minutes.

Here's a good article on LEA.

http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2008/02/20/better-beer-with-late-malt-extract-additions/

Revvy said:

In order to have good hop utilization you DO NEED some extract in the water...When I used LME I used half in the beginning and half in the last 15 minutes.

Here's a good article on LEA.

http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2008/02/20/better-beer-with-late-malt-extract-additions/

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I watched a pretty in depth brewing video on the net this past weekend. I think it was on Expert village. Anyhooo, The guy suggested you add half of your extract early and the other half near the end. He said it prevented "extract twang". I'm not sure what extract twang is.

You know it when you taste it!

Revvy said:

In order to have good hop utilization you DO NEED some extract in the water...When I used LME I used half in the beginning and half in the last 15 minutes.

Here's a good article on LEA.

http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2008/02/20/better-beer-with-late-malt-extract-additions/

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True. That's why i boil 1 lb of malt in 1.5 gals of water.

As for the 90 minute boil...that's for all grainers...they HAVE to boil down their volume of water...

meh. i messed around with LEA for a little while. it may have helped with the color, but i found the flavor lacking...it may have been responsible for some of the twang i was tasting in my beers, too. that's about when i started partial mashing alot, tho...so i'm not sure.

i always add it as i'm bringing my water to a boil...don't even turn off the heat. shortens my brew day and has no adverse affect on the beer, except maybe a slightly darker color.