Couple of questions

So I'm reading through my book (Beer Captured) and I've noticed that almost all the recipes use 4-10 lbs of Light Dry Malt Extract and/or Wheat Dry Malt Extract. Most have grains as well. Is this because the grains are only (mostly?) for color and flavor while the malt extract is for the fermentation process? If so why are those 2 used in just about everything in the book? Are they good bases to work from in building your own recipes from? I assume that the is Light is a crystal malt extract? Also a lot of the recipes use the syrup extracts, do you have to use them or can they be replaced with dry? Is there an advantage to either?

Wow...that's a lot of questions...I've brewed a few batches now and am thinking of how to work on one of my own. (Any tips on that?)

Thanks
Tom

Yeah, when you're brewing with extract and grains you're still using the extract for fermentables and the grains are used to make the beer taste better.

There was a thread not to long ago that discussed the beer captured book and why they used multiple types of extract. I recall that the theory was that each variety of extract has a different ratio of fermentable to nonfermentable sugars and thus the authors used specific quantities of each in an effort to get the FG to turn out in the right range. This way they could make the beer dry or sweet whatever is appropriate for the style in much the same way that the all grain brewer does by adjusting the mash temp.

Of course this is all just speculation from someone who doesn't own the book and hasn't used extract in some time now and when I did I only used liquid anyway.

Lost said:

There was a thread not to long ago that discussed the beer captured book and why they used multiple types of extract. I recall that the theory was that each variety of extract has a different ratio of fermentable to nonfermentable sugars and thus the authors used specific quantities of each in an effort to get the FG to turn out in the right range. This way they could make the beer dry or sweet whatever is appropriate for the style in much the same way that the all grain brewer does by adjusting the mash temp.

Click to expand...

Yes, that is correct. Especially for the lighter beers, you are better off using the exact brand of ME that is specified in the recipe.

Kai

It seems odd that you use the same dry extract for a pale ale and an imperial stout (only more in the stout). I understand that the stout uses more for the higher FG and ABV, buy why not use a dark extract instead of the light?

Tom

Tom Church said:

It seems odd that you use the same dry extract for a pale ale and an imperial stout (only more in the stout). I understand that the stout uses more for the higher FG and ABV, buy why not use a dark extract instead of the light?

Tom

Click to expand...

If you are formulating your own recipe it is better to use light extract. If you use dark you may not know what went into making it. Use light extract then you have complete control over the stuff that makes it dark, sweeter, chewy, etc...