Liquid vs DMe

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chip82

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Hello folks, i have a question regarding my first brew that i am going to attempt. I am going to purchase a kit from AHS. The following one to be exact.
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_452_42_163&products_id=10628
My question is, what is the are the pros and cons of using a Liquid extract compared to a Dry Extract? Is one easier to do? Does one provide a better taste compared to the other?

I decided that is I am going to start my adventure into homebrewing, I want to do it properly.

Thanks in advance,

Chip
 
Handled right, there's really no difference in the end product.

LME is easier to incorporate into the wort since DME can tend to clump and need lots of mixing to get dissolved.

DME is kind of foolproof when it comes to freshness since it's so shelf stable. LME can give you issues if it's not fresh enough. (btw... Austin Homebrew sells very fresh LME)

It's really up to you so don't be afraid to use either one. I use LME because I can get it really fresh and cheaper than DME at my local shop, but don't have anything against the dry stuff either.
 
Agreed. LME is easier to mix in, and I prefer it, but you do have to stir quite a bit to prevent the liquid from settling on the bottom of the kettle and scorching before it's thoroughly mixed in.
 
Mixing in the DME reminded me a bit of trying to dissolve cornstarch into liquid.. it was a pain in the butt .... but I'm sure it will be worth it in the end.
 
I like DME. If my brew day gets pushed back, no biggie, etc.. Its nice to have ingredients for a batch sitting there in case the right time comes along as well.
 
DME is easier to divide into smaller portions, more shelf stable, and easier to dispense,

LME's cheaper, easier to mix, and comes in more varieties.

Overall I find DME easier to use; the mixing is slightly harder, but getting LME to pour more than balances that out. Obviously others disagree.
 
Agreed. LME is easier to mix in, and I prefer it, but you do have to stir quite a bit to prevent the liquid from settling on the bottom of the kettle and scorching before it's thoroughly mixed in.

I just take part of the water for the boil and put it in
a crockpot set to high, then add the extract (lme or dme)
to the crockpot and stir it occassionally while the main
pot is heating up, then dump the whole thing in.

Ray
 
But be careful when doing a high gravity brew with DME. I had clumps so big that I needed scissors to brake them up, and I swore I'd never use the dry stuff again (which didn't last long, but still, I was pretty frustrated).
 
Do a search on late additions of LME during the boil. There is a ton of info on that subject. I add about half of my LME at the end of the boil and have had great results. If I can get the LME fresh I stick with it. My LHBS in Annapolis has a good supply so I stick with the LME.
 
But be careful when doing a high gravity brew with DME. I had clumps so big that I needed scissors to brake them up, and I swore I'd never use the dry stuff again (which didn't last long, but still, I was pretty frustrated).

DME is way easier to mix into room temperature water. I get a pitcher and add about a half gallon of water and mix the DME in and then stir in just before or right after my LME.
No clumps that way.
 
Well one thing to consider is that when you use a liquid extrat only approx. 88% of the volume is fermentable solids. where as a DRY extract is approx 94-96% fermentable solids. This only comes into play when you are substituing a dry extract for a liquid or vice versa in a recipe. I personally like Dry extracts because I think they provide better fermentation. Either way if you subsitute a dry for a liquid make sure you use 16% less of the extract then the recipe calls for. And if you use a liquid in place of a dry add 13% more water than the recipe calls for.

Other then the math it is only a matter of preference. Also you can ignore these steps and see where it takes your beer, One of the joys of the homebrew, you get to decide how you make it. Recipes aren't set in stone. Consider it more guidelines to aid in your brewing.
Hope it helps!
 
With that being said, has anyone tried making a slurry (like how you do with cornstarch) of distilled water and DME to help it incorporate quicker?

That could be more trouble than it's worth.

However, I might try transferring my DME to a mixing bowl to make it easier to control the pour into the water (so it's not clumping up on the side of the bag).
I followed the sage advice and turned the heat off under the pot when I added the DME, it is a pain to mix, but I think the right amount of control when adding it to the water gives you time to stir stir stir, then add more, stir stir stir, add more, etc.
 
...has anyone tried making a slurry (like how you do with cornstarch) of distilled water and DME...?
A "slurry" of a sugar (DME) and water is a syrup. You'd literally just be turning your DME into LME. It may be easier to mix into your brew pot, but I agree with Mermaid that it's more trouble than it's worth.

Add no more than a pound of DME to your brew pot at a time, whisk it until it's all dissolved and add the next pound, etc. It goes pretty fast that way. Some people use electric mixers or immersion blenders to make really quick work of it.
 
LME, having water in it, provides the right conditions for certain chemical reactions to occur that will darken the beer. That's one of the big reasons people suggest only using fresh LME. Since DME is dry, those same darkening reactions don't occur.
 
I slowly stir the top of the wort with a wisk while adding the DME and it
disolves fine with no clumps. Dumping it all in at once makes it all clump
together.
 
I pretty much only use Light DME (or Wheat DME) in my beers and build it up with specialty grains (from everything I've ever read this is the best way to brew with extract). The only exception is with Munich LME. I can't seem to find Munich DME anywhere.

In my experiences I've found DME to be easier to work with as well as giving you a little more control over the color of your beers. For whatever reason when i use LME I get more carmelization, even when I add portions of the extract later in the boil. I've been able to get exceptionally light colored beers with late DME additions.
 
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