Need help with DFH 90 min. extract conversion

So I'm looking to brew the extract version of the DFH 90 min. clone. Below is the recipe from BYO along with the extract conversion instructions:


90-Minute IPA clone (Dogfish Head) from BYO
(5 gallons/19L, all-grain)
OG = 1.088 FG = 1.021
IBU = 90 SRM = 13 ABV - 8.7%

Ingredients
16.5 lbs. Pilsner malt
1.66 lbs. amber malt (35 *L) -> 0.996 lbs. if using amber malt extract
16 AAU Amarillo hops (90-0 mins)
(2.0 oz. of 8% alpha acids)
8.0 AAu Simcoe hops (90-0 mins)
(0.62 oz. of 13% alpha acids)
8.0 AAU Warrior hops (90-0 mins)
(0.53 oz. of 15% alpha acids)
1 oz. Amarillo hops (dry hops)
0.5 oz. Simcoe hops (dry hops)
0.5 oz. Warrior hops (dry hops)
1 tsp. Iriish moss (15 mins)
Wyeast 1099 (Whitbread Ale) yeast
.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step
Mash in at 122 *F (50 *C), then raise the temp. to 149 *F (65 *C) until conversion is complete. Mash out to 170 *F (77 *C). Boil the wort for 105 minutes. Starting with 90 minutes left in the boil, begin slowly and evenly adding hops to the kettle. (This works out to a little over .25 oz. of hops every 7.5 minutes.) Start fermentation at 71 *F (22 *C) and let raise to 74 *F (23 *C). Dry hop in secondary at 71 *F for 3-5 days, then cool to 32 *F (0 *C).

Extract Option:
Replace Pilsner malt with 8.0 lbs. dried malt extract and 1.75 lbs. of Pilsner Malt. Steep crushed grains in 1.1 gallons (4 L) of water at 150 *F (66 *C) for 45 minutes. Follow the remaining instuctions in the all-grain recipe.


I've entered this in to BeerSmith using the extract option but I come out with an OG estimate of 1.057 instead of 1.088 which is a considerable difference. I would imagine it might have to do with the DME conversion which isn't .6 based on the BYO recipe. If I take the AG 16.5# * .6 I get 1.070 OG which is closer but still not 1.088. Doing the gravity convert in BeerSmith I should be using over 12# of DME. Any ideas here?

Not sure why beersmith would have given you 1.057, I'm getting about 1.086 by my calculations. (8*44 + 1.75*37*.65 + 1.66*32*.65)/5 = 1.0857

I think I see the issue. In BeerSmith, I had the recipe set to Extract, but had the Pilsner and Amber Malt type set to Grain. Since I have actual grain for these, I switched the recipe to Partial Mash, and it came out to 1.088 - right on the nose.

resurrecting an old thread here to get some clarification you are replacing the pilsner malt with the dme and your still using 1.75 pounds of the pilsner to steep? as well as nearly a pound of amber malt extract?

mattne421 said:

resurrecting an old thread here to get some clarification you are replacing the pilsner malt with the dme and your still using 1.75 pounds of the pilsner to steep? as well as nearly a pound of amber malt extract?

Click to expand...

I have the same exact question.

mattne421 said:

resurrecting an old thread here to get some clarification you are replacing the pilsner malt with the dme and your still using 1.75 pounds of the pilsner to steep? as well as nearly a pound of amber malt extract?

Click to expand...

Yes - I ended up doing a partial mash / Extract with steeping grains. 8# of DME is used and 1.75# of Pilsner and 1.66# of amber malt is steeped / mashed. Hope that clarifies.

To further clarify - the note after the amber malt regarding the LME conversion is there in case someone wants to replace that particular grain with an extract equivalent. I chose to partial mash / steep it so no amber DME was used when I brewed.

So, if you wanted, you could do 8# of DME, ~1# of amber LME, and partial mash / steep only the 1.75# of Pilsner.

did you mash or steep?

Check the recipe under my name. I have a clone posted with an extract version if you look down a little further. Don't use Pils malt. They don't.

Skelator said:

did you mash or steep?

Click to expand...

I partial mashed. I group them together b/c it's basically the same process. I followed the instructions on the recipe.

I'm thinking of brewing this on Sunday (extract version). However, my LHBS does not carry DME and only sells LME. Do you think the usual conversion of 0.8 * DME will be fine here, or are they specifying DME for a reason? That comes out to 6.4 lb LME plus the steeping grains, but that doesn't seem like enough to get the OG where it needs to be.

Also, they don't specify a variety- I assume they are referring to Light / extra light DME? Perhaps the Pilsen LME at my LHBS?

HawkDriver said:

I'm thinking of brewing this on Sunday (extract version). However, my LHBS does not carry DME and only sells LME. Do you think the usual conversion of 0.8 * DME will be fine here, or are they specifying DME for a reason? That comes out to 6.4 lb LME plus the steeping grains, but that doesn't seem like enough to get the OG where it needs to be.

Also, they don't specify a variety- I assume they are referring to Light / extra light DME? Perhaps the Pilsen LME at my LHBS?

Click to expand...

It's DME / 0.8 (or DME *1.25), so 10lbs LME. light or extra light will work fine.

I thought that didn't sound right. 10 lbs, gotcha. Went the wrong way with the multiply/divide. Thanks!