DME Woes

Many moons ago I tried to doctor up a Mr Beer West Coast pale ale. I wanted an IPA. My LHBS set me up with some hops and some DME to replace the booster as well as add a bit of gravity.
I didn't understand at the time what it meant to work with DME. Needless to say it didn't work out that well and convinced me to work with LME.
Then I understood the need for a yeast starter. Again my LHBS hooked me up with a pound of extra light DME. It's been working out fairly well adding 4 oz to a quart of water adding it little by little.
So I now get my stuff from a new place since I feel my LHBS was taking advantage of me.
This new place only sells exact amounts, and so I got the rest from another LHBS, though they only sell LME by the can so I was given 1.4 lbs of DME.
I decoded to add it to my blonde at the last 20 mins of the boil as many suggest. I'm glad I gave myself 20 mins as I found it a bit crazy to mess with.
I didn't turn off the heat as it takes a while to heat back up, and I figured I'd do just fine. All of that stirring brought down my temp (I'm pushing my volume).
I read how many people here prefer to use it over LME. Other than storage, why?
Is there something to it that makes it easier? I was stirring the hell out of it and then, once added, stirring the other direction to really get it blended.

I only use DME nowadays. LME was a pain, and too many forums attributed it to the "extract twang" that really separates it from AG recipes, among other things. Secondly, the late-addition DME concept has improved my extract batches enough to make me never look back.

So what's your trick with working with large amounts of DME? Especially as a late addition?
Since all that stirring interrupted my boil, which took me about 20 mins to add 1.4 lbs, I added 5 mins to my boil as my hops (bittering only) were barely going to bring me 15 IBUs.

I'm actually considering using another pot (maybe 1.5 gal) to help me with my volume and boil.

On Saturday, I made a Scottish Strong Ale, a 'Wee Heavy', mashing about 15 lbs of grain and then adding 5 lbs of DME at the end of the boil. I had no difficulties, didn't take the pot off the heat, just poured in the DME relatively slowly and stirred. I wish I had a secret technique to tell you, but I just poured and stirred.

rodwha said:

So what's your trick with working with large amounts of DME? Especially as a late addition?
Since all that stirring interrupted my boil, which took me about 20 mins to add 1.4 lbs, I added 5 mins to my boil as my hops (bittering only) were barely going to bring me 15 IBUs.

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im not sure if the "stirring" stopped your boil. the DME being room temp is what prob stopped your boiling.. not the stirring.

Me too
I think what I'll try next go around will be to utilize SWMBOs 1.5 gal pot for that so as not to disturb my 5 gal (19 lit) pot with the hops. Is a gallon enough water to boil up 1.5 lbs of DME?
But I've also considered "steeping" my grains for a full hour, which seems to me to basically be a BIAB.

The DME no doubt played a bigger part in that, but just the act of a heavy stir will interrupt it for several seconds or so. I'm really pushing my volume (3.5 gal) on this crappy stove. The old one could do 4 easily. But certainly correct that it was the DME...

Pappers_ said:

I wish I had a secret technique to tell you, but I just poured and stirred.

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Actually, that is my secret.

I was able to stir in 6# DME plus 2# sugar at flameout last Friday. Whirlpooled and stirred in about a pound at time. I did have help so not sure it would be a simple solo.

NineMilBill said:

I only use DME nowadays. LME was a pain, and too many forums attributed it to the "extract twang" that really separates it from AG recipes, among other things. Secondly, the late-addition DME concept has improved my extract batches enough to make me never look back.

Click to expand...

LME seems to be more susceptible to scorching/caramelizing, which is often the cause of "extract twang."

That said if handled properly I believe beers made with fresh LME taste better than those made from DME.

Is there no risk not boiling your DME? I thought it was frowned upon due to a chance (however minor) of it being "tainted."

I do it, then I frown on it, then I drink it, then it turns my frown upside down But seriously, i've not had a prob with it, and I do it a lot!

Wanna Know the secret to working with DME? Pour slowly and use a WISK. A Spoon just doesnt cut it. Pour alittle bit wisk in. Repeat

what temp and for how long do we think is needed to sanitize dme (or lme for that matter).

thanks

My experience is that LME isn't an issue as long as I:

1) remove from heat
2) stir in only 1/3 of the LME at 60 min
3) stir the rest in towards the end of boil, again, off the heat