DME nightmares

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jwheeler85

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I'd really appreciate some suggestions here:

Ok, so I've read all about extracts, partial boils, hop utilization, etc... but I'm just having trouble finding a good way to do these recipes calling for 6 plus pounds of DME.

Basically, I do a 3 gallon or so boil, first steeping specialty grains, then adding bittering hops and about half of the extract called for in the recipe. Boil for however long, more hops, and in the last 15 minutes I add the remaining extract and allow that to pasturize.

I do the half and half thing with the extract to simulate a full volume boil, gravity wise, so that I can get the most out of my hops... boil gravity affects isomerization... so they say. So anyways, where I'm going with this is that I can't figure out a good way to add DME to my boils. I know they say that it dissolves better in cold water... but how do I do that with my current techniques? Last batch I made was a nightmare because all the DME formed a massive solid clump on the surface of the kettle and took me about 45 minutes of constant poking and stirring to dissolve... that, and the stuff started to hydrate while still in the bag due to the steam rising from the kettle.

Any tips from first hand experience that would make this easier???
 
put it in a bowl first, and slowly pour it in as you're stirring it a good whirlpool action in the wort.

You'll always have some clumps, but a whisk or good stirring works.
 
How about holding out 1/2 gallon of cold water in a carboy. Add the DME put foil over the top and shake the crap out of it. It will all disolve in about 3 min or less. Then just pour it in the boil.
Cheers
Jay
 
How about holding out 1/2 gallon of cold water in a carboy. Add the DME put foil over the top and shake the crap out of it. It will all disolve in about 3 min or less. Then just pour it in the boil.
Cheers
Jay

ssssh.
Don't tell them the secrets ;)
 
+1

Also, you don't need to add 1/2 of the DME at the beginning - you can go with much less and gain greater benefit from your late addition (especially less carmelization, lighter color and greater hops utilization).

put it in a bowl first, and slowly pour it in as you're stirring it a good whirlpool action in the wort.

You'll always have some clumps, but a whisk or good stirring works.
 
How about holding out 1/2 gallon of cold water in a carboy. Add the DME put foil over the top and shake the crap out of it. It will all disolve in about 3 min or less. Then just pour it in the boil.
Cheers
Jay

I'm brewing with DME for the first time this weekend, I like this idea. Thanks :mug:
 
Just like everything else with brewing....Patience. Take your time pouring it in.

+1 patience is a virtue.

I use a whisk while I'm pouring. Knocks it right apart.

+2 Using a whisk for DME is the bees knees.

+1

Also, you don't need to add 1/2 of the DME at the beginning - you can go with much less and gain greater benefit from your late addition (especially less carmelization, lighter color and greater hops utilization).

+3 Try using 1-2 lbs of DME in your 3 gallon boil to increase your utilization, and keep your color lighter. It is not necessary to use exactly half of your DME especially for those higher gravity beers where you might have a larger amount of DME.

You are on the right path, slow down, make sure you're having fun and not becoming frustrated, and for goodnes sake RDWHAHB!:mug:
 
thanks for the help guys! i ended up putting 1/2 gallon of water in my fermenter and whisking in the DME... good arm workout, but it worked great. much easier than my previous experience.
 
I don't know if it actually dissolves faster, but I can definitely say that it makes things considerably simpler.

When I tried pouring DME into my kettle while it was hot enough to produce steam, the steam would cause the DME to clump together at the opening of the bag and then harden...it was a mess. When I tried the cold water method, it made things much easier. The bag wasn't all sticky, I didn't have to pour hot water into the bag to try and get the clumped DME out...etc.
 
I pour the DEM slowly out of the bag with one hand, while stirring with the other. Keeping the mouth of the bag as close to the edge of the pot is key to keep steam from globbing the DME. Some DME cakes on the mouth of the bag but comes right off with a quick dip in the wort. Probably a good idea to turn off the heat and pause your boil timer until the DME is added, heat is resumed, and boil begins again.
 
I pour the DME into a handheld strainer (over a tupperware dish), and the move the strainer into the hot wort and stir so that the water hits the DME and it oozes through the strainer in little bits. When I'm done, I pour what fell into the tupperware dish into the strainer and re-strain into the wort. I've had pretty good results with this, though I can only do a pound or so at a time.
 
Ive never had problems with clumping....and I just dump it all in at one time and then stir. Maybe you are getting bad DME? using Briess? I ALWAYS take it off boil before I add it though.
 
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