Malt extract question

I'm about to make my first brew and have a question before buying ingredients. When at the Homebrew Suppyly Store I see malt extract syrup and malt extract powder.

When my recipe is calling for X pounds of malt extract is it refering to syrup or powder?

tomwirsing said:

I'm about to make my first brew and have a question before buying ingredients. When at the Homebrew Suppyly Store I see malt extract syrup and malt extract powder.

When my recipe is calling for X pounds of malt extract is it refering to syrup or powder?

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Both are given in pounds. I prefer the dry malt extract (DME) but there are also recipes that use liquid (LME). I'd only buy the liquid if it's very, very fresh (if the store has a high turnover) or if it was a specialty item like liquid pilsner malt that you couldn't get in dry malt.

If you have a recipe, we could give you some pointers on what to get.

Oh, by the way- welcome to HBT!

In a blatant attempt at thread hijacking, before shopping for batch#2 ingredients I noticed comments on here about old DME being less than desirable. I think the recommendation was if you're buying it and not using it right away it should be refrigerated. Anywho, to continue my verbal assault on the LHBS they said even if it's clumped due to sitting around it's fine, doesn't make any difference. Is everything I'm told at the LHBS a lie?

DME stays fresh longer and is about 20% stronger.

To answer your question. It REALLY depends on the recipe and it SHOULD tell you.

If not post the recipe here - it's PROBABLY LME (liquid)

Old DME does clump, but it will stick work. Old LME is worse- it turns rancid, or it gets "Twangy".

Grinder is correct, the recipe should tell you. If it doesn't you can play with the numbers in The Beer Recipator 2.2 until the starting gravity matches the recipe. Personally, if the recipe doesn't say which, I'd be looking for another recipe.

Personally, if the recipe doesn't say which, I'd be looking for another recipe.

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+1 on that one! It's not like there is a lack if recipes.

As a new who just brewed my 2nd batch I suggest you do a kit recipe first instead of trying to make your own. You are new and you are prone to making mistakes. Start as simple as you can get and buy a kit from a respectable online or LHBS source.