More steeped Grains/Less LME in extract brewing

What's up Brewers!
I have now completed six batches of beer using LME and hops. Each one getting better than the last. I typically steep some specialty grains for color and flavor prior to adding LME. Usually about 1lb caramel 60-80-120 with a 3gal boil. I am currently using 6-7lbs LME at said boil volume. I am curious to find out if I can increase steeped grain volume and decrease LME amount and hope to get more favorable flavor profiles. I have only started (last two batches) to add 1/2 LME at boil and 1/2 at last 15min of boil after finding out what effects OG has on hop utilization. I add 1 gal of ice water to help chill the wort and vigorously aerate 1gal in carboy for a total volume of 5gal at fermentation. I eventually want to go to all grain but only after I master extract brewing.
Questions:

1) Can I use more steeped grains in lieue of LME? Saves money also!!!
2) Is there a formula for the above?
3) Can I add 1/2 LME at flameout instead of during boil? Want to prevent scorching of LME.

Thanks and enjoy your Homebrew. Going to unveil my fifth batch for this Sunday's Chargers-Pats game. An ESB I am calling the "BitterSpouse". Amazed she still loves me after the mess I make in the kitchen!!

The LME is your source of fermentable sugars. If you added more steeping grains and less LME you would just have a lower ABV beer because steeping grains don't add any fermentables

You could go to a mini mash style and do a small mash with some base grains like 2 row. Happy brewing .

Start looking into partial mash recipes. I think that is what you are trying to describe.

Thanks for the quick replies and I will look into partial mash. I was under the impression that by steeping malted barley that I can infuse fermentable sugars and flavors into wort much like all grain but at a much lower volume. I am not using toasted malt. I should have been more clear in that I am steeping malted barley and not other grains. Currently searching partial mash.

maddad said:

Thanks for the quick replies and I will look into partial mash. I was under the impression that by steeping malted barley that I can infuse fermentable sugars and flavors into wort much like all grain but at a much lower volume. I am not using toasted malt. I should have been more clear in that I am steeping malted barley and not other grains. Currently searching partial mash.

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Yes, you can do that. But not with "specialty grains" like crystal malt. You'll need "base malt" that can be mashed (steeped at a prescribed volume at a prescribed temperature) so that starches will be converted to fermentable sugars.

"Malted barley" is what your steeping grains are, of course. But it's processed differently than base malts that you would use to extract fermentable sugars. When you steep crystal malt, you're getting color and flavor but no conversion is taking place.

See here: http://howtobrew.com/section2/index.html

@Yooper
Thanks for the clarification. I would hope that there are varieties of base malt that I can try out. I know that my LHBS stocks/sells Bries LME but I am trying to avoid the higher content of sugars in the initial boil to allow the hops to be effective. My first two batches did not taste much different than one another even though I used different hop varieties and amounts. This may be due to the fact that I dumped 6+ lbs of LME in after steeping the grains. My third batch I used wayyyy too much LME. I have since been utilizing some of J.Palmers recipes as guidelines and recently discovered why I should half the LME amount at initial boil. I can't wait to try the first beer tomorrow. Thanks for the link, Palmer's and Papazian's are the only two books that have actually made it out of the bathroom and into every room of the house, to include the car on the long road trips!!!

Any suggestions on partial mash instructions/recipes?

maddad said:

@Yooper


Any suggestions on partial mash instructions/recipes?

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There are so many! Just about ANY recipe can be a partial mash recipe, and they are easily converted. Check out the recipe database, and there are lots of PM recipes. If they aren't posted, they can easily be converted from the AG to a PM version. We can help you with that, so don't worry about not being able to do it!

A partial mash should save you money (as two-row is cheaper than LME as a rule) as well as make better beer, so it's a win/win!

I've been looking and actually found some instructions on HBT regarding BIAB. I am going to give it a go for the next batch. So many people on this forum have been so helpful I can't wait to reciprocate. Thanks for all the information. Next time, I'll be posting pics of my beer. Too bad we'll have to wait another decade for taste-o-vision!!!