malt or malt or mini?

DME or LME or maybe a mini mash and a malt extract? This is the question I am poling. Share your experiance then reflections. Most who read this thread are new to home brewing, so long timers feel free to add in your 2 cents. Cheers!

My experiance is with kits thus far with expected results : you get out what You put in.

I prefer the DME to the liquid. As a Chef, a dried ingrediant is 99% better in rehydration taste result than a concentrate a.k.a. as a LME. LME help in color, for a not so shure result in a kit on the shelf @ human comfort level, (75* ). I like to solve this problem in a mini mash/partial boil with more ingrediants from the dried variety and use only DME for sucrose/O.G.

Well , I will moniter posts and edit here for results

LME = 0%

DME = 66%

Mini = 33%

I prefer DME due to color. LME usually darkens as it ages.

At the top of the first post if you click thread tools, you can make a poll so you don't have to keep track of it. I say mini mash, it is definately worth it, then go all-grain asap.

Thanks for the short education , poll activated. Thanks for posting!

superman3278 said:

I prefer the DME to the liquid. As a Chef, a dried ingrediant is 99% better in rehydration taste result than a concentrate a.k.a. as a LME.

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I can't speak for food, but my pref is definitely with the liquid. It's far cheaper, (at least here) I can buy it in any size increments, and I cannot honestly say I've tasted a difference between LME and DME. Oh, and it diffuses into the wort so much easier; you don't get clumping like you do with dry. The one good thing about dry is it keeps better, and it is good to have some around for starters and such.

superman3278 said:

LME help in color, for a not so shure result in a kit on the shelf @ human comfort level, (75* ). I like to solve this problem in a mini mash/partial boil with more ingrediants from the dried variety and use only DME for sucrose/O.G.

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Not sure what you mean by this, though. There's not much sucrose in DME, if any...

Here are some links that might help
A home brewing beer and wine making civilized discussion community. Also with beer/wine/mead/cider discussion, beer reviews, pub talk, and general chit-chat. - Search Results for dme vs lme

Brew Your Own: The How-To Homebrew Beer Magazine - Countertop Partial Mashing -

I pretty much make only mini-mash recipes anymore, usually with 4-5 lbs of grain. For the balance of the recipe I prefer bulk LME because it's half the cost, fresh at my LHBS and I can ask for the exact amount I need for each recipe. Canned LME is a different story, I used it when I got started brewing and all of those early brews had an odd twangy taste that I didn't appreciate. I'd use dry extract if the fresh bulk LME wasn't available to me.

The BYO link Jonnio has up is a great resource to start mini mashing. The info in that article and a converted cooler MLT and you're mashing.
I use both LME and DME mostly dependent upon the style I'm brewing. I use LME for the ones where color / clarity isn't as big a concern (wheats and stouts) and DME for blondes, reds etc.

All extract (with steeping grains), mostly liquid. I can get either locally and cost is not a factor. I have a high degree of confidence that my LME is very fresh. I would not buy from a bulk vat or barrel, in my opinion this is the product that is the basis for the poor reputation of LME - I use only canned (and have no difficulty with making light colored beers). I like the convenience of pouring from a can.