Extract brewing

Hi, I recently experimented with two cans of HME for one 2 gal batch. It is great! I'd like to accomplish the same thing, or close to it, but with one can of HME and some DME. The HME cans I'm using are 1.87 lbs. How much DME should I use?

I THINK you need about 80% of the amount of liquid extract. So about 1.5 pounds would be equivalent.

I checked my math and that's right as far as I know.

Assuming that your extract is ~35-36 ppg for the HME (pretty typical for liquid extract syrup) and ~45 ppg for the DME (again pretty typical), then yes, 0.8 lbs DME per pound of HME should be about right. If your extracts have different sugar contributes then it would change a little bit, but not significantly.

The difference is (and hopefully you know this already), regular DME is not hopped, so you'll have to boil and add hops to get the same hop character. HME is a little more particular, and if you're not supposed to boil it you don't want to boil it. It'll increase bittereness and drive off any late hops that should be in there.

I agree that mixing hopped malt extract and either dry or liquid malt extract (non hopped) is something I'd avoid. Mixing DME and LME is no problem.

If you're splitting it up, it shouldn't matter. You have your bittering hops in the HME. start your boil and add the DME or part of it. Then add the HME with 10-15 minutes left in the boil. Add any additional hops at whatever times you have in a recipe. The HME just needs to be reconstituted and mixed. The hops are in it for bitter, flavor, and aroma.

Having said all that, if you're using extra hops, you might as well use all DME.

What is your goal with this? Why not use 2 cans of HME?

Thanks everyone for the info. I just started brewing and just started experimenting.
Ericbw, the HMEs that I tried so far were a little short on flavor. I haven't started using extra hops yet, but that will be soon. I'm just not sure which hops are best. Using 2 cans of HME was the best batch so far. I thought I'd like to try one HME and add DME and/or hops. I guess I'm trying to find a suitable "base".

Poppajim said:

Thanks everyone for the info. I just started brewing and just started experimenting. . . . I guess I'm trying to find a suitable "base".

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That makes a lot of sense. I'd recommend reading the first section of John Palmer's book How to Brew, you don't need to buy it, you can see it for free online here www.howtobrew.com Follow the directions in Section 1 and he tells you, step by step, how to make a good, basic beer using malt extract.

https://www.jaysbrewing.com/2011/11/17/lazy-chart-for-converting-dme-lme-grain/
chart for converting lme,dme,grain might help

Pappers_ said:

I agree that mixing hopped malt extract and either dry or liquid malt extract (non hopped) is something I'd avoid. Mixing DME and LME is no problem.

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Why? When I was starting out using the Mr. Beer products, I was mixing their HMEs with DME to either just boost ABV or part of a larger "recipe". Its just malt extract, it won't blow up...

Poppajim said:

Thanks everyone for the info. I just started brewing and just started experimenting.
Ericbw, the HMEs that I tried so far were a little short on flavor. I haven't started using extra hops yet, but that will be soon. I'm just not sure which hops are best. Using 2 cans of HME was the best batch so far. I thought I'd like to try one HME and add DME and/or hops. I guess I'm trying to find a suitable "base".

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The other guys are right, however - if you want to emulate the experience you got with two cans of HME, you are going to need to boil some hops to make up for the hops not in the DME/LME.

I am assuming you are using only one can this time because that's all you have around?

slym2none said:

Why? When I was starting out using the Mr. Beer products, I was mixing their HMEs with DME to either just boost ABV or part of a larger "recipe". Its just malt extract, it won't blow up...

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No, its not dangerous. Its just impossible to tell what you'll end up with, hop bitterness and flavor wise, for the reasons others explained above.

That's where a recipe calculator comes in handy... at least for matching IBUs and such.

Now, what hops were used in that HME and what you might use to come close, that is totally up in the air, as Coopers & the like don't tell what they put in those cans.

You might look over in the Mr. Beer or BeerBorg Forums and their recipe sections to see which and how much DME/LME and hops others have used with whichever HME you're trying. At least that'll give you an idea of what others have already done and how it turned out. I've used 8oz of Amber DME with the Mr. Beer Winter Dark Ale and Oktoberfest recipes, they're fermenting atm but should be ready for bottling this weekend.

Slym2none, I've only made 4 batches so far. The very first was without much flavor. 1 can with nothing added. The second was a wheat beer ( 1 can)with an LME added. Not bad. A little more body but not quite there yet. The third is the one I've mentioned using 2 cans of the same extract. I am very pleased with it. The 4th I haven't tried yet. I've been trying to come up with a guideline to go forward with. I was also trying to take it easy on the wallet. I didn't think about the hops I would be missing by using a DME instead of the HME. Now I know that one can just doesn't work. 2 cans is good. Thanks for your input and everyone else's.

Yeah, I'd say that if you like the results, go with two cans again. BUT, if you can figure out about what hops are in the HME (and possibly any specialty grains) then you could re-create the experience and save some $ doing it by using DME/LME and boiling some hops.

If you thought the 2 cans of HME was light on flavor, then you can add some DME and more hops. I would and half to 1 pound DME and some bittering hops, boil 45 min and add HME. Then add aroma hops and boil 10-15 min. Or save the aroma hops for flameout.

This is not the "right way" to do this, but who cares?!?

What kind of HME did you use?