Adding Extract with 5 minutes left

[thebluewaffle]

SO I have seen many topics regarding late addition extracts, but they always seem to fade out before someone posts there results. So if there is anyone out there let me know how it went. I believe the off sweet flavor that I taste in all of my hombrews is from caramelization. 1. Because final gravity is never reached because of burnt sugars. 2. When you burn these sugars or boil them too long they begin to taste more caramel like.

I could be completely wrong so lets here it. Who does late additions? Do you notice a difference in the strongness of extract twang or caramel flavor?

 

[unionrdr]

I use DME & LME,half the DME for hop additions,& the remaining half at the end. At flame out,remove from heat source,& add the LME. Stir till no more can be scraped off the bottom of the BK. Cover & let steep for 15 while sanitizing FV. This keeps flavors cleaner/crisper,& lighter color. But you still have to keep ferment temps in check.
I don't get the extract twang,or other funky flavors.

 

[Yooper]

I've done a LOT of late additions of the extract in brews. Not recently, as I'm brewing with a totally different all-electric HERMS now, but in the past I did it with every batch.

If I had a recipe with, say, 8 pounds of DME, I'd add a pound of extract per gallon of wort boiling at the beginning and the rest at the end of the boil. So, if I had a 2.5 gallon goal for my boil size, I'd add 2 pounds of DME (the DME takes up some room in the pot, too, so it'd bring me right to around 2.5 gallons to start my boil).

If I had LME, I'd add the vast majority of it at the end of the boil as it really seems to darken and taste "extract-y" with boiling.

If I had a mixture of LME/DME, I'd add some of the DME at the beginning and the rest at the end.

In my opinion, this produces a "fresher" tasting beer without an extract taste or a "thick" carmel taste that I got in the "traditional" way. You avoid maillard reaction so you don't get a carmelized type of flavor.

 

[Turlian]

I'd add a pound of extract per gallon of wort boiling at the beginning and the rest at the end of the boil

So why bother adding any at the beginning, then?

 

[unionrdr]

You need some malt for good hop utilization. Just not as much as was previously thought. I also do late additions as yooper suggested. She's right,it does make for better beer all around,no twang,no dark colors,no caramel induced funk.

 

[thebluewaffle]

You need some malt for good hop utilization. Just not as much as was previously thought. I also do late additions as yooper suggested. She's right,it does make for better beer all around,no twang,no dark colors,no caramel induced funk.

What's the point of adding any extract in the beginning at all... I thought hops were utilized the best with less extract... So if there is no extract wouldn't they be utilized to the fullest?

 

[unionrdr]

That's called a hop tea,which I have done. It's not too bad,but I think using 1.5lbs of plain DME in a 2.5-3 gallon boil works a bit better. Seems like a little is needed for better utilization,but too much seems to go in the other direction. So you don't want too much gravity.

 

[thebluewaffle]

That's called a hop tea,which I have done. It's not too bad,but I think using 1.5lbs of plain DME in a 2.5-3 gallon boil works a bit better. Seems like a little is needed for better utilization,but too much seems to go in the other direction. So you don't want too much gravity.

I can't tell if your trying to be sarcastic or not, but just in case you arn't I would add all of my extract at the very end so that little to non would be caramelized. I'm not making hop tea.

 

[Rev2010]

The reason is because it's said the beer with have an overly bitter taste but not just in an IBU sense but in an "off" type of way if you just boil water and add all the extract at the very end. So, you put some in there and the rest near end.


Rev.

 

[PT Ray]

The reason is because it's said the beer with have an overly bitter taste but not just in an IBU sense but in an "off" type of way if you just boil water and add all the extract at the very end. So, you put some in there and the rest near end.

I agree, though nothing to support this hypothesis. It seemed to me there needed to be a minimal amount of extract to act as a softener or buffer. Personally, I think this can be satisfied with a minimal amount of steeping grains.

 

[Rev2010]

I agree, though nothing to support this hypothesis.

Not necessarily true. There was a podcast where they tested this and found there was an oddness to the bitter taste in the beers with very little extract for the main duration of the boil. I just don't remember what site it was but it was posted here before and it was a blind taste test.


Rev.

 

[PT Ray]

Not necessarily true. There was a podcast where they tested this......

LOL! Just meant I wasn't aware of anything. I obviously missed that podcast.

 

[Rev2010]

LOL! Just meant I wasn't aware of anything. I obviously missed that podcast.

Wasn't meaning that in a smartypants way or anything. Just that there is a major site that tested it. I can be wrong from recollection, but they were testing hop utilization with wort volumes and found the results were mixed. I believe they did one batch with no extract till the end and it was oddly bitter. I may be off with my memory or confusing things though so take that with a grain of salt. It's been a while since I listened to it.


Rev.

 

[mobrewdude]

I've read so many posts on here I don't remeber exactly where I picked it up, but I've been steeping specialty grains for roughly 30 minutes, then adding about 1/3 of the total LME or DME at boil. I've been adding the remainder of the ME at 10 minutes and bringing back to a boil to get the hot break once again. I thought I read this helped significantly with hop utilization (slightly less hops for the same IBU), reduced chill haze and minimal carmelization. True or no? I'm still very much a noob

Regardless, I've never tasted any off flavors using this method.

 

[unionrdr]

You get cleaner beer flavors,& less chance for caramelization. You lessen the chill haze by cooling the hot wort down to pitch temp asap. The proteins flocculate more doing so. Then when it's time to chill down those beers,it takes longer to chill haze,if at all. It will also settle out faster,ine.

 

[rayg]

I guess I have to try one more time to dispose of this supposed flavor
problem with extracts. I've been brewing with extracts for years and never
noticed anything that I would call "caramel sweetness" or "twang" or
whatever, and I usually put all the extract in before it reaches full boil.

All-malt beers should have a distinct malty sweetness. Even the lightest
German Helles will have a distinct sweetness, but only if you get it on
draft, not overcarbonated, and not super ice-cold. The same with something like Sam Adams Lager, which ice cold in the bottle is thin and bitter
and too sparkly, but on draft has a distinct malty sweetness, due to the
higher serving temp and lower carbonation. You can also taste the great
hop flavor for the same reason, which you also can't taste ice-cold out
of the bottle. My point is, if you drink homebrew that is all malt, and you
are probably not putting as much carbonation into it as a commercial BMC,
you *should* taste some sweetness. If you want a very dry taste, replace
some of the malt extract with 40% rice extract like the BMC beers.

Ray

 

[Barleynose]

Woot! I've been looking for a thread on this as I've been having the same experience as the OP.
Thanks for the information all!