Base light dry malt questions???

[rustoleum]

Ok so I'm building a 10gal AG setup "Kal clone" so for the time being its extract for me.
I want to buy 1 kind of dry malt extract be it Pilsen or light bulk 50# sack
Now knowing that. I need help figuring out the types and amounts of specialty grains needed to make the different types of extracts to make the light,amber,dark,extra dark malts?

For almost a year now I have been brewing with lme every 2 or 3 weeks and would like to switch to dry for various reasons.

I have attempted a search but this darn iPad stops the search every time I type a letter

 

[RM-MN]

Dry malt extract is hygroscopic. I wants to grab water out of the air and when it does it clumps up and gets hard. When your humidity goes up in summer I would expect this to become a big mess. It's better to buy DME as you need it unless you can store it in a sealed container.

Briess had a listing on their website showing the percentages of different malts that go into the different extracts. It was difficult to find buy if you keep digging it will show up.

 

[IslandLizard]

Just store it dry in well sealed plastic bags. To add an extra layer, stick the bags in a bucket with a tight lid.

Since you seem to use a lot of it, see if you can get in on a group bulk buy. The bulk DME is very reasonably priced, like under $2 a pound. Beats the $4 from your LHBS.

Either get Pilsen or light DME. You can make anything out of that.

 

[rustoleum]

vacuum sealing and storing in buckets with gamma seal lids is the way it will be stored. I will be buying it in a group buy so yes the price is cheap.
I have used both dry and liquid in the past but its cheaper and lasts longer if I go dry.
Proper storage is not the issue for me just wondering what it would take to make the different types of malt out of it.
I will dig into the Briess sight and see what I can find.

 

[IslandLizard]

Or convert / redesign the recipes from AG or PM to Extract from the ground up.

Anyone building recipes from kits knows that adding malts like "Amber DME" is a pretty vague and arbitrary ingredient anyway. Much better to use light DME and steep more grains instead.

 

[vNmd]

vacuum sealing and storing in buckets with gamma seal lids is the way it will be stored.

I vacuum seal mine as well. Any benefit of cooling or storing in the fridge or does vacuuming do enough?

 

[unionrdr]

I use extra light plain DME for light lager colored beers. Plain light DME for when I want that amber orange color for pale ales,IPA's,etc. Just build the recipe using the right DME to get the color/flavors desired. Beersmith2 is a great tool that can really help with this. Especially when you use steeping grains,or go partial boil partial mash biab like I did. Way more control,& you're still using a couple pounds of extract to get about half the fermentables. My brews def got more interesting with BS2 & PM.