Malt extract - contents?

[hasseg]

I've been looking everywhere for some information about what malt extract contains when it comes to fermementable sugar versus dextrins. Does anybody have a clue. I would imagine that darker varieties have more dextrins, but as it is now I have not got any idea what-so-ever. It sure would make brewing a lot easier...
cheers

 

[ILuvIPA]

Intersting question. I downloaded all the Breiss DME product data sheets before I bought bulk. DME Pilsen Light is 13% glucose, 48% maltose, 14% maltotriose, 19% higher sachrides, 75% fermentable and is 2 degree Lov. Their other DMEs are pretty much identical specs other than the lovibond. You can read the product sheets here:
http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Products/Malt_Extracts.htm (scroll down)

For dextrin style malt:
http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Products/Carapils_Malts.htm
They recommend up to 5% to increase foam, head retention, & mouthfeel.

 

[hasseg]

thanks, very good. One thing, higher saccharids must be dextrines then and they make up 19%, so rest of the unfermentables must be from the other sugars then, to make things add up to 100% I mean?

75% is much higher than I thought it would be after making a couple of batches, could it be that the brew kits have lower fermentables to match the sugar one is supposed to add. Sort of a surprise as well that the fermentability is the same no matter the darkness of the malt, not at all what I would have thought.

 

[david_42]

Sort of a surprise as well that the fermentability is the same no matter the darkness of the malt, not at all what I would have thought.

The main difference is in the composition of the non-fermentables, more caramelization of the higher saccharides. The mono- and di-saccharides aren't effected.

 

[hasseg]

The main difference is in the composition of the non-fermentables, more caramelization of the higher saccharides. The mono- and di-saccharides aren't effected.

so caramelized higher saccharides are something different from dextrines then? Would they be responsible for the sweeter taste of darker beers then...

 

[ILuvIPA]

so caramelized higher saccharides are something different from dextrines then? Would they be responsible for the sweeter taste of darker beers then...

Yes, that's exactly right:
http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter20-1.html