Bulk Liquid Malt Extract

I wanted to buy a bunch of liquid malt extract in bulk to save money. I know the stuff is a pain in the ass to work with, whats the easiest/cleanest way to portion out 5lbs from a 50lb pail of LME.

Thanks:rockin:

 

LME is tough to portion out like that, and tends not to age well. Because of that, DME's usually better for buying in bulk.

 

I agree with Sumner. If you have not already spent the money, I would advise against it. I say this as someone who habitually uses LME. The biggest issue with using LME seems to be the freshness, and buying in bulk, or from a bulk container most often seems to be a contributor to the problem.

 

My LHBS pushes it with CO2 and some sort of valve at the bottom....

 

I have used bulk LME w/ positive results. Simply ladle it out of the bucket, or pour it out of a jug. No big deal, typically a quart weighs 3 lbs. I have heard you can freeze it...sometimes i would pour a little vodka on to to deter any growth or mold but never had any irregardless. Never had any problems using it at all. I would have a jug / bucket for say 2-3 months.

 

I know this thread hasnt been hit in a while, but I just got a 33 lb jug of lme from my Lhbs. I poured it out into 1 2 and 3 lb freezer bags. I pushed ot all the air and stuck them in the freezer. This was yesterday. Today they are still not hard. I lowered the temp. How long does it take lme to freeze?

 

I had a 5 lb pale once that I left unrefridgerated for months and it had molds and funky stuff on the surface of it when I opened it. I froze it and it never got completely hard. I cut the top of the pale off, sliced off the funky surface, got the partially frozen chunk all the way out of the pale, rinsed it on all surfaces just for a moment, and then threw it in my boil and made a DELICIOUS brown ale with it. You'll be a-ok.