Lme

So since my visit to the LHBS required me to spend more than $10 because I had to pay with a credit card cause my wallet needed some time away from me after this weekend, I bought an IPA recipe they had on hand. The thing is it calls for LME instead of DME which is what I'm used to dealing with. I plan on brewing it this weekend, is there anything I should do differently in preparation?

 

use 80% less DME by weight - if the recipe calls for 10 lbs of LME, use 8 lbs of DME. otherwise, proceed as normal. you'll obviously need to add a little more water to bring you up to volume.

 

Be careful about scorching. LME sinks to the bottom of the pot and if you don't stir continuously you might get some scorched extract on the bottom of your kettle which will lead to some off flavors. Other than that, you can treat it the same as DME.

 

Zak-

In my experience, LME can produce a fine beer. If you brew using a partial boil, I would recommend boiling half of the LME for the full 60 minutes (after steeping) with the bittering hops. You can add the remaining half at flameout. LME really doesn't need to be boiled and the hot wort will sanitize it just fine.

1) While you are steeping, heat the LME container in some hot (not boiling water) to help it flow more easily. This stuff is as thick as molasses.

2) Add half to the steeping liquor and stir well to prevent it from dropping to the bottom of the kettle. (+1 to agold above.)

3) Bring to a boil and hop according to the schedule.

4) At the 60 minute mark, turn off the heat and add the remainder of the LME., stirring to mix well.

You can read a lot about the benefits of this late extract addition with a quick search. It's not a necessity, but I have found it gives a lighter color, cleaner tasting beer.

Cheers!