6 pounds of Wheat LME

[redrocker652002]

Yes, it is a done deal. In the fermenter bucket. Pitched on a slurry of Bry97 so we shall see. It was certainly a lot darker than I had expected, but when I looked at the bottle of LME I should have known it would be. It was a very dark color, but did not smell like a "locker room" as somebody described. LOL. It had a very caramel like flavor on it's own and while it was boiling it smelled similar to what my all grain brews smell like with a hint more caramel. So, with that said, we shall see. In the end I am out about 3 gallons of tap water, 2 gallons of distilled water, some left over grains that have been in vacuum packs and 2 oz of Cascade that, once again, has been in the freezer and in vacuum sealer. The OG was about 12.2 on my Refractometer, which translates into about 1.050. Pretty much close to my Brewfather estimates which was 1.043. Gonna let it sit for a week or two and see what the yeast does and then bottle and sit for another week or two. With any luck, this will be a good beer that my buddy and I will enjoy. Updates to follow

 

[redrocker652002]

Update, in the fermenting fridge at about 66 degrees and in less then 6 hours we have active fermentation. Cool. I think I am going to break out those mason jars and start saving yeast again. Next up is either a Helles or a recipe I got from a user here that will include Honey Nut Cheerios in the mash. Fun stuff for sure.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

Not surprised at the darkened color. I recently read that the longer LME stays in the can, the darker it gets. I recently bought a Kölsch kit that was approaching its expiration date of one year after assembly and brewed it up. I will do a kit or two in the winter since I can work inside the kitchen instead of outside on the cold.
The Kölsch turned out great flavor wise, but had the color of an Oktoberfest.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

https://www.brewingwithbriess.com/blog/secrets-to-keeping-your-liquid-extracts-fresh/

IN my occasional attempts to source fresh LME, it appears to me that there may be more to the story (oxygen).

A couple of years ago, I had a great experience with three "style specific" LMEs from Williams. The order was in late winter, so I wasn't too concerned about excessive heat during shipping (which took 4 days). At that time, Williams was recommending "store it cool" on arrival and "use it promptly". If shipping to me was a day or two, I'd order again.

 

[Broothru]

Not surprised at the darkened color. I recently read that the longer LME stays in the can, the darker it gets. I recently bought a Kölsch kit that was approaching its expiration date of one year after assembly and brewed it up. I will do a kit or two in the winter since I can work inside the kitchen instead of outside on the cold.
The Kölsch turned out great flavor wise, but had the color of an Oktoberfest.

Don't dump it out. In researching my quest for brewing the perfect Kolsch, I came across a reference for "Dark Kolsch." I dunno, it might even be a very nice beer, but the whole conflation of "dark" and "Kolsch" left me wanting an Altbier.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

No "metallic" or "ball point pen" flavors?

Not that I could tell, just really sweet.

That is good news. As I understand it, the "metallic" flavors are created in the concentrated LME, not during the boil. My thought is that the red color in the "spoon photo" in #16 will lighten but won't disappear.

Updates to follow

Looking forward to it.

 

[redrocker652002]

Fermentation has seemed to stop so I took a sample. Man it is dark, but does not smell bad at all. So I am hopeful. Going to let it settle a bit in the tube before I go for a hydrometer reading. My Brewfather says it should be about 1.009, so we will see. Using the 1.050 SG and the 1.009 FG, the ABV should be about 5.4%. That is a bit high in my opinion for what I was hoping would be a fairly drinkable wheat style beer, but if it is good, who cares, right? LOL.