All I have is Dark DME

[Johntodd]

...from DMEmart.com

They say it's made of this:

54% Munich Malt 10L
30% Base Malt
13% Caramel Malt 60
3% Black Malt

OK, it was my first time ordering, first time brewing, etc. But for now, what can I make with this dark stuff? I also have a ton of rice and corn meal, and I'm not ashamed to use them, despite how many people I may have just offended. LOL!

We, in our house, like beer. As long as it's not overly-hoppy, we're good with it!

Any suggestions for what I can do with this, other than stick it someplace unsanitary?

Thanks!
-Johntodd

 

[chickypad]

Do you have access to any other ingredients besides the corn and rice, like steeping grains for example? With just the extract those percentages are probably going to put it in the brown ale category. You could steep some chocolate malt and bring it up into porter range, or some roasted barley and make a stout. That's probably the main issue with using dark or amber extracts, you're stuck with the mix that's in there. You can't really use the corn and rice unless you get some base malt and do a mash.

 

[Johntodd]

I've heard that if I make polenta then the corn meal becomes converted. Likewise for cooking the rice.

This means they're ready to ferment, right?

Not really access to any other grains. Funds are limited. Thirst is not. LOL!

 

[chickypad]

I've heard that if I make polenta then the corn meal becomes converted. Likewise for cooking the rice.

No, cooking is to gelatinize the starches so they are accessible, but you still need to then mash with a base malt containing enzymes to convert the starches into fermentable sugars.

 

[Johntodd]

So the simple solution is to order some lightest DME?

 

[chickypad]

What do you mean by solution? If you want to be able to brew a variety of styles then yes, stocking the lightest DME would be wise so you can then add your own specialty grains. If you want to just brew up a batch with the extract you have I think it will be something like a brown ale, maybe a little heavy on the crystal malt. If a sweetish, malty brown ale sounds like something you'd like then go for it.

 

[Johntodd]

My bad. I was thinking that dark DME doesn't have many fermentables in it by itself.

 

[filthyastronaut]

My bad. I was thinking that dark DME doesn't have many fermentables in it by itself.

Malt extract is made from brewing grains that are converted in a mash and boiled down, it is full of sugar and some proteins from the grain. The fermentability depends on what temperature the manufacturer mashed at. I believe it's often around 152, so it will ferment and leave behind a touch of sweetness in a normal strength beer.

For everyone to help you out a little more, it would be good to know how much DME you have, and how many gallons you are able to produce. If it's your first brew, a malty brown ale might suit you pretty well, so you'd just need DME and a small bittering hop addition.

 

[Johntodd]

I've got about 15# of dark DME. I've made 10 gallons so far and used 3# of dark and the 3# bag of light I had.

I do 5 gallon batches.

 

[filthyastronaut]

I've got about 15# of dark DME. I've made 10 gallons so far and used 3# of dark and the 3# bag of light I had.

I do 5 gallon batches.

I'd say if you want to go for a simple and easy drinking Brown Ale, do 6 pounds of DME and a half ounce bittering addition at 60 minutes. You could also do a Scotch Ale by increasing the DME to 9 lbs. Those are the simplest options. Otherwise, you'd have to get some steeping grains and could make a Stout or Porter, like previously mentioned. Chocolate Malt/Midnight Wheat for a porter, Roasted Barley for a Stout. Stay around half a pound for those.

 

[Johntodd]

What about an oatmeal stout? Maybe not quite true to style, but would this be worth drinking (by my standards)?

3# Dark DME
2# Cane Sugar
2# Oatmeal
1 oz of Hallertau @ 60minutes.
DanStar Nottingham yeast (all I got)


Original Gravity: 1.049
Final Gravity: 1.011
ABV (standard): 4.99%
IBU (tinseth): 2.59
SRM (morey): 11.2

And since I'm hating the boilovers I'm getting right now, can I do the oats and extract at flameout?


Thanks!
-Johntodd

 

[meatcleaver]

way too much sugar IMO. why not use more extract instead?
you will need at least some extract at the beginning of the boil in order to get your hop utilization. most folks use about 1 lb extract per gallon of water in the boil.
I don't think you'll get anything from the oats without mashing them with some base grains.
if it were me I'd do 5-6 lbs extract (1/2 up front, 1/2 at flameout)
1 oz hops @ 60 mins
maybe add some cold brew coffee to primary & call it a coffee Porter.

 

[Johntodd]

I have no grains, but what about mashing the oats with some DME? DME has enzymes, right?

 

[filthyastronaut]

I have no grains, but what about mashing the oats with some DME? DME has enzymes, right?

The grains had enzymes, but the grains are separated from the wort, which is then boiled, so the grains are gone and the enzymes denatured. So unless you're willing to get some malt and do a mini mash, oatmeal won't be an option.

And I would agree that there is too much sugar in that recipe above. For many of the styles you'd make with Dark DME, you don't want to thin it out with sugar at all, let alone 2 pounds. And that goes double for a lower ABV beer.

 

[Johntodd]

Ah! Now I got it! The BOILING is what denatured the enzymes - which is why we (you guys) mash at much lower temps! It's also why the DME has no enzymes, since it was boiled down to a concentrate.

Do I have it now?

 

[chickypad]

Correct - DME is concentrated wort, no enzymes. If you want to do a stout you really need to get some roasted barley (you could sub in more black malt, but roasted barley would be the more common). Just 3% roasted malt is going to be in brown ale range as we have mentioned. Replacing 2 lbs of DME with sugar is going to bring that down to around 1.8% - probably resulting in a thin bodied beer straddling a brown or amber in color.

I'd just go with the one of the suggestions above - 6lb dark DME, bittering addition at 60 to get around 25-30 IBU, depending on the hop I might throw a small 5-10 min addition in also. Wilamette, EKG, Northern brewer - something like that. Do you have any hops? What about yeast?

 

[Johntodd]

My hops is Hallertau and my yeast is DanStar Nottingham.

BUT, like I said, I mean it: I'm OK if it's not true to style. I haven't had enough different beers to know what they're supposed to taste like! I know what American beers taste like (sex in a canoe), and I had some Japanese lager in Japan (drank too much, can't remember. Was in the Navy, I think. )


Only thing we don't want is bitter hoppy beer. We like hops aroma and flavor, just not bitterness. Low IBU is about the only requirement.

Oh, and cheap. We're tightfisted with the money, I'm afraid.

Thanks!
-Johntodd

 

[chickypad]

BUT, like I said, I mean it: I'm OK if it's not true to style. I haven't had enough different beers to know what they're supposed to taste like! I know what American beers taste like (sex in a canoe), and I had some Japanese lager in Japan (drank too much, can't remember. Was in the Navy, I think. )

I must not know the reference as I'm trying to figure out if that is a good thing or a bad thing

I totally agree there is no reason you need to brew to style, but loosely using style guidelines gives us something to go on so we can help you brew the kind of beer you want. For example if you're aiming for dark and roasty (characteristics associated with stouts) you probably can't get there without some extra grains. If you just want to brew with what you have that's fine, and in trying to describe to you what it will be like I'd say a malty brown ale. I would want that bittered to at least 30-35 IBU because I don't tend to like sweet beers, but you may want to go more like 18-20 IBU.

 

[Johntodd]

@chickypad

Sounds good, I think I understand.

The sex in a canoe reference is an old Monty Python joke:

Why is American beer like sex in a canoe?
Because it's f'ing close to water! /RIMSHOT!

Everyone;
Hey, what about this stuff:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006O93SYQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

That should allow conversion of this rice/corn overload I have stacked up in the barn, right?

Thanks!
-Johntodd

 

[meatcleaver]

why not buy a sack of malted grain instead?

 

[Johntodd]

2 reasons:

1. I'm afraid I can't do proper temp control on the stove, thereby missing the mash temps.

2. I've got a boatload of adjuncts sitting around and want to use them up.

 

[filthyastronaut]

2 reasons:

1. I'm afraid I can't do proper temp control on the stove, thereby missing the mash temps.

2. I've got a boatload of adjuncts sitting around and want to use them up.

Enzymes are enzymes, they need the proper temperature to work regardless of whether they are from grains or a powder. Also, stovetop mashes are fairly common. You can maintain the temperature by using the burner or insulating the kettle. The latter is easier, though.

As for your adjuncts, I wouldn't bother using them for anything you'd make with dark DME, but that's just me. For now, I would just go with something simple and go from there, as you'll need to mash one way or another with those adjuncts involved.

 

[Johntodd]

OK, mashing it is.

I hope this doesn't sound too retarded, but will practicing temp control with a pot of water and a candy thermometer be of any use?

 

[filthyastronaut]

OK, mashing it is.

I hope this doesn't sound too retarded, but will practicing temp control with a pot of water and a candy thermometer be of any use?

It might help out, yeah. It will be a bit different with some grains in there. You will lose temperature when you add them, so heat your water about 10 degrees warmer than you want to mash at.

I did do a little more research about the enzyme powder, and apparently it does work at lower temperatures, but extremely slow. People sometimes add it in order to restart fermentation, but it takes a while and it is unlikely that it would fully convert. If you were to use rice and corn, it seems ill-advised to just steep them and get a starch haze that would probably just be partially broken down during fermentation, and if you just added it to grains and water and let it sit for a week, you'd have a really funky sour thing going on. So either way, not a good idea. You could mash the grains with it, but I would just hold off on using the adjuncts until you expend your DME and use actual brewing grain if you are gonna go to the trouble of mashing as it is.

That being said, it's your beer. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Sailingeric]

Throw in some fuggles and make a stout.