All malt in at beginning for IPA

[zachhale]

Im brewing my batch in a few hours and I'm looking for some encouragement here.

When we went shopping for supplies we needed for a 5lb batch of a newbie level ipa recipe they recommended we get liquid malt extract for the 24 oz of amber malt on our ingredients list instead of dry extract. The recipe calls for 8 lb pale liquid malt extract and 24oz dry malt extract. He said no problem they go in at the same time so we said sure lets do the liquid so he converted it to 1.8lb liquid malt extract and put the two in the same bucket.

Come to read the recipe again later apparently that dry amber malt was supposed to go in *after* the hops.

Will putting it all in at the beginning mess up our recipe?

From what I'm reading online it sounds like it'd probably be pretty minor and mostly change the color of the beer. Is that right? Should I stop now and go buy new malt extracts?

Thank you!

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

No, either way you go, the recipe will turn out fine. What I've learned about LME is that it's best when added late in the boil or at the end of the boil, but it won't hurt the beer to add it at the beginning. Just make sure whenever you add the extract, DME or LME, that the burner is off and that you mix it in thoroughly before turning the burner on to avoid scorching the extract.

 

[unionrdr]

It'll be darker at least. Might get some twang. I use DME in the boil for hop additions,saving remaining DME & all LME for flame out. Lighter color & cleaner flavor.

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

Like others have said, your recipe will turn out just fine.
What your doing is caramelizing the sugars and darkening your beer possibly resulting in a higher FG from caramelized unfermentable sugars. Dont be worried if you finish at the dreadful extract .020 FG. Without proper yeast pitch rate its a normal plateau you can see.

Use a pound or 2 @ 60 for hop utilization (people say this is actually a myth) and throw the rest of it in @ flameout
Good luck!

 

[unionrdr]

1.5lbs of plain DME in a 2.5-3 gallon boil has always worked for me.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I have done boils without any extract added until flameout. Hops utilize fine, maybe even better. I prefer to do extract beers that way; steep, boil, hop, add all extract at knockout and steep that for ten mins before cooling.

 

[zachhale]

Thanks guys this information is great! Sounds like the change will be relatively minor.

unionrdr are you saying you'd put part or all of the LME after the hops instead of all before?

 

[unionrdr]

I use half a 3lb bag of plain DME in the partial boil for hop additions. Then all the LME at flame out. Good hop utilization,lighter color,no twang.