DME without clumping?

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nonamekevin

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I've got a few brews under my belt, all extract from kits. Are there any tricks to pouring DME from the bags they typically come in into the BK without getting clumps, or clumping to the mouth of the bag? If I slow pour from the bag, I get a nice buildup that makes it difficult to pour from the bag, and if I pour quickly, clumps are the issue. I try to stir as quickly as possible while adding, maybe I'm not coordinated enough to stir vigorously and pour gently.

Do I need to transfer the DME into a different container for adding to the BK?
 
I put the DME carefully in a steel mixing bowl, slide DME into the boiling wort/water and use a ladle to rinse the bowl with hot water.
Yes, the DME is clumpy but it dissolves without issue which, to me, makes it not a big deal.
 
[/QUOTE]Do I need to transfer the DME into a different container for adding to the BK?
[/QUOTE]
That's what I do and scoop it out with a plastic cup. I get a small bit of clumping on the cup, but way less than pouring directly from the bag.
 
I pour mine into a medium sized (holds about 5 pounds DME) bowl with a pour spout and use that to slowly sprinkle the DME into the kettle, don't get very many clumps doing that, and to get rid of the clumps around the lip of the bowl when done, simply dip the bowl into the wort...

YMMV

Lon
 
How much water does it take to make a slurry out of, lets say 8 pounds DME?

Over in I brewed a favorite recipe today (link) there are some recipes that use a slurry for the late addition. For example:

Dissolve 2 1/4 lbs. DME in 1/2 gal. water for late addition
Dissolve 2 1/4 lbs. DME in 1 gal. for boil, begin heating

If you are doing a full volume boil with all the DME at the start of the boil, there are a couple of options: 1) add all the DME at flame-on or, 2) add the DME after the steep has finished - make a slurry by taking wort out of the kettle. Recently, I have done a couple of batches where I add all the DME at flame-on, then steep in the wort - so far, the results have been good.
 
Making a slurry is logical but I can see that the bowl of goo is going to need to be scraped with a spatula that gets goo on it to. The benefit would be it will dissolve faster. But DME particles fly everywhere, unlike any other food item I've worked with. I don't see how the counter or the floor can be kept from getting sticky unless, possibly, the going is really slow. I wouldn't even use the stainless steel bowl method if it wasn't for how cakey DME gets when trying to pour directly from the plastic bag.
I don't like sticky counters or floors so the less handling of the DME the better. But some don't care or they do their brewing where it doesn't matter.
 
Making a slurry is logical but I can see that the bowl of goo is going to need to be scraped with a spatula that gets goo on it to.
No need to scrape - use some additional water from the boil kettle to dissolve the clumps in the side dish.

But DME particles fly everywhere,
If one sees flying particles, one may be pouring too fast.
 
In an article written in 2014 (link), Briess suggests that warm water works well for making a slurry with DME:
I'll consider a three pound bag that way to see if the time, potential mess and added steps are worth it though all I experience using the steel bowl method is clumping that dissolves without further action. I could save 5-10 minutes I guess.
My next recipe has ten pounds of DME which is a fairly large amount.
 
Making a slurry is logical but I can see that the bowl of goo is going to need to be scraped with a spatula that gets goo on it to. The benefit would be it will dissolve faster. But DME particles fly everywhere

A few pounds of DME dissolved in a half gallon water is not goo. It is an easy to pour liquid. In general, the DME takes care of dissolving itself in unheated water in a large mixing bowl while I'm working on steeping and boiling.
I do this all the time and started doing it to have a way to do late addition of extract to hot wort without creating a DME dust cloud in our kitchen. I actually add it after the boil because DME does not actually need to be boiled. In my brewing process the late addition brings my partial boil down to about 170-175F which is great for the aroma hop addition which steeps while the wort cools to about 110F which is easily cooled to pitch temperature when topping off to five gallons.
Post #19 in the link @BrewnWKopperKat mentioned best explains this, although I've taken to cooling in the metal boil kettle before transferring to the fermenter.
BTW, @Teufelhunde, I would suggest 1 gallon for 8 pounds of DME, but I would also suggest that you rethink boiling all of it in the first place.
 
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I've got an old 8 qt. boil pot with a spigot that I used years ago when I first started brewing (it helps to be a pack rat with a "he" shed and 240V power). Late boil I can tranfer wort from the BV to the smaller pot, dissolve LME/DME, make any late addition like Whirlfloc, then return it to the BV for a few minutes before flameout. Works great, no scorching, doesn't stick to the immersion chiller.
 
I'll consider a three pound bag that way to see if the time, potential mess and added steps are worth it though all I experience using the steel bowl method is clumping that dissolves without further action. I could save 5-10 minutes I guess.
If you like your current process, I don't see a reason to change it. Your current approach is one of a number of good ways to add DME to the kettle without adding it from the bag over a steaming kettle.
 
Over in I brewed a favorite recipe today (link) there are some recipes that use a slurry for the late addition. For example:



If you are doing a full volume boil with all the DME at the start of the boil, there are a couple of options: 1) add all the DME at flame-on or, 2) add the DME after the steep has finished - make a slurry by taking wort out of the kettle. Recently, I have done a couple of batches where I add all the DME at flame-on, then steep in the wort - so far, the results have been good.
Might have to try that, thanks.....
 
I don't think you can pour slowly enough
When I brew with DME, I don't have a problem with dust (unless I pour while distracted). It might be a combination of things that I do (in addition to not pouring in a hurry). Recently I have been adding the DME at flame-on. It's possible that the extra space in the kettle causes the dust to settle in the water rather than on the counter top. But I've also made slurries in a side dish with good results.
 
Best method is to just let it dissolve by itself in cold water. I hate the stuff personally and haven't used it for years. I make my own fresh starter wort from grain. If I ever went back to extract brewing I'd make my own fresh extract from grain 🙃
 
Best method is to just let it dissolve by itself in cold water. I hate the stuff personally and haven't used it for years. I make my own fresh starter wort from grain. If I ever went back to extract brewing I'd make my own fresh extract from grain 🙃
Just because you're mad about getting hosed on ascorbic acid, you don't have to take it out on us. :ban:
 
Best method is to just let it dissolve by itself in cold water.

No kitchen is complete without an electric whisk. Works well in the home brewery as well.

Bonus for those who remember late 1970s American rock (think Devo):

When a problem come along you must whip it​
Before the extract falls too long you must whip it​
If extract burns (that's wrong!) you must whip it​

Now whip it​
into shape​
Shape it up​
Get straight​
Go forward​
Move ahead​
Try to detect it​
It's not too late to whip it​
Whip it good​
 
I would have to figure out how to adjust the bittering to not boil it, because the % of extract in the wort has bearing on bittering....
This is true.
The rule of thumb is that adding half the extract at the end of the boil allows you to reduce the hops by 20%.
I paired this with cutting my boil from 60 minutes to 30 minutes which reduces hop utilization by reduced 10%.
When put together I reduced my brew time by 30 minutes and either reduced hop usage or increased hop utilization by 10%.
I encourage you to consider it. I like brewing this way. :)
 
I've got a few brews under my belt, all extract from kits. Are there any tricks to pouring DME from the bags they typically come in into the BK without getting clumps, or clumping to the mouth of the bag? If I slow pour from the bag, I get a nice buildup that makes it difficult to pour from the bag, and if I pour quickly, clumps are the issue. I try to stir as quickly as possible while adding, maybe I'm not coordinated enough to stir vigorously and pour gently.

Do I need to transfer the DME into a different container for adding to the BK?
[/QUOTE
This is true.
The rule of thumb is that adding half the extract at the end of the boil allows you to reduce the hops by 20%.
I paired this with cutting my boil from 60 minutes to 30 minutes which reduces hop utilization by reduced 10%.
When put together I reduced my brew time by 30 minutes and either reduced hop usage or increased hop utilization by 10%.
I encourage you to consider it. I like brewing this way. :)
Like DBHomebrewing said make a slurry but whisk it dry first then slowly add the water as if you're making damper and keep.mixing as you go.
 
I just turn the heat off, give it a few seconds to let the boil stop and pour it in. if it clumps on end of bag I just dip it into the wort. as to clumps in the pot I have a big stainless whisk that I can use if I see clumps floating around. Love the whisk,
 
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