Dry Malt Extract - > hot water ?

[HemanBrew]

Hi.

I'm making wort by steeping some Malt and using dry Malt extract.
After steeping, can I just add boiled hot water and add the dry Malt Extract. Or is there a reason I need to add cold water before extract and then turn the heat up?

Let me ask this way:
Does dry Malt Extract have to be mixed to room temperature water or can it be added to hot water?
Maybe even to boiling water?

Thanks for help.

 

[Monmouth00]

I add DME to hot water all the time.

Depending on the recipe, I usually add the LME right after the boil starts. When I see the boil, I turn off the flame, and quickly mix in the LME until it's dissolved, then turn the heat back on and bring back to a boil.

I reserve the DME until about the last 10 minutes of the boil for lighter-colored beers. I've found the longer the DME boils, the darker it gets. So, if it's a darker ale or stout, I just add at the beginning of the boil. If it's a lighter wheat or a Kolsch, I reserve it until much later in the boil.

Hope that helps!

 

[davidabcd]

Does dry Malt Extract have to be mixed to room temperature water or can it be added to hot water?
Maybe even to boiling water?

No it does not have to be mixed at room temperature. It can get clumpy when adding to boiling wort or water but stirring dissolves it. As mentioned above, removing from the heat while adding can prevent scorching; though whether DME or LME, I just stir with a long-handled spatula when adding and leave the flame on. I've never had that issue.

 

[HemanBrew]

I add DME to hot water all the time.

Depending on the recipe, I usually add the LME right after the boil starts. When I see the boil, I turn off the flame, and quickly mix in the LME until it's dissolved, then turn the heat back on and bring back to a boil.

I reserve the DME until about the last 10 minutes of the boil for lighter-colored beers. I've found the longer the DME boils, the darker it gets. So, if it's a darker ale or stout, I just add at the beginning of the boil. If it's a lighter wheat or a Kolsch, I reserve it until much later in the boil.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for answer.
Is there a difference in taste whether you put it in the beginning of the boil or later?

And if you put it later, then you put bittering hops in before adding extract, right?

Wild idea:
What would happen if I would do this?
-Put my grains steeping.
-Same time I would boil water to add to wort.
When boiling I would add bittering hops.???
-When steeping is ready, I would boil it and add it to the boiled water(that includes the bittering hops).
-From here I would continue normal way.
This is just a wild tought to save time... Is this doomd idea?

 

[HB_ATL73]

Keep it simple.

1. Fill kettle with volume of water you intend to boil with- most kits state around 3 gallons
2. Heat to steeping temps <170 degrees and put in steeping grains and hold for ~15 min
3. Remove grains and raise to boiling temp
4. Cut off heat and add DME/LME, mix well, then again raise to boil.
5. Once boil begins add bittering hops as instructed

To shortly answer your question the way you described would be less efficient.

Is there a difference in taste whether you put it in the beginning of the boil or later?

Yes- there would be an impact on color (darker beer when added early in boil) as well as bitterness due to hop utilization.

This is why most people don't boil bittering hops in just water (can cause a perceivable sharpness)

Again, I would just suggest keeping it simple

 

[Monmouth00]

As HB ATL73 said, try to keep it simple in the beginning.

As you get more accustomed to the routine you can change up some things in your routine and note the effects.

With regard to bittering hops, they shouldn't be added to plain water. If your recipe calls for only DME (no LME), you should start your boil with a good portion before adding your hops. Then add the last of the DME at the end of the boil (about 50 mins)

 

[davidabcd]

Wild idea:
What would happen if I would do this?
-Put my grains steeping.
-Same time I would boil water to add to wort.
When boiling I would add bittering hops.???
-When steeping is ready, I would boil it and add it to the boiled water(that includes the bittering hops).
-From here I would continue normal way.
This is just a wild tought to save time... Is this doomd idea?

You can do this. When it's all said and done, it's more of a nice time-saver than a wild idea.

 

[davidabcd]

As far as procedure goes, kit instructions have good points and sometimes outdated points. Northern Brewer and Brewer's Best instructions are okay and if you're just making recipes on your own, they have good, general instructions which you can find on their respective websites. I also would follow kit instructions regarding the steeping grains.

 

[HB_ATL73]

Since we are talking about kit instructions. Do not worry about doing any secondary fermentation of your beer

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Let me ask this way:
Does dry Malt Extract have to be mixed to room temperature water or can it be added to hot water?
Maybe even to boiling water?

An electric wire whisk will take care of any clumping of DME (cold water, warm water, hot water, boiling, ...).

A very simple, very fast way to put together a wort with DME (might be the same as you listed in reply
#4).

1. at flame-on, add steeping grains
2. remove steeping grains at about 160* F
3. heat to a boil
4. use a wire whisk and slowly add the DME.

Another option would be to make a slurry: http://blog.brewingwithbriess.com/kiss-those-dme-clumps-goodbye-2/

 

[HemanBrew]

Keep it simple.

1. Fill kettle with volume of water you intend to boil with- most kits state around 3 gallons
2. Heat to steeping temps <170 degrees and put in steeping grains and hold for ~15 min
3. Remove grains and raise to boiling temp
4. Cut off heat and add DME/LME, mix well, then again raise to boil.
5. Once boil begins add bittering hops as instructed

To shortly answer your question the way you described would be less efficient.



Yes- there would be an impact on color (darker beer when added early in boil) as well as bitterness due to hop utilization.

This is why most people don't boil bittering hops in just water (can cause a perceivable sharpness)

Again, I would just suggest keeping it simple

Hi.
This seems simple.

In the resepy book I'm following it said:
1. Heat 1,7 litres of wather in 68 celcius and steep grains 15mins
2. Add cold wather so that there is now 5 litres of wort
3. Start to boil it and add dry extract while warming.
(4. Continue as normally...)

So is there any reason why I shouldn't add more water in the beginning. Maybe the whole 5 litres?

 

[Mascrappo]

I add my DME to an extra pot of cool water, dissolve it, then bring it up to temp. By about the time it's ready, the steeping grains are also ready to remove, then I add hot DME to the large pot. I learned this time-saving trick from this forum and since I'm electric, it saved me a full hour off brew time!

 

[Robert65]

Briess recommends dissolving DME in cold water. [emoji16]

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Hi.
This seems simple.

In the resepy book I'm following it said:
1. Heat 1,7 litres of wather in 68 celcius and steep grains 15mins
2. Add cold wather so that there is now 5 litres of wort
3. Start to boil it and add dry extract while warming.
(4. Continue as normally...)

So is there any reason why I shouldn't add more water in the beginning. Maybe the whole 5 litres?

There are many ways to extract sugars, flavors, and colors from crystal/caramel/roasted malts.

IIRC, 1 gal kits from Northern Brewer do a full volume (1 gal) steep by putting the grains in at flame on and removing them after 15 minutes (or when the water gets to 160F).

If you are interested in learning more about various brewing techniques, How To Brew, 4e typically has a good explanation as to "why" (or "why not") things are done. For a deeper read on techniques, Methods of Modern Homebrewing is good (for example, it covers at least five different approaches for steeping). When you're ready to "break all the rules", Radical Brewing can be an interesting read.