Extract Q&A

[skitter]

I have been doing my own extract mixes for the past 6 months or so and I wanted to get some clarification on a few things. I always use LME.

Most of the recipe's call for adding the extract during the beginning of the boil, however there is comments about carmelization changing flavor and reducing overall ABV.

I also read that during the heated phase the Malt proteins will coagulate and the hops oils will help to break them down. So if you did a late addition, wouldn't this be bypassed?

I guess the overall question is, can I add the extract at flame-out without adversely affecting the taste and quality of my beer.

 

[unionrdr]

Late extract additions are great for getting lighter color closer to that which is intended for the recipe/beer style. Also gives cleaner flavors. It's the heat right before the boil that gives good hot break,but it has to be on high heat. Hops have nothing to do with it really. When my wort boils for a couple minutes,I turn it down slightly to a gently rolling boil to get less boil off. The I start hop additions.

 

[skitter]

Late extract additions are great for getting lighter color closer to that which is intended for the recipe/beer style. Also gives cleaner flavors. It's the heat right before the boil that gives good hot break,but it has to be on high heat. Hops have nothing to do with it really. When my wort boils for a couple minutes,I turn it down slightly to a gently rolling boil to get less boil off. The I start hop additions.

I'm using a very small pot so I don't do the full on rolling boil for the most part, otherwise I would be using 1g of water... I get to a gentle boil and that's about it. I'm just wondering how the late addition (post boil) affects the hot break?

 

[unionrdr]

You might get a little bit of foam when adding late extracts. I do those at flame out,as the wort is still boiling hot & will pasteurize quickly. So it doesn't really effect the hot break right before the wort boils. But if you can't even boil 1 gallon,I'd get a bigger pot. I do pb/pm biab in the same 5 gallon kettle I started with. I got aftermarket electric elements off amazon that heat faster than the stock ones as well. I put the link in my profile for anyone interested.
But being able to boil up to 3.5 gallons def works better & easier.

 

[flars]

I'm using a very small pot so I don't do the full on rolling boil for the most part, otherwise I would be using 1g of water... I get to a gentle boil and that's about it. I'm just wondering how the late addition (post boil) affects the hot break?

You are doing one gallon batches?
Just what uniondr said. +
Hot break and hop oils do not have a relationship where one is needed for the other in the brewing process. Hot break coagulates and drops out. Hop oils are isomerized by time and heat.

 

[Yooper]

LME doesn't need a hot break- it's already been processed by the manufacturer.

I would be concerned about hops utilization with only a gentle simmer and not a full rolling boil, but extract doesn't need to boil to be used. The majority of it can be added at flame out without any issues at all.

 

[skitter]

LME doesn't need a hot break- it's already been processed by the manufacturer.

I would be concerned about hops utilization with only a gentle simmer and not a full rolling boil, but extract doesn't need to boil to be used. The majority of it can be added at flame out without any issues at all.

That's my concern

This is what level of boil I get:

 

[E_Marquez]

That's my concern

This is what level of boil I get:

Boil

Your video is set to Private

 

[skitter]

Your video is set to Private

DOH!!!

Fixed! (I think)

 

[vtpack]

Ok, it might just be because I am in la-la land today, but are you saying that when doing an extract brew that you can add the liquid extract at the end of brewing right after flame out?

 

[skitter]

Ok, it might just be because I am in la-la land today, but are you saying that when doing an extract brew that you can add the liquid extract at the end of brewing right after flame out?

That's the gist I am getting... Next time I will be doing only 1/3 of the extract at the beginning, and put the rest in with flame-out, especially since I only use LME at the moment

 

[E_Marquez]

Ok, it might just be because I am in la-la land today, but are you saying that when doing an extract brew that you can add the liquid extract at the end of brewing right after flame out?

As long as it is unhopped extract, yes..you c an add it late boil (so do not boil the beer in a kit pre hopped LME wort like this )

I personally dont taste a difference, but I do SEE a difference when adding 2/3 to 3/4 of the LME / DME in just before flame out.

I add about 1 lb DME per gallon water... but no more then 50% of the total DME.

I do 4.25 gal boils (so post boil volume of just at 3.25 gal) I brewed two days ago.. 9lb of DME, 1lb sugar.. So the corn sugar and 4lb of DME went at the start, 5 lb went in at 15 min remaining.

Having done two back to back batches of the same recipe, and the only difference being full boil of all fermentables and late boil of 75% .. the only difference I and those that have sampled can see, taste.. is SRM color difference about 2 shades darker on the full DME boil.

A discerning and trained palate may have tasted something, but no of us simple homebrewers did.

 

[skitter]

Cool, I started tasting a little bit of a carmelized flavor but that may just be because of my low water volume boils.

 

[vtpack]

When I do my Red IPA again I am certainly going to try it this way. It was a shade or two darker then I wanted, so if this fixes that problem it will be great news.

 

[skitter]

Random flipping spark of genious...

If I am steeping grains, couldn't I just do the boil after the steep with my Hops and add ALL the extract at the end? Steeping does produce some sugars yet (albeit very little).

 

[flars]

That's my concern

This is what level of boil I get:

Boil

Looks like it is boiling.

 

[unionrdr]

Random flipping spark of genious...

If I am steeping grains, couldn't I just do the boil after the steep with my Hops and add ALL the extract at the end? Steeping does produce some sugars yet (albeit very little).

If you're only steeping like 2lbs or so of grains,I'd add some extract to it,like 1.5-2lbs,then do hop additions. Add the remaining extract at flame out.

 

[skitter]

If you're only steeping like 2lbs or so of grains,I'd add some extract to it,like 1.5-2lbs,then do hop additions. Add the remaining extract at flame out.

So half that for a 2.5g batch, gocha