First Time using DME

[flowerking]

Today I'm going to be using DME for the first time along with a can of extract. Up to now everything I've mad in my short brewing career has been totally liquid extract. I have ingredients to make 5 gallons of a Pilsner but will be splitting the batch in half so I can make half with Liberty/Saaz hops and the other half with Hallertau/Perle hops.

My question is, what is the best technique for doing a extract/DME brew with regards to how one would apply the DME to the recipe?

I'm still pretty much a newb but have done quite a bit of learning on the board and my beers have gotten much better by using some of the prcesses on here as well as upgrading the ingredients and yeasts, temps, etc...

I'll be using 4 Lbs Pilsner Extract, 3 Lbs Light Muntons DME, plenty of hops, and Wyeast 2278 Czech Pils "activator" Yeast.

 

[EdWort]

Use distilled or RO water, boil a full volume for about 45 minutes, steep your specialty grains, and use a chiller to bring your full volume to pitching temp quickly.

 

[flowerking]

Would I add the DME at the same time as the LME to the boiling water?

 

[EdWort]

Nope, you want to add it to hot water. Get it all dissolved before you bring it to a boil so you don't scorch any on the bottom of the kettle. You can add one after the other.

 

[malkore]

DME is 'fun' the first time. it seems all powdery and light, but it REALLY wants to be rehydrated, and the second you open the bag it's gonna start sucking moisture out of the air and into the bag.

in other words, it REALLY wants to clump up. so whatever you, don't pour it all into the wort at once. kinda sprinkle it in, and stir like a mad man. shouldn't need a whisk or anything, just stir and a little patience.

 

[Nurmey]

As soon as the DME bag gets hit with steam it will want to clump. It helps if you put the DME in a wide mouth bowl when you pour it in. You still gets a little clumping on the lip but it's way easier then trying to pour it out of the bag.

 

[flowerking]

Thanks for all the advice. Mission accomplished.

Everything went smoothly, now I just have to wait about a month to see how it worked out.