Just how bad is LME?

[BrewRI]

I'm teaching a few people basics on brewing and making a very simple recipe on sunday and after I placed my order with AHS for a recipe kit I did some reading on LME and found that they're pretty much the bottom of the barrel when it comes to malt use. Just how bad is it? Should I bring it to LHBS and try to get a DME to take its place or am I overreacting?

 

[Yooper]

There's nothing wrong with LME! I think when people have made remarks about poor quality, they are talking about aged canned LME kits that were made in Australia, transported to the US and left to sit on a shelf for a couple of years in a LHBS. When you buy bulk LME, it's fresh and it works great.

If you bought a kit from austinhomebrew.com, it's high quality and fresh extract, and the grains are crushed when you order, not before. There's no problem at all with using fresh extract, and I wouldn't hesitate to use it.

 

[thirdedition]

I'm not sure what you mean, there is nothing wrong with LME. You can substitute them for each other, I believe the ratio is 1lb LME to .8lb of DME.

Just make sure you aren't using hopped LME.

 

[Thumper]

What YooperBrew said!!!

 

[Weezknight]

I've made 2 separate orders from Austin Homebrew and the extract has arrived fresh. I've seen someone return old LME to the LHBS and it had a "stale" smell to it. The stuff from AHS has never smelled that way, and has created 1 perfect batch of beer, and the other is fermenting right now.

 

[Edcculus]

If you ordered from Austin Homebrew, you can be sure your LME will be fresh. I'm almost positive they turn over a lot of liquid extract.

LME gets the bad rap because a lot of LHBSs have old cans sitting around that aren't fresh anymore.

 

[whodatgeauxbrew]

I am a new brewer and have only used hopped LME. I am assuming using unhopped LME, with the addition of hops to the boil will be SIGNIFICANTLY better. Is this true?

 

[seanybubbles]

I use LME all the time, although it is poured from the shop and not from a can. I have never had any problems. When using canned LME, just check the date on the bottom of the can. LME is great because it's cheap, but no variety. My shop only has light and dark...

 

[PrimeInquisitor]

I have used LME for all of my beers and they have turned out great! You just have to make sure you get fresh stuff, like YooperBrew said.

I regulary get my supplies from Midwest and they have pretty good turnover, so all of my ingredients have always been fresh. Not to bash any of the smaller LHBS, but sometimes they don't have the best turnover, so their ingredients (LME or DME) could sit there for a while.

 

[Yooper]

I am a new brewer and have only used hopped LME. I am assuming using unhopped LME, with the addition of hops to the boil will be SIGNIFICANTLY better. Is this true?

Yes, I believe so. Not because the liquid extract is inherently bad, but for a couple of other reasons. One is the age of the canned extract (they are usually made in Australia or England), and the other is the supplied "recipe" with the hopped LME kit. Adding corn sugar in a large amount, for example, doesn't produce a good tasting quality beer as much as fresh extract only does.

I like using hops, and I love the taste of a beer made with fresh grain and my choice of hops. There is a big difference in my opinion. Using fresh extract (unhopped) and a few steeping grains, along with hops and boiling the wort (to extract the bittering from the hops) can make an excellent beer. I've had some very good beers made with LME.

 

[david_42]

Pre-hopped kits may use a form of hop extract called tetra, which is a stabilized form of the bittering compounds found in hops. Not all that great.

 

[Toby2]

As with most people, my first four batches were extract kits that contained LME and or DME. Upon putting together my own recipes, I found LME (I don't use pre-hopped or canned and I buy from a source that has fresh stock) to be less expensive and equally easy to work with. After a little research I found out it was a matter of processing and the DME cost reflects it. Until I go AG, I'm on the LME.

 

[bushmanj]

i usually order 5 or 6 kits at a time for midwest and they tend to sit for a few months before i brew them all. is there a proper way to store LME? does it go bad after jsut sitting around?

 

[ChshreCat]

I used LME in my APA that finished second in the best of show round in the HBT BJCP competition. Nothing wrong with LME! Just get it fresh and not from a can that's been collecting dust on a LHBS shelf for who knows how long. Mine comes from a big bulk barrel and my shop says they go through a barrel every few days.

 

[Homercidal]

A friend of mine uses prehopped LME in an IPA recipe and that had turned out GREAT. That said, listen to Yooper and others. Fresh is the only way to go. It's cheaper than DME but I really only buy DME because it stays fresh longer and is easier to handle. I mostly only use it making yeast starters anymore, but lots of people make great beer with both LME and DME.

 

[PrimeInquisitor]

I

i usually order 5 or 6 kits at a time for midwest and they tend to sit for a few months before i brew them all. is there a proper way to store LME? does it go bad after jsut sitting around?

They say that if you don't use it for a while to refrigerate it. That's what I do with mine and then I just put the container in hot water to liquify it more before I add it to the boil

 

[bushmanj]

thanks prime. im wondering how long is too long. i dont have room in my fridge for 30 pounds of extract but maybe i could store hte ones that will not be used for several months

 

[Richabt]

+1 on what Yooperbrew and everyone said.
If it's relatively fresh it's just fine to use.

Of both the LME and DME, I tend to like the DME better, simply because it will store longer. I don't use it that often, but when I need it I know it's fresh enough.

 

[dunnright00]

...after I placed my order with AHS for a recipe kit I did some reading on LME and found that they're pretty much the bottom of the barrel when it comes to malt use.

Just curious, where did you read this? I'm only asking because I'm wondering if it's someones opinion on a blog somewhere, or a "legit" how-to book or manual.

As my LHBS always says "Be careful what you read on the internet"!

 

[thirdedition]

Just curious, where did you read this? I'm only asking because I'm wondering if it's someones opinion on a blog somewhere, or a "legit" how-to book or manual.

As my LHBS always says "Be careful what you read on the internet"!

The internet tells me to be careful of what my LHBS says! Who do I trust!!

 

[PrimeInquisitor]

thanks prime. im wondering how long is too long. i dont have room in my fridge for 30 pounds of extract but maybe i could store hte ones that will not be used for several months

I know you said you buy 5-6 recipes worth of ingredients at a time, but you may want to consider buying less at once. I typically buy 2-3 at a time, which saves on shipping, but allows me to use it before there is a chance it will go bad. How long do you plan to keep it?

 

[ZehBaron]

The internet tells me to be careful of what my LHBS says! Who do I trust!!

Trust the people here at HBT, because we're not trying to sell you anything.

 

[ChshreCat]

If you store your LME in the fridge, make sure you warm it up before you use it. That stuff is thick enough at room temp!

 

[PrimeInquisitor]

Trust the people here at HBT, because we're not trying to sell you anything.

I feel you would try selling me a porter if you had the chance!

But seriously, just choose sources that are reliable, just like you would with any research. HBT is of course a good place to start.

 

[dunnright00]

Trust the people here at HBT, because we're not trying to sell you anything.

Funny thing is, 9 times out of 10 my LHBS ends up talking me out of buying something.

 

[waldoar15]

AHS seems to have pretty fresh LME from what I've seen.

My take on the whole LME VS DME thing.

LME is a PITA to measure, goes right to the bottom of your brew kettle and takes quite a bit or work to incorporate without scorching up front, but seems to be better for late extract additions.

DME is easier to measure out and add, but floats and clumps. Seems to foam more. I don't like messing with it for late additions.

So, I'm doing my first all grain batch this weekend.

 

[brown_dog_us]

i usually order 5 or 6 kits at a time for midwest and they tend to sit for a few months before i brew them all. is there a proper way to store LME? does it go bad after jsut sitting around?

I've bought LME in 8 lb. increments and stored them in my fridge for up to 6 months. I never have noticed anything wrong with the beers that were brewed with the older extract.