LME/DME are not interchangeable

[TheMinionsThree]

So I got my recipe but shop no carry gold LME so bought gold DME. Not knowing any better assumed they were interchangeable. Brewed the batch this afternoon, popped it into fermenter, pitched it and let her sit.

Now... reading on here tonight that the two are not interchangeable. .I have about pound too much of DME in this batch.

Me thinks this will just skew my target beer a bit but should not hurt anything. Does explain why my OG was much higher then expected.

Supposed to be a honey brown ale. Not sure what it will be now!!!

This has been a learning batch for me : exploded yest vial (another thread ) now this.

 

[ChelisHubby]

Just be somewhat stronger brown, you might like it, Keep at it. We all have made a lot of mistakes and the beer is still beer.

 

[dobes]

Nothing wrong with a "Little Bit Stronger Honey Brown Ale" Enjoy it!!!

 

[fatcop]

3 lbs of DME is more or less exchangeable with the 3.3 lbs cans of LME.

In a 5 gallon batch:
3 lbs of DME will yield 1.025 2.48% abv and
3.3lbs of LME will yield 1.023 2.27% abv.

So, yes there is a difference, but shouldn't matter too much for most recipes I think. Of course you are simply exhanging (2) 3.3lbs cans of LME for measured out 6.6 DME then yeah you are making a bigger difference.

In a 5 gallon batch:
6.6lbs of DME will yield 1.055 5.46%
6.6lbs of LME will yield 1.046 4.55%

I always find myself playing with this calculator and it helps me a lot:
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/calculator

 

[podz]

On my package of Muntons DME, it states that 1kg is equal to 1.5kg of LME. Makes sense since the water is removed.

 

[unionrdr]

Here's a handy conversion chart that might help next time; http://www.jaysbrewing.com/2011/11/17/lazy-chart-for-converting-dme-lme-grain/
I also think LME & DME produce slightly different flavor qualities as well. Early on, I used both in recipes. DME isn't as susceptible to maillard reactions as LME. IOW, it doesn't darken as easily, or produce that extract twang.