LME in bags

[Teufelhunde]

I do extract recipes and have been doing 90% Norther Brewer. I have started to branch out a bit for different tastes. It seems that many of the other companies package their LME (which I prefer over DME) in bags. I have only done a batch the LME in the bag once, and hated it. Anyone have any suggestions to make the bags easier to deal with?

NB packages theirs in plastic jugs, which I place in hot water in the sink as I am heating my kettle up. When I pour into the kettle, I can rest the jug against the rim of the kettle and pour very slowly while stirring to prevent getting any stuck on the bottom. I have bum shoulders and cannot hold the weight of the bag up that high to pour, so I poured some into a plastic bowl, then used that to pour into the kettle. Just hoping someone may have a better idea...

TIA for any suggestions

Lon

P.S. Brewing by myself, so no one else to hold/pour from the bag....

 

[camonick]

Those pouches are really cumbersome. I didn’t like them much either when I used to brew extract batches. The jugs are much easier to manage. It wouldn’t be much different than what you’re doing by pouring it into a bowl, but you could pour it into a half gallon or gallon size pitcher. At least that way you’d have a handle and you could use the lip of the spout to rest on the side of your kettle. You can get one at any store for not very much money or maybe you already have one.

 

[GrowleyMonster]

If you coordinate your recipe and your bag sizes so you don't end up storing a half empty bag until the next brew day, that simplifies things a lot. With jugs you can purge with CO2 and re-close and they will keep fine until the next session. Or just squeeze all the air out, if possible.

My first ever kit was LME with a bag of steeping grains, so I stuck with LME for a while, since that is what I started with. Going BIAB reduced my costs and very much improved the overall brewing/drinking experience. And DME is a lot less messy and bothersome, IMHO, than LME, and storage of leftover DME is much simpler and cleaner. I think maybe giving DME another try would be a good idea. You could stir with one hand while adding a cup at a time of DME and save a lot of wear and tear on your shoulders.

I am assuming you are doing small stovetop batches. Do you think maybe using a crawfish boiler or turkey fryer burner would be easier for you, by getting the kettle down lower?

It sounds like you need a brew buddy or an apprentice, and a propane burner and 10 to 14 gallon kettle, and try BIAB. I sense the desire is there and you just have to iron out the details in such a way as to not tax your shoulders.

 

[Kickass]

Step one: heat bag in water.
Step two: turn off kettle flame/heat source.
Step three: treat that bag like it’s the last of the toothpaste and you won’t be able to get more for another week.
step four: stir thoroughly then reignite heat.
Step five: if able get plugged into a local brewing group. Each extra set of hands makes the process exponentially easier.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

And DME is a lot less messy and bothersome, IMHO, than LME, and storage of leftover DME is much simpler and cleaner. I think maybe giving DME another try would be a good idea. You could stir with one hand while adding a cup at a time of DME and save a lot of wear and tear on your shoulders.

It's easier to store partial packages of DME, but in humid conditions (and over a boiling kettle) DME gets sticky quickly. DME can also leave dust behind if not handled properly.

Some options (not mutually exclusive) for adding DME to the boil kettle

• add it 1) just before flame-on or 2) just after removing the steeping grains [1],
• automate the stirring with an electric wire whisk
• make a slurry [2],
• make a slurry [3].

eta: I don't brew with LME, so I can't speak to whether or not these approaches could be adapted to work with LME.

----------------------------

1. Wort (all-grain, DME, LME) does not darken excessively during a proper boil. LME, in the container, may be darker than expected, but that's a different problem.
2. See "I brewed a favorite recipe here" here at HomebrewTalk for a well thought out approach
3. See this article (link to Briess web site)

 

[TonyKZ1]

One of the vendors I buy recipes from also puts their LME into bags. It's always been kinda of a pain to make sure to get all the LME out of the bag. So something I've been doing lately, is to use a big plastic clip, that you use to keep potato or corn chip bags sealed/closed. It works great, as you pull the clip down the bag, it squeezes most all the LME out of it and into your pot.

 

[PCABrewing]

One of the vendors I buy recipes from also puts their LME into bags. It's always been kinda of a pain to make sure to get all the LME out of the bag. So something I've been doing lately, is to use a big plastic clip, that you use to keep potato or corn chip bags sealed/closed. It works great, as you pull the clip down the bag, it squeezes most all the LME out of it and into your pot.

That and, when I used LME I would take a cup of hot water from the kettle and rinse the bag or jug with it.
DME has a different problem, it tends to stick around the opening of the bag from the steam rising out of the hot kettle. Not as bad as the LME issue but still a PITA.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Whether you’re brewing beer from extract or using it to supplement your all-grain beer, add DME only after you’ve dissolved it in cold water. [...] add the extract slurry directly to your kettle of hot water or wort. Why does this work? Briess DME is a natural humectant, meaning it is a very hygroscopic substance. As the steam from the boil rises it is actually caking the extract before it hits the water and creates clumping. That makes dissolving difficult. The best thing to do is dissolve your DME in water 100°F – 120°F, make a slurry and add to your boil. Alternatively, Briess DME will dissolve in tap water.[...]

(link)

 

[DBhomebrew]

Mixing the DME into a cold slurry gives the handling benefits of LME plus the shelf stability and relatively fresh flavor of DME.

 

[Steveruch]

That and, when I used LME I would take a cup of hot water from the kettle and rinse the bag or jug with it.
DME has a different problem, it tends to stick around the opening of the bag from the steam rising out of the hot kettle. Not as bad as the LME issue but still a PITA.

Put the dme in a bowl and scoop it out a cup at a time.

 

[kartracer2]

Yeah, those bags stink IMHO. Kudos to NB/MS for those jugs. I hope that a packaging change over is not the reason for their "out of stock" of all their LME. I reuse the jugs for all sorts of things. The bags seem like a one time deal and a PITA that deal is. Three hands are only way to use them with any sort of grace.
MB has their kits available with either LME or DME for the most part so I go the DME route, if for nothing else, ease of use.
I have thought about making an angled shelf sort of thing that has a lip to keep the lower edge over the boil kettle. Thinking I could clip (thinking clipboard like) the bag to it and open the "zipper" a little and let it flow in as I stir. Probably never happen, it's just an idea I've had.
I'll just sit back and wait for the definitive answer. (LOL)
Cheers,
Joel B.

P.S. @camonick that looks too simple (LOL) I never thought of that, might give it a try!

 

[GoodTruble]

To help avoid scorching, I will usually just mix DME or LME into a small side pot of luke warm water and then pour that into the main wort.