lme vs dme?

[brewyourown4life]

tried to find some info on this and couldn't. just been hearing that lme gives you the extract TWANG and dme won't. any thoughts, suggestions or input would be greatly appreciated

 

[ChshreCat]

LME is just fine if it's fresh. I use LME in all my brews and I finished second place in last year's HBT competition. To get fresh LME, avoid the canned crap and get the bulk LME. It's always fresh from the factory and most LHBS sell enough of it that it never sits very long.

 

[Austinhomebrew]

DME is made from LME. Niether of them have "Twang". The metal can that extract sometimes comes in has a metalic twang, but that is the can not the extract. Use fresh extract from bulk.

Forrest

 

[ChshreCat]

AHS has good turnover, but at your local shop you never know how long that dusty can has been sitting on the back of the shelf before you buy it.

 

[CrookedTail]

I prefer DME. I've brewed good beers with LME, but I find DME to be easier to work with.

 

[mmcloug3765]

DME is great because you run less risk of caramelizing it on the bottom of your brew pot if you're not careful, but you also run more of a risk of a boil over with DME.

 

[ChshreCat]

It's all a matter of preference. I greatly prefer LME, but for the same reason CrookedTail prefers DME. IMO, LME is far easier to work with than DME.

 

[MTMuggs]

I personally didn't care for having to get the sticky LME out of cans (bad me!), I've never used the bulk jugs. To get it out of measuring utensils, do you just swirl the cup around in the pan on the stove, since the cup is sanitized? The only thing I didn't care for with DME is how it tends to attract moisture and makes everything slightly sticky that the dust touches.

 

[ChshreCat]

I buy bulk LME for each recipe I brew. So I buy exactly as much as I need, no measuring utensils needed. When I start my boil, I put the container in the sink and cover it in hot water. That thins out the extract and makes it easier to handle. When it's time to add it to the boil (I always do a late extract addition, last 5 minutes) it pours pretty easily and the opening on the container is big enough to get a spatula in easily and I can pretty much get every little bit of it out. My brewing assistant stirs while I add the LME so by the time I get it all out, the kettle can go back on the heat for another 5 minutes and we're done. No clumps to whisk out like with DME and it dissolves right away. Never had any issues with it scorching on the bottom, even when I was a new brewer and was adding it at the start.

 

[tenchu_11]

When i get my kits they have the exact ammount of LME "when i brew I brew alone" (bad george Thergood pun) so i don't have a stirring partner and I get very minimal scorching not enough to complain. But i see the small ammount that didn't dispurse during my stirring. Since it comes in a bag I just pour some hot water inside the bag shake it up and get the last few ounces out. I do use Pilsen Light DME about 1 1/2 cups in every brew and its just for my starter. Either way i don't have enought expirience with DME during a large brew boil to say anything bad about it. Only thing i can say is I would use either DME or LME for my brews but only DME for a starter. Can't imagine trying to measure out 1 1/2 cup of sticky malt.

 

[Absolut_Ninja]

I read a trick on a previous post. Dump all the DME into a big bowl, use a measuring cup to add a little at a time. No boil over. And when the measuring cup gets sticky and crowded with DME, just stick it in the boil. Worked pretty good this weekend.

 

[Burgs]

I used some DME for the first time on my last batch and thought I could just dump it all in relatively quickly... holy ****.

My kettle made these death gurgles from the bowels of hell and the volume of the kettle instantly reached the brim - I thought for sure I was moments away from a wort explosion.

So then I backed off a bit after that initial scare and started adding it slowly, straight from the bag. Sooo much DME clumping all over the bag opening from the steam...

I dunno man, IMO Northern Brewer's LME is waaay easier to deal with. Always seems fresh & I just put it in a hot water bath until it's needed and dump it in while stirring.

 

[jon328]

I've been wondering the same thing. My LHBS carries super fresh LME so I just buy what I need and have no problems with measuring or scorching or anything like that (although I am still pretty new to home brewing). I was just reading John Palmer's "How To Brew" book and he says there is no difference, except that DME has less moisture, which is why it can keep longer. And the guys at the LHBS say the same thing. I hear it just comes down to personal preference.

So my question is why do some recipes call for both LME and DME?

 

[jollytim]

So my question is why do some recipes call for both LME and DME?

Usually, LME comes in many more 'flavors' than DME. If you aren't using added grains, this would give you more options.

I use almost exclusively extra-light DME, then 'flavor' it with steeping grains or a mini-mash. I can build most any recipe from light pales to dark stouts with this method. (I change the DME to wheat DME when making a wheat based beer).

 

[ChshreCat]

Recipes come specifying whichever type of extract the recipe writer uses. You can convert between the two freely. I always use LME so all my partial mash recipes are LME based. No reason why you can't use your extract of choice. Definitely necessary, IMO, if you can't get fresh bulk LME.

 

[dotnetdotcom]

I've used both and there was no difference in taste in the finished beer. For me, the main difference is the cost. I can buy bulk LME from my LHBS pretty cheap. I thought about mail ordering a 33# Breiss LME carboy, but I'm worried about storing it. It would take me 2-3 months to use up 33 pounds, plus I'd still have to drive over to the LHBS to get other ingredients.

 

[tenchu_11]

First time brewing with LME 2 days ago. Usually use it for starters only i opened the bags into the hot wort and man it was like cotton candy..wasn't too bad. Just clumped up and broke appart over time. Guess no way to get around the clumping around the steam.

 

[ChshreCat]

Sure you didn't mean DME? Haven't seen clumping in LME from steam.

 

[tenchu_11]

yeah mean DME..be crazy if my LME was clumping up

 

[zahrndt_usmc]

My own .02 Ive used both and never seen a difference in taste between the 2, and never had the twang from LME because i get exactly what i need from the LHBS that can barely keep the LME in stock. i just prefer LME because I find it very easy to work with (DME clumped too much) I also do what Chshrecat does with the leaving it in hot water prior to useage.

 

[tenchu_11]

I've heard that DME makes brighter beer. Every time I made a light ale it always has some reddish tone to it not too heavy it just wasn't bright. Some one told me DME tends to make a lighter colored beer

 

[Germelli1]

First time brewing with LME 2 days ago. Usually use it for starters only i opened the bags into the hot wort and man it was like cotton candy..wasn't too bad. Just clumped up and broke appart over time. Guess no way to get around the clumping around the steam.

I use them both and don't really have a preference.

In your case, try measuring out the DME you need and dumping it into a couple of bowls. That way you can add them will minimal clumping and it wont clog the opening to the bags shut.

I use DME whenever I can because it is easier to store and keeps a bit longer. I use LME whenever a recipe calls for pale malt.

 

[broadbill]

Recipes come specifying whichever type of extract the recipe writer uses. You can convert between the two freely.

Just to clarify....yes, you can use DME in recipes that call for LME (and vice versa). But you do need to adjust for the water that is present in LME. LME is 80% malt/20% water, DME is 100% malt.

If converting from LME to DME: add 20% less DME.
If converting from DME to LME: add 20% more LME

Hope this helps

 

[bcstuff]

Just to clarify....yes, you can use DME in recipes that call for LME (and vice versa). But you do need to adjust for the water that is present in LME. LME is 80% malt/20% water, DME is 100% malt.

If converting from LME to DME: add 20% less DME.
If converting from DME to LME: add 20% more LME

Hope this helps

If you are converting DME to LME and you add 20% more, will you be short 4% Malt?
i.e. LME malt = 80% x 20% more = 96% malt

Should it be add 25% if converting from DME to LME?
i.e. LME malt = 80% x 25% more = 100% malt (with 5% more water)

Or is it so close that I'm just being a nit picky a$$.

 

[jon328]

IIRC, I went to my LBHS with a recipe in hand and it called for 5.5 lbs of DME. They told me that 6.6 lbs of LME was equal to the 5.5 lbs of DME.

 

[Robsbrew]

Ive only used LME once and for some reason I just like DME. I definatly take the kettle off the fir to avoid boil over and scorching. It does take a few minutes to get the sticky clumps out fo the wort but it works great!

My LHBS, www.redstickhomebrew.com, is really good about only providing the freshest ingredients so I dont really think its ever been an issue of freshness.

 

[broadbill]

If you are converting DME to LME and you add 20% more, will you be short 4% Malt?
i.e. LME malt = 80% x 20% more = 96% malt

Should it be add 25% if converting from DME to LME?
i.e. LME malt = 80% x 25% more = 100% malt (with 5% more water)

Or is it so close that I'm just being a nit picky a$$.

I'm not following you.

The reason you have to add more LME if converting from DME is because LME contains some water (typically 20% by weight).

A pound of LME (16 oz) consists of: 12.8oz of malt and 3.2 oz of water.

A pound of DME consists of 16oz of malt, no water.

So if you are replacing DME with LME you have to add 20% more LME to get an equivalent amount of malt, as measured on a dry-weight basis.

 

[bcstuff]

I'm not following you.

The reason you have to add more LME if converting from DME is because LME contains some water (typically 20% by weight).

A pound of LME (16 oz) consists of: 12.8oz of malt and 3.2 oz of water.

A pound of DME consists of 16oz of malt, no water.

So if you are replacing DME with LME you have to add 20% more LME to get an equivalent amount of malt, as measured on a dry-weight basis.

Scenario:

I need 1 pound of DME for a recipe which is 16 oz, but I am using LME.

LME is 12.8 oz malt per pound (ignore the water).

So I need 3.2 oz more of malt to equal 16 oz right.

12.8 oz x 20% = 2.56 oz .... so 20% more would only be 15.36 oz of malt.

to get to the proper amount you need 25% more LME.

12.8 oz x 25% = 3.2 oz + the original 12.8 oz = 16 oz of malt.

Or another way to look at it is

1.25 pounds of LME at 12.8 oz of malt per pound.

1.25 pounds x 12.8 oz/pound = 16 oz

.25 more of 1 is 25% more.

Like I said before, I hope I'm not being a nit picky a$$.

 

[McGarnigle]

You have to increase LME 25% to equal the same amount of DME, but then you only have to decrease DME by 20% to get back to where you started. So you lose 5%. You do this 20 times and you have no extract left.

 

[broadbill]

Scenario:

I need 1 pound of DME for a recipe which is 16 oz, but I am using LME.

LME is 12.8 oz malt per pound (ignore the water).

So I need 3.2 oz more of malt to equal 16 oz right.

12.8 oz x 20% = 2.56 oz .... so 20% more would only be 15.36 oz of malt.

to get to the proper amount you need 25% more LME.

12.8 oz x 25% = 3.2 oz + the original 12.8 oz = 16 oz of malt.

Or another way to look at it is

1.25 pounds of LME at 12.8 oz of malt per pound.

1.25 pounds x 12.8 oz/pound = 16 oz

.25 more of 1 is 25% more.

Like I said before, I hope I'm not being a nit picky a$$.

Nope, you aren't being nit-picky....I just did the math for myself (a different way that you did because I did it all on a dry-weight basis) and you are right on the money with the 25%

That is what I get for blindly accepting the wankers on this forum who said it was 20% Yes, you have to add 20% more...but that is on a dry-weight basis. The problem comes when you add an additional amount of LME its a mix of 80% solids/20% water. You you also have to account for the water in the addition also...you can only get so close though.

Sorry bout that.