Microwaving extract to make getting it out of the bucket easier

[DimThexter]

Hey folks,

Apologies if this has been covered previously. I couldn't find it with the search.

I've been an extract brewer for years because I lived in an apartment. I love my brew days. No matter how tough my work week is, a Sunday spent doing the thing I love sets me right for the next one.

The one part of my brewing process that causes me stress is LME addition during the boil. I'm a solo brewer, so trying to stir the brewpot while pouring/scraping the extract from the bucket, to avoid scorching the extract on the bottom of the pot is the only part of the brew that I dread.

For a couple of years, I've been filling my sink with hot water, and letting the extract bucket sit in there to heat it up, and make the LME less viscous. That way, it flows out of the bucket faster, letting me concentrate on keeping the pot moving.

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience nuking the LME in the bucket in the microwave to get it moving.

I've got a starter going for a Dogfish Head 60 Minute clone brew tomorrow that I was thinking about trying this for.

What do you guys think?

 

[flars]

I've nuked a Hersheys syrup bottle to get the last to flow out. A few seconds and it is near molten from the high sugar content. I wouldn't try that with a full jug of LME.

I warm my LME in hot water, give the wort a fast stir as I pour slowly. When the jug gets near the bottom, I add hot wort to the jug with a measuring cup that has a good handle, cap loosely and tilt it back and forth to liquefy the remaining syrup and finish the pour.

While I'm adding wort to the jug I turn the heat back on to return to a full boil.

 

[Yooper]

That should be ok.

I like the warming it up in hot water better, though.

I really thinking adding the majority of the extract at flame out is better, though. It won't matter if it sinks (it won't burn if the flame is out) and it will not carmelize or darken.

 

[RM-MN]

I think it would work. What I did was to set a pan with water in it on a stove burner and set the container of LME in it with the burner on medium or low. By the time I had the steeping grains out the water was boiling and the extract hot enough to flow out nicely. I'd usually use some of the hot water or wort to rinse out the last of the LME.

 

[schiersteinbrewing]

When I did or do extract brew, I microwave the LME to make it pour easier. I nuked it in 1 min intervals, with gently shaking between each interval. I haven't ever noticed any off flavors from it.

 

[9mmruger]

If you turn your flame off when adding the extract, you won't have a burn problem. It's what I do.

 

[JosephLongbow]

On my last brew I wanted a way to get all of the LME out of the bag. I grabbed my small batch kettle and warmed some water then let it soak in there. After it got warmer, I emptied the LME into it then let the open bag sit in the water while my big brew pot was steeping. I was able to get all the sugars out of the LME leaving nothing behind. Then all I had to do was add the blended LME to the brew pot and it was like adding water. No syrup-y consistency. You could even do this the day before to save time.

 

[podz]

Be careful with the microwave or you might cook it.

I highly suspect the the recent failure of my microwave was due to warming up a plastic container of concentrated tamarind paste. It got so hot that I think it fried the magnetron. Nuke time was less than 1 minute. It triggered the thermostat so the microwave shut down. About two weeks later, it suddenly stopped working altogether.

What the hell, I've been waiting to get my hands on a microwave power transformer anyhow.

 

[Hello]

I would use the hot water method. It was easier for me because I could just leave it there while I watched my boil, which I did outside. I suppose it also has to do with the fact that I don't own a microwave.

 

[Subdivisions]

When the jug gets near the bottom, I add hot wort to the jug with a measuring cup that has a good handle, cap loosely and tilt it back and forth to liquefy the remaining syrup and finish the pour.

I do this too. The first time I screwed the lid back on and shook it. Bad idea. Lots of pressure from the steam