Spraymalt alone?

[Rosshedley]

Hi brewers,

I brought some extra light spray malt. Can I use this alone as the malt extract to make beer (obviously adding hops)? The pack seems to imply this is a sugar substitute to be added to extract.

confused,
Ross

 

[D.B.Moody]

Yes. It's just lighter in color and taste than light, amber, etc.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I am not sure what brand you are using. I have mostly used Briess. I find that their "Golden Light DME" alone makes a beer with color and malty character that works well in a Pale Ale style beer. The Briess "Pilsen Light DME" also make a rather enjoyable beer.

I do mostly all-grain batches (the above was mostly small batch single hop samplers), but my general preference for extract brewing is to use a very light extract and add colors and flavors with specialty grains. What you have there is likely what I would want to use.

 

[IslandLizard]

Since you're in Bristol, UK, I gather it's a product by Muntons or some other UK maltster.

If it's 100% spray malt, it's usually barley based, made up of mostly maltose, maltotriose and maltodextrins. There should not be any simple sugars (glucose, dextrose, sucrose, etc.) added to it, other than those created during the mash.

Maltose makes the best beer, yielding most flavor and body. Simple sugars just add alcohol since they ferment out completely, and tend to make beer thinner, lighter in body. You could use a smaller or larger percentage of sugar, sure, but the majority of fermentables should be provided from malted grain. Spray malt will provide that.

So yes, you can use all spray malt to make beer. But it's more expensive than simple sugars, so most kits add a bag of sugar ("kit and kilo").

In the US it's known as DME (Dry Malt Extract), basically the same product. You'll see it being used in most extract recipes.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

The thread " I brewed a favorite recipe today (link) " may be of interest. At least one of the posters brews with Muntons products.

 

[Rosshedley]

Thanks everyone! Most appreciated.

I have 500g of the stuff (yes it is Muntons) and 100g of Simcoe hop pellets, and on the lookout for a recipe that makes about 2 gallons of 4-5 percent pale ale...

 

[Miraculix]

Thanks everyone! Most appreciated.

I have 500g of the stuff (yes it is Muntons) and 100g of Simcoe hop pellets, and on the lookout for a recipe that makes about 2 gallons of 4-5 percent pale ale...

Then you need more of the extract.

 

[dwhite60]

500 grams in a gallon will give you an OG of about 1.04. You want more spray malt. Adding just sugar will make it way too thin.

1.04 can give a respectable beer though. Extract I've found doesn't usually ferment as completely as a regular all grain beer. Something in the manufacturing process creates more dextrins that don't ferment.