Substitute LME with dextrose for crisper/dryer beer?

[alcoholicwhitetrash]

I have been brewing delicious beer by using only water, us-05, pilsen LME and hops, but it's always a little too sweet/thick/dark (even f i use a lot of hops in the boil, then it's too bitter and still sweet)

so i figured it's because only 80% of the LME i use is fermentable, leaving 20% sugar... right?

Is corn sugar 100% fermentable? Could i replace half of the LME with that to avoid too much unfermented sugar?

 

[doomy86]

In my experience, some malt extract leaves the beer with a higher FG than all grain brews. You can add sugar to lighten it up, but only up to 20%. Start with 10%. I would recommend to try a different malt extract though.

 

[RM-MN]

I have been brewing delicious beer by using only water, us-05, pilsen LME and hops, but it's always a little too sweet/thick/dark (even f i use a lot of hops in the boil, then it's too bitter and still sweet)

so i figured it's because only 80% of the LME i use is fermentable, leaving 20% sugar... right?

Is corn sugar 100% fermentable? Could i replace half of the LME with that to avoid too much unfermented sugar?

Malt extract is always a little dark as it comes from the malting house as the process to concentrate it causes it to darken a little. Then you add it to your water to make wort and boil it which then further darkens it. (Maillard reaction)

Malting houses usually add other grains to make the malt extract and these may add unfermentable sugars that leave your beer sweeter than you like.

The answer to both these problems is to go all grain. That way you control all the grains that go into making the wort and won't be concentrating the wort. That's really the best way to get what you want in a beer.

All grain brewing isn't really much harder than extract brewing and doesn't have to take more time either. If you can bring a measured amount of water (the exact amount will become more critical later) to 161 F. and keep it there for half an hour you can do all grain by the BIAB process.

 

[GrimBrewer]

My FG is most of the time 10 points higher if i use 50% DME vs using the same all grain recipe, so Ive started to replace a small % wth dectrose. Think it was 5%.
Bottling this weekend and will see if I have a better FG.

 

[GrimBrewer]

*deleted double post

 

[jan_b19]

what is the abv of the beer? can the yeast convert all the fermentables to alcohol? can you post the recipe you used (cause there're a lot of thing you can do with extract water and hops depending on how much you used), how long did you ferment, how long did you carb it? the more you tell us the better our help will be! we need to know how YOU make your beer. a gravity reading would be nice as well.

 

[alcoholicwhitetrash]

what is the abv of the beer? can the yeast convert all the fermentables to alcohol? can you post the recipe you used (cause there're a lot of thing you can do with extract water and hops depending on how much you used), how long did you ferment, how long did you carb it? the more you tell us the better our help will be! we need to know how YOU make your beer. a gravity reading would be nice as well.

Hey that's the thing i did not follow a recipe, and i don't have a hydrometer to measure the gravity. This was just kind of a general question... I used 6lbs of Pilsen LME, 4gal boil for 60min with 1oz Cascade, pitched us-05 yeast after cooling down and adding 1gal water. 1oz cascade dry-hop

I did a little more research and i think the problem is that the temperature in the room where i ferment got way too high for a least 3 days, probably up to 85 degrees so the "sweetness" i'm tasting might be from fusel alcohol, it also taste like unpleasant strong alcohol/malt liquor...

I pitched more yeast to see if it would start re-fermenting but nothing, I need the room right now so i kind of want to just throw it away... Unless there is a way to get rid of fusel alcohols that doesn't involve waiting for months (if that's the problem)

 

[jan_b19]

there could be a ton of reasons. Without a SG reading we can't say exactly what's wrong (not seeing bubbles doesn't mean the beer is done fermenting. My first tip would be to invest in a hydrometer, they're not even that expensive ( about $9). Now that being said. You're not the first extract brewer to have this problem. Extracts often finish at 1.020 SG and that basically means there's a lot of residual sugar left in it.
So yes, you are correct: adding sugar will give you a drier crispier beer.
I wouldn't replace half of your LME with sugar tho cause then you might have a very dry beer with very little flavor. Start by using 70%LME and 30% sugar, unless of course you want it very dry.
Just remember, substituting grain or extract with corn sugar will lead to a dried beer. But fermenting corn sugar does NOT give you flavor.

 

[alcoholicwhitetrash]

Thanks you so much, i will try that!

 

[jan_b19]

Thanks you so much, i will try that!

Did some quick calculations in beersmith for you as a guideline.
So with pure extract you're gonna be at about 1.017-1.020 SG(sweet)

With 80% extract and 20% corn sugar you should be at 1.012 (pretty dry but still some sweetness)

With 70% extract and 30% corn sugar you should get about 1.006-1.008 and thats about as dry as you would want to go for a beer (well for me at least) give it a shot and keep me posted

 

[Calder]

Yes, replacing LME with sugar will give you a drier beer. Do not use too much unless it is a beer that uses plain sugar (Belgians). Try 10%, maybe 15% max. Too much and you lose malt flavor..

You can use plain table sugar; it is cheaper than corn sugar and both ferment 100%. ?........ No, it does not give a cider flavor!

 

[GrimBrewer]

I currently have a partial extract at second week of fermentation. Gravity was at 1.012 when I started to dry hop. First time I got it so low without using a "Saison" yeast. I used 15% Dextrose.
OG was 1.058, a bit higher than planned, since my efficiency on the grain went up.

 

[jan_b19]

Well for you extract brewers who do not own a hydrometer, there is a calculator at brewers friend. This one. So there you can see what your estimated OG and FG will be and you'll also see that extracts finish really sweet. Then you can compare it with This chart to see what the normal values are for the type of beer you want/the extract you're brewing. Add sugar if you finish to sweet, but as said by me and Calder 20% sugar is already pushing it so don't go to crazy with the sugar.

 

[alcoholicwhitetrash]

I have been using 5lbs of LME and 1lb of dextrose instead of my usual 6lbs of LME and no dextrose. Drinking the beer now, noticeable difference! Less head retention, seems like the carbonation is more soda-like, and it is more bitter, almost as if i doubled the bittering hops amount even if i used my regular 1oz cascade 60min boil, 2oz dry hop.

My friends do not agree with me but I'm actually very satisfied with it, since i live in very hot southern california it's perfect because it's more refreshing, crisper, cleaner and has a lighter color. It's not a "better" beer tho, definitely more bland. Thanks everybody for the advice!