Substitutions don't add up

[haighter]

As I prepare to accumulate the ingredients for my latest brew, I've hit something of a snag in my review of the recipe.

The recipe calls for the following

• 12.2 lbs 2-row pale malt
• 0.28 lbs Crystal Mal 15L
• 0.86 lbs CaraPils Malt
• 1 lb Dextrose

There is then a bunch of hops and the yeast.

There is then a note at the bottom of the recipe that says
"Extract: Replace all but 1lb of the Pale Malt with 6.15lbs of DME."


Does this mean if I want to brew this from extract I will only buy the following:

• 1 lb Pale Malt 2 Row
• 6.15 DME
• 1 lb Dextrose (for bottling?)
• Hops
• Yeast

Then one would assume I just brew as normal, following any specific instructions (esp. in regards to hopping). Thanks!

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

Yes, that looks correct for the extract version. The 1 lb of dextrose would be to boost the alcohol level without adding any flavor. Normally 3/4 cup or 4-5 oz of corn sugar is used for priming and bottling.

EDIT: My bad, I totally missed the steeping grains, steep the 2-row, crystal and carapils @ 155°F for about 30 minutes.

 

[haighter]

Yes, that looks correct for the extract version. The 1 lb of dextrose would be to boost the alcohol level without adding any flavor. Normally 3/4 cup or 4-5 oz of corn sugar is used for priming and bottling.

Wait, just so I understand you correctly. The Dextrose mentioned above is added to the DME before going in the primary? Or is this Dextrose bottling sugar? I want to make sure I don't add twice the sugar, or worse add it at the wrong time. Thanks a lot.

 

[Hang Glider]

Most DMEs and LMEs have a little (or a lot) of crystal already in them.

 

[haighter]

Most DMEs and LMEs have a little (or a lot) of crystal already in them.

I assume you're referring to the aforementioned 0.28 lbs crystal malt 15L.

What about the dextrose?

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

There is no way you are going to add 1 lb of dextrose for priming and bottling, way too much for carbonation purposes. 1 lb of dextrose in a recipe seems like an alcohol booster, it is 100% fermentable and therefore will not add any flavor to your beer only more alcohol. The dextrose will be added at flameout, or some will even throw it in when fermentation begins to slow, having said that, if you didn't get a separate 5 oz package of dextrose for priming then you'll want to keep about that much aside for priming and bottling. Also, if you choose to add your dextrose when primary fermentation begins to slow then you'll want to boil it for 5-10 minutes in a suacepan and chill it before adding it to the fermenter to ensure it is sterilized. Like I said though there is no way you'll use 1 lb of dextrose for bottling, 1 lb would be enough to bottle about 3 times assuming you'd use a 5 oz amount for priming each time.

Does your recipe include any instructions?

 

[bronzdragon]

You are correct on your original statement. Most likely the 1 pound dextrose was to go into the boil with the rest of the extract to up the alcohol amount, as was stated above.

I would also like to caution that the hops will be a little different too, when convert from a full mash/boil to extract.

cheers

~r~

 

[Yooper]

I don't read that the same way at all. I read it to mean "replace all of the pale malt (except one pound) with the extract" and keep all of the other grains the same.

So, you'd steep the carapils, crystal, and pale malt. Then, you'd add the extract and start the boil. That's the usual way.

The dextrose can go in the boil, usually at the end.

 

[bronzdragon]

Sorry, yeah I misread, the dme usually just replaced the base malt. The other malts are just there for flavor, so keep them in there.

carry on


~r~

 

[Palefire]

I don't read that the same way at all. I read it to mean "replace all of the pale malt (except one pound) with the extract" and keep all of the other grains the same.

So, you'd steep the carapils, crystal, and pale malt. Then, you'd add the extract and start the boil. That's the usual way.

The dextrose can go in the boil, usually at the end.

Yes, I'd be pretty sure that these are the instructions. Steep the one pound of pale, the carapils and the crystal. Boil and add extract. If you want to get a little fancier with it, you can do a late extract addition (search around here for those words), which will give you better hop utilization and, probably, better color.

Good luck!

 

[PseudoChef]

I wouldn't steep 2-row. It needs to be mashed. Steeping it won't contribute much in terms of flavor and will only add uncleaved starch to your beer making it pretty hazy.

 

[Yooper]

You know, this is probably so confusing the way we're doing this piecemeal.

How about this?

1 lbs 2-row pale malt
0.28 lbs Crystal Mal 15L
0.86 lbs CaraPils Malt

Put in grain bag, and add to 4 quarts of 163 degree water. Keep at 150-155 degrees for 45 minutes. Dunk the bag, to wet the grains thoroughly, and stir it up well. After 45 minutes, left up the grain bag. Pour over 1 gallon of 170 degree water to "rinse" the grains.

Add water to get to your boil volume. Bring to a boil.

Add 6 pounds DME. Begin the hopping schedule.
With 10 minutes left in the boil, add the dextrose.

That should be fairly close to the original recipe.

 

[Palefire]

You know, this is probably so confusing the way we're doing this piecemeal.

How about this?

1 lbs 2-row pale malt
0.28 lbs Crystal Mal 15L
0.86 lbs CaraPils Malt

Put in grain bag, and add to 4 quarts of 163 degree water. Keep at 150-155 degrees for 45 minutes. Dunk the bag, to wet the grains thoroughly, and stir it up well. After 45 minutes, left up the grain bag. Pour over 1 gallon of 170 degree water to "rinse" the grains.

Add water to get to your boil volume. Bring to a boil.

Add 6 pounds DME. Begin the hopping schedule.
With 10 minutes left in the boil, add the dextrose.

That should be fairly close to the original recipe.

How awesome. Isn't HBT great?

Also, don't squeeze the grain bag after you take it out of the water. Let it drip a bunch, but squeezing will put some tannins into your beer (which you don't want).

 

[Grizzlybrew]

You know, this is probably so confusing the way we're doing this piecemeal.

How about this?

1 lbs 2-row pale malt
0.28 lbs Crystal Mal 15L
0.86 lbs CaraPils Malt

Put in grain bag, and add to 4 quarts of 163 degree water. Keep at 150-155 degrees for 45 minutes. Dunk the bag, to wet the grains thoroughly, and stir it up well. After 45 minutes, left up the grain bag. Pour over 1 gallon of 170 degree water to "rinse" the grains.

Add water to get to your boil volume. Bring to a boil.

Add 6 pounds DME. Begin the hopping schedule.
With 10 minutes left in the boil, add the dextrose.

That should be fairly close to the original recipe.

Thank you Yooper from saving (most of the) above posters from the chaos. LME and DME don't have crystal in them!!! It's cheap base malt. If anything, extract/PM recipes often add crystal and other flavor malts to make up for the "thin-ness" of extract IMO. When a recipe calls for substituting, it's almost always refering to the base malt only.

 

[david_42]

You don't have control of the fermentability of an extract and the dextrose will dry the beer out a bit. The effect would be the same as mashing around 150F.

 

[flyangler18]

LME and DME don't have crystal in them!!! It's cheap base malt.

Error. LME and DME can certainly contain a percentage of crystal malts, which is why it best to choose the palest extract available and adjust color and body using steepable character malts. Amber LME/DME most assuredly contain a proportion of crystal malts, the amount of which varies by manufacturer.

 

[Minky]

I wouldn't steep 2-row. It needs to be mashed. Steeping it won't contribute much in terms of flavor and will only add uncleaved starch to your beer making it pretty hazy.

Like PseudoChef says, don't steep that 2 row. Just leave it out.

 

[PseudoChef]

Error. LME and DME can certainly contain a percentage of crystal malts, which is why it best to choose the palest extract available and adjust color and body using steepable character malts. Amber LME/DME most assuredly contain a proportion of crystal malts, the amount of which varies by manufacturer.

+1.

1234567986

 

[conpewter]

Like PseudoChef says, don't steep that 2 row. Just leave it out.

Steep it along with everything else, if you are "steeping" at 150-155 for 45 minutes.... sounds familiar...

Seriously, the enzymes in the 2-row will help the conversion of the other grains and give you more flavor and fermentables from them. Yes you could just steep them, but you wouldn't get as much out of them. That's why a lot of Austin Homebrew's kits come with some 2-row in the steeping grains.

 

[haighter]

Wow! Thanks for all the great responses. I learn something new everyday....

 

[Grizzlybrew]

Error. LME and DME can certainly contain a percentage of crystal malts, which is why it best to choose the palest extract available and adjust color and body using steepable character malts. Amber LME/DME most assuredly contain a proportion of crystal malts, the amount of which varies by manufacturer.

Sorry - I was referring to the extract in question which I assume were pale/light or extra pale/ligth extracts. On a side note, I'm not quite sure why you would ever use any other extracts... Not a big fan of amber/etc. extracts and not really a big fan of extracts in general, but I understand that a high quality extract can result in very favorable brews. Agree if you use extracts, use ligth and color/flavor with specialty grains/adjuncts.