Using DME instead of LME

[The_Preacher]

I'm using a recipe that calls for syrup but I'm using dry extract instead. I've already figured out how much to use but the recipe calls for the syrup to go in at 15 min. I'm just wondering if I should use the dry on the same schedule. Help me please.

 

[GenIke]

Lots of people add DME late. You need to add some early though for appropriate hop utilization.

 

[rodwha]

I have never boiled my hops in nothing but water. I'm not sure how well that works.

Being that you are using DME it's not too messy to add what you want in the beginning. It will darken it a bit so maybe add 1/3 of it (assuming it is an all extract recipe) in the beginning will be good.

Can you give what it is you are doing for clarification?

 

[hoffmeister]

I would agree with GenIke. You do want some extract in there for the duration of the boil Nd to help with the utilization of the hops (utilization actually increases with some extract, as opposed to just water), but whether you add just some of the total amount of extract or all depends on the size of your kettle and your preferences. When I did extract brewing I used to add half my DME at the start of the boil and the rest during the last 15 minutes. It does throw off your hop schedule going this route, but it's not a bad strategy.

 

[The_Preacher]

It's a Baltic Porter that I've modified a little so I'll have some speacialty grains to steep and a wheat DME from the beginning of the boil but it calls for a dark extract at 15 minutes so I didn't know if changing from LME to DME would effect the schedule.

 

[unionrdr]

No, adding dark DME at the same time will be fine. Just the amounts change between LME & DME. DME doesn't darken in the boil as readily as LME does. Here's a handy calculator; http://www.jaysbrewing.com/2011/11/17/lazy-chart-for-converting-dme-lme-grain/

 

[mrgrimm101]

No, adding dark DME at the same time will be fine. Just the amounts change between LME & DME. DME doesn't darken in the boil as readily as LME does. Here's a handy calculator; http://www.jaysbrewing.com/2011/11/17/lazy-chart-for-converting-dme-lme-grain/

+1 for unionrdr's comments. That handy little malt conversion chart is a great resource

 

[GrogNerd]

I would recommend using as light an extract as you can (chances are it is more fresh) and using specialty grains to get your color

Conversion chart from Jay's (one of my lhbs's) is great tool

 

[JR_Brewer]

+2 to unionrdr, that calculator should help you out.

Also, since you're brewing a Baltic Porter, you don't really need to worry about extract darkening, it's already going to be pretty dark. Extract darkening is more a problem with light colored beers.

 

[rodwha]

Union: Are you certain that DME doesn't darken as easily or as much as LME?

 

[unionrdr]

Yes, absolutely! My remarks come from lots of personal experience with both types.

 

[The_Preacher]

Thanks guys! That's actually the calculator I used to convert my quantities. I'm not overly concerned with color. It's already a touch on the dark side but I'm not entering any contests yet.

 

[schokie]

I've noticed that DME does not darken as much as LME. My theory is that the DME tends to clump near the surface until it dissolves while the LME sinks to the bottom and gets scorched until it dissolves. It's not a big difference and could possibly be just my imagination. But I've certainly imagined the LME darkens more, so I always add LME as a late addition.

 

[rodwha]

I add my LME ay flameout as well as I have scorched it once before. But I've never used DME exclusively to know the difference, and I've typically used it in the beginning of the boil, though not always, because it takes a little while to dissolve thoroughly.

I would have thought they darkened evenly as I found that many British beers (ESB's and IPA's) often have no specialty malts for color and instead boiled much longer to get it.

 

[unionrdr]

They did in the old days, as they didn't have the kind of malts available nowadays. They had to do long boils, decoctions, etc to get the flavor & color desired. Besides malts being roasted with wood, straw, or both.

 

[itchygomey]

I add my LME ay flameout as well as I have scorched it once before. But I've never used DME exclusively to know the difference, and I've typically used it in the beginning of the boil, though not always, because it takes a little while to dissolve thoroughly.

To get around this (I've had the same problem), I "pre-dissolve" my late extract additions in water. I typically do my late additions at flameout and add the water quantity in brewsmith as top off water so the IBU's are calculated correctly. As an added bonus, this speeds cooling too.