What is the Late Extract Method?

[chase]

I've heard this technique mentioned a few times but I don't know what it is.

 

[Fingers]

I believe that is where you add your extract in the last fifteen minutes of the boil to minimize carmelization that darkens your beer. You have to be careful with your bittering hops additions because the lower gravity will extract more alpha acids from the hops and increase your bitterness.

 

[Jesse17]

I believe that is where you add your extract in the last fifteen minutes of the boil to minimize carmelization that darkens your beer. You have to be careful with your bittering hops additions because the lower gravity will extract more alpha acids from the hops and increase your bitterness.

I'm sure you're right about the carmelization, but from what I've seen, the main purpose is to lower the boil gravity when you're only doing a partial boil, that way you get more IBUs out of your hops.

 

[Joker]

It will keep the color of your brew lighter. However you need to add some extract at the beginning of the boil in order to get better hop utilization.

 

[DaleJ]

Put in about half of your extract as you normally would, then put in the remainder with about 15 minutes to go.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I only use 1 lb of malt in 1.5 gals of water...fewer hops...add the remaining malt during the last 15 mins which is usually not boiled, but steeped.

 

[g_rath]

anyone have a good rough ratio of how much to lower your hops when you do this?

 

[malkore]

use the forums search feature. these questions have been covered numerous times in the past.

 

[chase]

I only use 1 lb of malt in 1.5 gals of water...fewer hops...add the remaining malt during the last 15 mins which is usually not boiled, but steeped.

So let me get this straight. When you add the rest of the malt with 15m left, you don't restart the boil? You just let it steep?

 

[brewt00l]

So let me get this straight. When you add the rest of the malt with 15m left, you don't restart the boil? You just let it steep?

take the kettle off direct flame to prevent scortching
slowly add remaining malt until fully incorporated
place kettle back on flame
knock out @ 60 minutes

 

[chase]

that's what i thought, brewt00l.

 

[homebrewer_99]

So let me get this straight. When you add the rest of the malt with 15m left, you don't restart the boil? You just let it steep?

Correct. I do not put if back on the burner. I just let it sit there.

In the meantime I sanitize everything I'll be needing after that...

 

[DaleJ]

I put mine back on the burner and let it return to a boil, however the clock keeps ticking. It usually only gets back to a boil for about 5-10mins of the remaining time.

 

[chase]

Interesting. Why not bring it back to a boil, and then boil for the remaining 15 minutes?

 

[Orfy]

You are going to darken the beer doing that.
Also a chance of scotching and caramelising.

The things you are trying to avoid.

You can also drive of the hop aroma.

 

[IowaStateFan]

So let me get this straight. When you add the rest of the malt with 15m left, you don't restart the boil? You just let it steep?

I found that I could never get it back to a boil on my stove, and that affected the flavor from my late hop additions. I also learned that the extract doesn't need to be boiled, just pastuerized. So now I add the rest of the malt at flameout and let it steep for 10 - 15 minutes before I start cooling it.

 

[chase]

It seems that there is no standard technique for this, so I will play around with it and see what works for me. Thanks for the tips.

 

[brewt00l]

I found that I could never get it back to a boil on my stove, and that affected the flavor from my late hop additions. I also learned that the extract doesn't need to be boiled, just pastuerized. So now I add the rest of the malt at flameout and let it steep for 10 - 15 minutes before I start cooling it.

Yup..you're basically just making sure that it's good and pasteurized. When I did late additions I just tossed the remaining DME in during the last 5 and returned the pot to the burner....this was the last time, no scortching or color issue: (slightly lighter in person w/o the flash)

 

[chase]

Ooh. What's that brewt00l?

Whatever it is, it is light. I've never had an extract brew come out that light. Even a kolsch. Guess that means I'm doing late additions from now on.

 

[chase]

One more question: what about specialty grains? Do you still do those before the boil? How does that affect the color?

Okay. That was really two questions...

Post 100!!!

 

[homebrewer_99]

Ooh. What's that brewt00l?

Whatever it is, it is light. I've never had an extract brew come out that light. Even a kolsch. Guess that means I'm doing late additions from now on.

Check out my pics in #4:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=26151

These are all Late Addition, no filtering...

 

[chase]

Those are gorgeous homebrewer! I'll see how my "Slow Saturday APA" comes out, which was my first late-addition attempt. If it works like you say it does, it'll help stifle my desire to go AG (I think I want to go AG because I've had so much trouble with extract. Hah! I really just need to work out the kinks in my extract technique. Like not using anymore LME, using starters, and do late-additions).

 

[Poindexter]

It seems that there is no standard technique for this, so I will play around with it and see what works for me. Thanks for the tips.

BRILLIANT!!

Enjoy a Guiness while you are waiting on your home brew.

 

[brewt00l]

Ooh. What's that brewt00l?

Whatever it is, it is light. I've never had an extract brew come out that light. Even a kolsch. Guess that means I'm doing late additions from now on.

Hefe

 

[debaniel]

It seems that there is no standard technique for this, so I will play around with it and see what works for me. Thanks for the tips.

Something I learned pretty quickly - there are plenty of wrong ways to brew, but there is no one right way to do it. There are LOTS of right ways. And quite a few wrong ways (which are to be avoided).

 

[homebrewer_99]

Something I learned pretty quickly - there are plenty of wrong ways to brew, but there is no one right way to do it. There are LOTS of right ways. And quite a few wrong ways (which are to be avoided).

I believe we try to accomplish that here...

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

Something I learned pretty quickly - there are plenty of wrong ways to brew, but there is no one right way to do it. There are LOTS of right ways. And quite a few wrong ways (which are to be avoided).

Hmmm... What do you mean wrong ways?

 

[chase]

Hmmm... What do you mean wrong ways?

I don't think your hose is obeying the laws of gravity!?!

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

wtf is goin on there
who cares i like it

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

I don't think your hose is obeying the laws of gravity!?!

That IS a full draining chiller