Why LME vs DME?

[brewprint]

Really?

I am cursing DME.
First of all I make a huge mess.
Then it clumps in to rock candy, even by the steam before it hits the water. Cakes all up on whatever I use for stirring. A lot wasted. The rock candy never dissolves at flameoutx so I often have to put the burners back on.

Ive been all dme for a long time because of threads like this, but am reconsidering.

I put a bowl on the scale, slowly pour the lme to desired weight, and use a big spoon to add the lme in, it melts right off of the spoon and doesnt scorch.

Go to biab. You'll find it's as gravy as extract. I'm about to write an article on the real world differences of all grain biab vs. extract. There are a few more calculations to make for biab but other steps are swapped such as pouring in LME or DME. It takes me 3.5 hours for a 5 gallon batch compared to 3 with extract.

 

[Ster]

Try pouring the DME in slowly while stirring. It's a lil easier that way to me.

Tried everything, even putting DME in slowly spoonful by spoonful, End up with a 10 lb crusty spoon.

 

[unionrdr]

Sounds like you're pouring the DME 1st, then stirring. I start stirring 1st, then slowly pour some DME in. Like stirring in the center while poring DME at the side. Indirect stirring, one might say?

 

[QuadConPana]

I prefer high gravity beers, and after fighting with trub on my first couple of BIAB batches, I decided to go back to extract. Like most, I find that the DME is a lot easier to work with. However, in the secondary now, is the Northern Brewer HT clone. It used a mix of DME and LME. The advantage of the LME is that it could be added near the end of the boil, after hop additions to allow for better hop utilization. I simply put a large kettle of water on the stove and let it get to 180 or so and let the LME bottle soak in there while I was boiling the rest of the wort. It poured in very easily. Gave it a taste after my last gravity reading, and I can't complain a bit. Even warm and flat it's better than a lot of things I've tried.

 

[geejay]

I use LME rather than DME because I get the LME for $1.40 per pound (including shipping), and the DME was two or three times that much.
I use 5 gallon buckets of LME and to get it pour easily, I put it in a kettle of hot water for at least an hour.
When I do double strength brews (to be diluted in the fermentor), I add half the malt at flameout, so my hops utilization doesn't suffer.

 

[ncbrewer]

I use LME rather than DME because I get the LME for $1.40 per pound (including shipping), and the DME was two or three times that much.

I've been hesitant to buy more than three months worth of LME at a time because the literature says older LME starts tasting stale. How long do you keep yours? How does it taste when brewed from the older product? What temperature do you store it at? Where do you get it?

 

[geejay]

I've been hesitant to buy more than three months worth of LME at a time because the literature says older LME starts tasting stale. How long do you keep yours? How does it taste when brewed from the older product? What temperature do you store it at? Where do you get it?

I get it direct from California Concentrate Company, the manufacturers of Alexander's Sun Country Malt. Most people just call it Alex Malt. I used to buy it from my LHBS for twice that price. I live in California, so the shipping is pretty low (about $25 shipping for a 5 gallon/60 pound pail). The malt itself is $60 for a 5 gallon/60 pound pail.

One pail only lasts me about a month so I can't comment on old malt. 5 gallons of malt only makes about 50 gallons, depending on OG of course.

It's direct from the manufacturer, so I would think it'll be fresher than anything from a LHBS or other middleman.

I store it at room temp, which these days is 70-80F.

For folks not in or near California, it's worth calling extract producers near you to see if they will sell directly to you.

 

[ncbrewer]

geejay - Thanks for the quick reply.

Seems you brew a little more than I do.

 

[geejay]

geejay - Thanks for the quick reply.

Seems you brew a little more than I do.

I just started brewing again in February, after a ten year pause. So I have a lot of pent up creativity to unleash. So many important-to-me questions that can only be answered by brewing and tasting.

If I were trying to save LME for months, I think I'd vacuum seal it in half gallon or one gallon bags. Or maybe use 1-2 gallon pails but purge with CO2 before and after filling. I've also though using a corny keg might be a neat way to go. Then (theoretically) it could be dispensed with CO2 and stay oxygen free.

 

[unionrdr]

I only by enough extract for one or two batches & store it in the fridge. Yeast goes int e lil butter cubby on the fridge door & hops in the freezer. They keep real well that way.

 

[CBXBob]

LME added at flame out, all my brews have specialty grains steeped, hop utilization always good, no twang, always great beer results. Prefer More Beer's foil sealed bags of LME. Usually warm the bags in hot water to get more wort into kettle, then roll them like a toothpaste tube YRMV.

 

[MannyEdwards]

DME for longer shelf life, but fresh LME can be excellent. Use a 4:5 ratio of DME to LME for substitutions, e.g., 1 lb DME = 1.25 lb LME, 1 lb LME = .8 lb DME.