Extract in your own recipes

I am slowly graduating from extract kids with specialty grains, to formulating my own extract recipies.

For those of you with experience here, do you mainly use DME, LME or a combination? And... why?

It all depends on you. Some LME can help with color. Most DME wont effect color and need to use steeping grains for that. DME seems to last longer for storage. But fresh LME can be good. I havent seen any difference in quality of flavor from one to the other. But IMO LME is so much easier to add to water than DME.

There are definitely benefits to both. I have been using DME more lately because it is easier for me to work with it dry when I need to weigh it or store it. There are probably perfectly good ways of storing leftover LME if you don't need an entire can, but I didn't waste much time trying to solve that problem when DME will give you the same bang for your buck.

The DME clumps so you have to stir it a lot to dissolve it in the water. The LME will sink to the bottom of the kettle, so again you have to stir it a lot to dissolve it while making sure it doesn't scorch.

There is virtually no difference that I have found with respect to the quality of the beer you will create with either.

BrutalBrew said:

It all depends on you. Some LME can help with color. Most DME wont effect color and need to use steeping grains for that. DME seems to last longer for storage. But fresh LME can be good. I havent seen any difference in quality of flavor from one to the other. But IMO LME is so much easier to add to water than DME.

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DME can actually affect the color, it is just like LME in that you need to check the Lovibond number to know what color it will bring to the table. Also, if it scorches, that will cause the LME and DME both to darken.

The Extra Light or Golden Light DME that I use is about 3L. There is Extra Light and Light LME's that are comparable. Both also go much higher (darker)

boydsbitchinbrews said:

DME can actually affect the color, it is just like LME in that you need to check the Lovibond number to know what color it will bring to the table. Also, if it scorches, that will cause the LME and DME both to darken.

The Extra Light or Golden Light DME that I use is about 3L. There is Extra Light and Light LME's that are comparable. Both also go much higher (darker)

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Good to know , every type of DME ive bought was the pretty much the same color.

I have been doing LME (5 batches so far) and all are darker than the clone. Not happy with the results. Most ppl will look at it and say......I don't like dark beer so they already don't like it.

I have been told LME and darkness are the nature of the beast....??

I like to add extract, especially LME, with the kettle away from the flame to prevent scorching. It's very dense, so it sinks to the bottom of the kettle fast, and if you have the heat on it can easily start to burn your extract which will make it darker. With DME, I've found it tends to float at the top in clumps until it is stirred in and dissolved. I still add it with the heat off, but I think it would be less susceptible to scorching and darkening than LME when you add it initially. That part is speculation, and I don't have any DME kicking around to do a science experiment this afternoon unfortunately

Late extract aditions help keep colors lighter & little or no extract twang ime.
It seems to help moreso with LME.

I like to keep a few pounds of various DMEs on hand to make adjustments to my gravity if necessary. Haven't had to for awhile but it's good to know I have it when I need it.

I would recommend, whether you use LME or DME, that you try as much as possible to use all light or pale, and get your color and flavor from specialty grains. Your recipes will be more reproducible because you know all the percentages of ingredients, and it will be easier to convert your recipes if/when you go to partial mash or all grain. The problem with darker extracts is you don't usually know the exact composition of them.

The only exception would be for some of the extracts that use specific base malts that you might want - like Maris Otter or Munich extracts. You won't be able to do those grains on your own without partial mash or all grain.

chickypad said:

I would recommend, whether you use LME or DME, that you try as much as possible to use all light or pale, and get your color and flavor from specialty grains. Your recipes will be more reproducible because you know all the percentages of ingredients, and it will be easier to convert your recipes if/when you go to partial mash or all grain. The problem with darker extracts is you don't usually know the exact composition of them.

The only exception would be for some of the extracts that use specific base malts that you might want - like Maris Otter or Munich extracts. You won't be able to do those grains on your own without partial mash or all grain.

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+1, definitely