Malt extract

[Mr_Flibble]

Hi everyone. Quick newbie question - if a recipe calls for malt extract, will anything baring that name do? Or does it have to be a specific brewing malt extract?

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Sorry, that was a bit vague. I mean that I can buy a tin of malt extract online from a brewing website for nearly £10, or buy the equivalent volume in jars from sainsburys for less. Is there a difference as they are both called malt extract?

 

[boydster]

They will both make beer, but the stuff you get from a home brew supply co will probably make a beer more like one intended in the recipe you are following. I'm not sure what they sell at Sainsburys, but at my LHBS I can get malt extract in extra light, light, amber, dark, etc, and while they will all make beer (just add hops, water, and yeast...), they make very different beers. Most of the recipes that I brew use extra light extract, and if I used a dark extract instead it would really mess up the profile of the beer. Make sense?

 

[ScottG58]

There are different malt extracts. The beer type will dictate the malt type of malt extract that you use. Dark malt extract is much different from light malt extract. Different malts have differing levels of potential fermentability.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

That's really helpful, thanks.

So the recipe is for 'bay and rosemary ale' and the ingredients are:

1 kg malt extract
10 large rosemary sprigs
20 bay leaves
500g sugar
250g golden syrup / honey
Ale yeast
13 litres water

The recipe is from 'Booze for Free' by Andy Hamilton (great book and really nice bloke).

The type of malt extract isn't specified though. Given the ingredients, can anyone advise on the type of malt extract I should use?

 

[frazier]

Given the ingredients, you probably want a light extract, since you want the herbs to be prominent and not fighting with dark malt flavors.

What made you pick this recipe? There's a type of beer called gruit, which relies on herbs other than hops for its bittering and flavor. I hope that suits your tastes, since you'll have about 3 gallons of the stuff.

Cheers!

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Superb, thanks for the advice. I don't really know why I chose that particular recipe, but I'm new to brewing and rosemary and bay are very common in my area.

 

[boydster]

I hadn't heard of that recipe before, but a quick google search took me over to http://twohoundsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/rosemary-and-bay-ale.html and it seems that person used malt syrup like you would find at a grocery or health food store.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Yep, it's the same recipe from the book I have. I can't recommend it enough

 

[Shred]

This is definitely a gruit and not a traditional ale recipe. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it won't taste like a conventional beer. I just made a hop-free, gluten-free gruit that is actually really refreshing and tasty. I wouldn't substitute it for a nice IPA though.

 

[unionrdr]

I say got to a home brew shop locally or on line & get plain light LME or DME. Plain means un-hopped,L is Liquid,D is dry malt extract. That stuff in the grocery store isn't good to use for the kind of quality you're looking for here.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

This is all really useful stuff, thanks all.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Hi all.

So tonight's the night that we start to brew. I picked up some light malt extract for an extortionate price at my local HB shop.... I'm going to search elsewhere next time.

My next question is about the primary fermentation. The recipe says boil the ingredients, then get everything in the fermentation bin, and pitch yeast once at room temp and leave to ferment out. However, should I leave it uncovered? Or should I cover it with the lid?

I just forked out nearly £15 for my malt extract, so the last thing I want is for my brew to get an infection.

 

[boydster]

Do you have an airlock to put in the lid of the fermenter? There will be considerable CO2 generated, and if there is no way for the air to vent it will blow the top off. If you don't have an airlock, cover it with a towel and go get one. They are cheap.

 

[ncbrewer]

Look up http://www.howtobrew.com/
It will answer these questions and more. A great resource, although a little outdated.

 

[unionrdr]

It should def be sealed with an airlock. Use cheap gerocery store vodka or starsan to fill it. I like to chill the hot wort in an ice bath while still in the brew kettle down to 75F or so. Strain into fermenter,then top off with cold chilled water to recipe volume. Stir roughly 5 minutes to aerate & mix well. Then take hydrometer sample & pitch yeast,& seal'er up.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

That's really helpful, thanks.