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5825 Excelsior Blvd.
Minneapolis, MN 55416
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FAQ-Unhopped Dry (DME)

Question: What is the Late Extract Addition brewing method?
   Answer: The Late Extract Addition process is very simple – the bulk of the fermentable sugars, generally malt extract, are added near the end of the boil, rather than at the beginning. Add 15-25% of your malt and/or fermentable sugars at the beginning of the boil. This will create a wort that has malt sugars and enzymes necessary for the boiling process, but creates an thinner wort for the majority of the boiling time. Add the remaining 75-85% of the malt extract during the last 15 minutes of the boil – enough time for the malt to be fully dissolved and sterilized by the boil. There are several reasons to use the late extract brewing method. Several benefits come from reducing over-caramelization. One of these benefits is that the beer will turn out lighter, which can be difficult to do otherwise with extract beers. It can also reduce scorched malt flavors that can result from brewing high-gravity beers, or boiling the wort in a small brewpot, where the wort is more concentrated and susceptible to scorching. Another result out of the late extract method is increased hop utilization. Using the late extract method, you will get a more bitter beer than you would if you were added 100% of the malt at the beginning of the boil. This may be a good or bad thing. The upside is that you get better efficiency in terms of bitterness extraction from your hops. The possible drawback is that you may create a beer that is more bitter than you’d like. Many brewers choose to use about 20% less bittering hops to compensate for the increased hop utilization. This saves you hops! Give it a try on your next light beer and see if you like the results!...Click to Read full Answer


Question: How do I prime 5 gallons of beer with corn sugar or dried malt extract?
   Answer: For bottling/priming 5 gallons of fully fermented beer using dextrose (corn sugar), add three quarters (¾) of a cup to achieve an appropriate carbonation level. You may wish to add slightly less or more depending on the style of beer or your own individual preference. For kegging (mini or Cornelius)-priming 5 gallons of fully fermented beer using dextrose (corn sugar), add one third (1/3) of a cup to achieve an appropriate carbonation level. You may wish to add slightly less or more depending on the style of beer or your own individual preference. For bottling/priming 5 gallons of fully fermented beer using dried malt extract, add one and one quarter (1¼) cups to achieve an appropriate carbonation level. You may wish to add slightly less or more depending on the style of beer or your own individual preference. For kegging (mini or Cornelius)- priming 5 gallons of fully fermented beer using dried malt extract, add one half (½) of a cup to achieve an appropriate carbonation level. You may wish to add slightly less or more depending on the style of beer or your own individual preference. Malt extract will take slightly longer to condition the brew than dextrose will. Be patient and all will turn out well....Click to Read full Answer


Question: Is there an advantage to priming with Dried Malt Extract (DME) instead of corn sugar?
   Answer: In our opinion, there is no advantage to priming with DME. It takes longer to ferment out than sugar, it adds no flavor to the beer, and since you don’t know the degree of fermentability of the DME, you can’t precisely control the carbonation level of your beer. Sugar adds no taste and is reliable. The same ratio will get you the same level of carbonation with high consistency. There is a persistent myth that DME gives you “finer” bubbles, but that's due to the fact that since it takes longer than sugar to ferment out, there’s more time for the CO2 to go into solution....Click to Read full Answer


Question: How do I convert a recipe for an all-grain brew to extract?
   Answer: This is sort of a difficult question, as many all-grain recipes are simply too complex to replicate in an extract brew. This doesn’t mean that it can’t be done, it just means that your extract version may not taste the same as the all-grain version. You can usually get pretty close, conversion-wise, anyhow. The ratio between liquid malt extracts and base malts is usually about 4/5. In other words, if an all-grain recipe calls for 10 lbs. of base malt, you would use 8 lbs. of liquid malt extract. If you are using dry malt extract (DME), the ratio falls to about 3.2/5, so if the recipe calls for 10 lbs. of base malt, you would substitute 6.4 lbs. of DME....Click to Read full Answer


Question: How do I make a Lite beer?
   Answer: The short answer is, you really can't…and why would you want to? Anyway, if the Mrs. wants you to brew a lighter beer, one way to accomplish this is to use rice syrup solids instead of some of the malt extract. Start with a pound or two of extra light DME, then add two to four pounds of rice syrup solids. It still won't come out like the beer she orders at the bar, but it will be a lot lighter in body than your other homebrews....Click to Read full Answer


Question: How can I determine what my specific gravity will be using malt extract?
   Answer: Dry malt extract (DME) produces about 44 degrees per pound per gallon of water, while liquid malt extract produces about 35 degrees. If you'd like to determine how much malt extract to use to reach a predetermined starting gravity, use this simple formula: (degrees of extract) x pounds of malt used by gallons of beer to be brewed. For example, if we use 6 pounds of liquid malt extract to make 5 gallons of beer, we would have 35 x 6 = 210... so, 210 divided by 5 (gallons of beer to be brewed) = 42, or a starting gravity of 1.042....Click to Read full Answer


Question: Liquid malt vs. dried malt, What is the difference? Do I use the same amount?
   Answer: There isn’t a major difference between liquid and dry malt except for the amount of water that is left in the end product. Because the two types of malt are different in water content, you cannot interchange the two in a recipe. You can however, use a simple formula for determining the conversion from one to the other. We cover the differences between the two and the conversion ratios for you....Click to Read full Answer


Question: What is malt extract?
   Answer: Malt extract is a thick, sugary syrup or dry powder prepared from malt. Basically, it is sweet wort reduced to a syrup or powder formed by removing most of the water by the process of low vacuum evaporation. Generally speaking, the more you add the greater the alcohol content and body of your beer....Click to Read full Answer


Question: What are the differences between the varieties of extract?
   Answer: Manufacturers of extract usually do not disclose the exact ingredients they use, trade secrets and all. It might be that the only indication given of the constituents comprising malt extract can be found on the label of some wheat malt extracts, where they proclaim a ratio of say, 65% wheat malt and 35% barley malt. The variables that go into producing malt extract range from variety of barley used, kilning time and temperature, and how the malted barley is mashed. The malt extract products generally break down into 4 main categories. They are; "Extra Light" (generally used for pilsners or other straw colored beers), "Light", "Gold", or "Pale" (Three names demarking basically the same thing. Great as a fermentable base for most pale ales and some lagers, or used in conjunction with the amber or dark extracts and/or with specialty grains.), "Amber" (darker and with more residual sweetness than the "Extra Light" or "Light"), and "Dark" (Can be used for Porters and Stouts but needs to be infused with portions of chocolate and/or roasted barley to achieve varying degrees of those flavors, which are desirable for the style. The reason being, that dark malt extract does not contain appreciable levels of these types of grain.)...Click to Read full Answer


Question: How can I increase the alcohol in my beer?
   Answer: The simple answer to this is to add more sugar. The yeast eats the sugar and that produces more alcohol. Most brewers will use dry malt extract as their sugar source because it will add more alcohol to the beer, but doesn't add a lot of sweetness to the beer like table sugar will. Keep in mind the yeast can only handle so much alcohol, so be careful on how much DME you add. As the alcohol level rises in the wort, the fermentation begins to slow down. Adding yeast nutrients to the wort can give the yeast new food allowing for an extended fermentation period. Yeast nutrient also helps to create stronger cell walls, which make yeast less susceptible to alcohol death. Another way to increase the alcohol level in the beer is to add yeast with a higher alcohol tolerance towards the end of fermentation....Click to Read full Answer

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Midwest Homebrewing Supplies
5825 Excelsior Blvd.
Minneapolis, MN 55416
Phone: 1 (952) 925-9854
Toll Free: 1 (888) 449-BREW
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Midwest Supplies Home Beer and Wine Making
Midwest Supplies Home Beer and Wine Making
Midwest Supplies Home Beer and Wine Making
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