Powder malts vs.Liquid

Dry Malt Extract (DME) is said to have a greater shelf life in comparison to Liquid Malt Extract (LME), so that is the biggest benefit in comparison. LME is also prone to being scorched because it sinks to the bottom of the boil kettle, thus when using it you have to remember to kill the flame source and stir the stuff into the wort very well before applying heat again.

Sometimes a recipe will call for malt extract from a certain country of origin for authenticity in a recipe, and if my local store doesn't have that version in DME but does have it in LME, I will choose the LME to keep my recipe correct. But that is the only time that I'll choose LME.

 

I also believe that DME is less of a damaged product than LME. Many will argue, I'm sure, but that's my belief based on personal experience.

 

Jim, is the 'damage' an age related thing (i.e., DME with some age on it is in better shape than LME with some age on it)?

Or do you think that fresh LME is 'damaged' as compared to fresh DME?

Cheers!

 

DME is superior.
In this instance, the only thing you need to be aware of is that LME will go stale, and it will be noticeable in your beer. Especially if it was not stored properly. Many brew kits in a box, the kind they sell at Bed Bath and Beyond or any place that has zero reason to be in the brew business, that stuff is notoriously stale. Making horrible Fathers Day brews. It's been a good 25 years but ask me how I know.

Easier to store. Easier to measure. Does not stale nearly as fast, if at all. Many of us keep a few pounds of extra light DME in case we need to bump up gravity or for starters.

There is a formula for conversion from one to the other as LME has significantly more water than DME, so more is needed for the same gravity.

As for using the malt from the country of origin, I suggest that if you are trying to make the beer authentic you can't do it with DME or LME. Your Irish Stout is not going to have any noticeable Irish character regardless of where the malt originated. Using Bohemian pilsner grain malt however, that's different.

Cheers.

 

when I used extract, it was a short time before I switched totally to DME, I preferred the final product much more and it can keep a very long time, not that I did, but I know one brewer that held his over 1 year before we brewed with it. no troubles at all.

 

Age is a factor of course, as @billandsuz pointed out, but I think it also has to do with the production process. LME is boiled down into a concentrate whereas DME is blown into the air and dried into a powder. Why exactly the DME is better I'm not sure, but it appears that I'm not alone in my belief on that point.

 

Maybe things differ with each vendor? My understanding is that both LME and DME go through the same water reduction process (i.e., evaporators):

"The evaporators rid of 80 percent of the wort’s water content, leaving a syrupy, 20 percent liquid malt extract. Dry malt extract requires one additional step where the evaporated malt extract is sent through a centrifuge to further separate water from the malt. What is left is a powder-like substance."

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/how-malt-extract-is-made/

I would not discourage a homebrewer from using fresh LME. I do agree that DME is a more shelf stable product.

Cheers!

 

There's no such thing as fresh LME. The O2 in the liquid begins to oxidize the extract immediately. There's only a continuum of staleness.

All you have to do to see this is to brew two equivalent beers: one with LME (as new as you can possibly get) and one all grain, then look at the color. Adding extract late in the boil can mask this darker color to some extent, due to less melanoidin formation, but it doesn't reverse the oxidation.

If someone is happy with their LME beers, that's great, but don't pretend that the product is fresh.

 

Well, what's fresh? Anything older than right out of the oven is stale?

I don't use any LME kits from Northern Brewer for example, but I understand they are turning over pallets of product quickly, and it's not like we hear an outcry on the boards about the stale kits coming out of NB, or any other large retailer for that matter (I reserve a special hatred in my heart for Bed Bath and Beyond however).

Downsides to DME not mentioned

• that stuff is hydrscopic AF and will turn in Elmers glue the instant it senses boiling wort in its presence.
• will also morph into a special product known as malt rock if left in an open bag.

Cheers

 

hahahhahahh, yes the DME will pick up water, even if there is no boiling going on. Ordered up a bunch from Morebeer and when it came, the bags seems like they were coated wityh roofing glue. Very nasty, but I called them up and they replaced it all. Great company for me.

 

A trick I learned it to add the DME to a pitcher away from the kettle. Fill the pitcher with boiling water from the kettle (assuming you have a ball valve attached), let it dissolve. Pour into the kettle.
DME can be a mess.
Cheers.

 

Dumping DME into a stainless steel mixing bowl away from condensation works similarly for those without a ball valve. You can easily dunk the bowl into the water to get rid of what gunks onto it. Bowl is great for getting a good stir going as well.

 

Basically. By the time a brewer can get their hands on LME, staling has begun. And it gets progressively worse as it ages. I think a lot of people would like to draw a sharp dividing line between fresh and stale with their beers or ingredients. But it doesn't work that way. It's progressive. And LME gets a big head start.

I'm not saying that a brewer can't make a beer that's acceptable (to some) with LME. But from a freshness perspective, properly stored DME is a better option, and all grain is best.

 

One thing LME does have over DME is variety