Hello, I have been extract brewing for about 3 years and I am finally gonna make the switch to all grain. I was wondering if there was a need to add any DME to the beer in addition to the malt made during the initial steeping? Probably a dumb question, but I was going through my “Clone Brew” book and it confused me. Thanks for the feedback!!
The DME is not necessary, the grains provide the fermentable. Also, check the homebrewing section of this site. There is way more info there.
For sure not necessary. If you're looking to hit an exact original gravity you may need to add some to the boil if your mash doesn't hit the efficiency numbers you were expecting. I've only added DME to some big stouts where I knew I couldn't fit enough grain into the mash tun to hit the gravity I wanted.
+2 - always have some on hand for making starters as well... which reminds me that I need to remember to buy some.
You might want to read the all grain chapter in "How to Brew." Old version is free online at www.howtobrew.com or you can buy the latest version at Amazon.