When should I brew a stout for winter?

I do it with all of my extract brews, dry or liquid.

Regarding DMS - from what I understand, the volatiles of DMS are boiled off during the extract production process - only reason we boil LME at all is to sterilize it (and for hop utilization).

 

Interesting, I thought alpha acids were pulled out by 60 minute or longer boils. Longer boil more alpha, or so I thought.

 

I think this is more important for lighter beers or heavily hopped beers. For a stout, some Maillard reactions might be desirable.

DMS is not that big of an issue with extract brewing, but you probably don't want to brew with your lid on tight.

 

Yes, the longer you boil hops, the more of their alphas acids are isomerized.

 

Yes, that sounds fine.

 

I had thought the same, but helped my son make an extract porter last weekend with Munton's extra light DME. It smelled like freaking tomato juice prior to the boil and even for a while into the boil.

(I've also read that you don't get hot break from DME. I have definitely seen hot break with Briess Pilsen DME in a starter. Egg drop soup but small clumps.)

 

I use Munton's extra light DME quite a bit - never had an experience like that before. Shitty batch maybe?

I also get a hot break whenever I use DME as well.

 

JH will be happy to hear that. By Hot Break, do you mean some foaming, or do you mean Egg Drop Soup?

 

Pics? JH promised extract hot break pics, but hasn't 'yet' delivered. Would love to see some DME egg drop soup (i.e. serious extract hot break).