Sugar to Malt Conversion

[Piemaster]

Pretty newbie question this...

So let's say I want to take a basic kit and replace the sugar with malt extract, what ratio should I replace it at? I always assumed it was 1:1 (so a recipe needing 1kg sugar should use 1kg malt extract) but reading a couple of recipes on other sites have made me doubt this. Also does it make a difference if it is dried or liquid malt?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Smileyr8]

Also does it make a difference if it is dries or liquid malt?

From what I have read previously I believe the conversion is as follows:-

1kg of DME = 1.2kg of LME i.e. LME contains 20% water
I am not 100% sure of this but would expect that Malt substitution for sugar you would need slightly more Malt to produce the same amount of alcohol, but by using the malt you would be improving the body/mouthfeel of the beer, I am sure someone will correct me if I am incorrect.

 

[Piemaster]

Thanks for the DME to LME conversion, that's very helpful. Does anyone else have something more concrete for the Sugar to LME conversion?

 

[mcc111]

If you use the priming calculator on brewers friend you can get a sugar to DME ratio - the LME to DME ratio above is correct. Here's the link to the calculators page: http://www.brewersfriend.com/stats/

It's saying 1.47 kg of DME equates to 1 kg of table sugar (assuming granulated). Not sure about brewing sugar though. Actually the following link gives you everything you could think of to compare, but it's a bit fiddly http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/calculator/

 

[clibit]

Or download Brewmate. You can easily check the effect if replacing sugar with DME or LME and it's a great piece of software.

 

[cheshirehomebrew]

the recipies I have used state either 1kg sugar, 1 kg of brew enhancer or half a kilo of spray dried malt.

havent noticed anything amiss having just switched to spray dried malt instead of sugar, still goes like the clppers when the years is pitched and tastes really nice to boot

 

[Piemaster]

the recipies I have used state either 1kg sugar, 1 kg of brew enhancer or half a kilo of spray dried malt.

Hmmm, okay so that would make the spraymalt conversion actually 1:2? Now I'm really confused, given that everything else I've seen actually suggests you need more malt than if you used sugar.

 

[clibit]

You do need more malt. Download Brewmate, it's a small file, you won't regret it.

 

[mcc111]

Hmmm, okay so that would make the spraymalt conversion actually 1:2? Now I'm really confused, given that everything else I've seen actually suggests you need more malt than if you used sugar.

I think what cheshire was saying was that his instructions say a direct 1:1 substitution, which is what kit instructions tend to say. But in order to get the same alcohol content as sugar, you will need more malt. Per kilo, malt contains more unfermentables, so you gain flavour and body but lose alcohol.