LME vs DME

[The Ginger Ninja]

Just about to do another brew shop......

Im doing extract brews at the moment (no money/ space for ag yet) and i was wondering why the recipies say to use a combination of LME and DME? are they not the same thing ish? is one better then the other?

Also this may seem like a daft question but does light malt = pale ale, medium = brown ale, dark = stoutish? because i just used light DME and LME and i wouldnt say its very pale looking...

Thanks in anticipation!

 

[evanvine]

Have consulted a pal of mine (non-member) who does extract brewing.
She says that LME is better because it is diastic and ferments out cleaner.
Hope this little gem helps! :)

 

[The Ginger Ninja]

Thanks evanvine, could you do me a favour and ask your pal what the ratio is when replacing DME with LME, eg. is 1kg of DME the same as 1kg of LME.

Thanks again evanvine, much appreciated :

 

[evanvine]

She uses all LME!
I use DME for yeast starters cos it's easier to handle!

 

[The Ginger Ninja]

what i mean is when a recipie calls for 2kg of DME and 1.5kg of LME does she just use 3.5kg of LME??, ie theres no funny ratio of sugar levels between DME and LME?

 

[Aleman]

Have consulted a pal of mine (non-member) who does extract brewing.
She says that LME is better because it is diastic and ferments out cleaner.
Hope this little gem helps! :)

Sorry to trash another 'fact' but there is no diastatic Liquid Malt Extract produced any more. Edme were the last producers and Muntons dropped it from the range cause it was **** . . . and the shelf life was poor.

Dried malt extract is actually far superior as the shelf life is much longer, and you do not get That Homebrew Twang (THT) . . . as much . . . it is also paler due tot eh way it is produced.

In LME is about 20% water so to convert from LME to DME use 20% less . . . To convert DME to LME use 20% more.

I would always use the palest malt extract I could get hold off for the bulk of the fermentables, and steep roast malts for colouring. . . Obviously for stouts then a proportion of darker extract can be used, but you have to be careful as the fermentability of the darker malts is less than that of the Pale extracts.

 

[The Ginger Ninja]

Thanks Aleman, a big help as always :

 

[evanvine]

Sorry to trash another 'fact' but there is no diastatic Liquid Malt Extract produced any more. Edme were the last producers and Muntons dropped it from the range cause it was **** . . . and the shelf life was poor.

I don't feel bad about it Tony, it's always good to learn something new! :

 

[Darkbrewer]

Aleman you are a fountain of wisdom.

 

[Good Ed]

Aleman you are a fountain of wisdom.

We just need him to publish the book I'd buy it :thumb: