National Homebrew Club Ireland

Brewing Discussions => All Grain Brewing => Topic started by: mrtickel on April 12, 2014, 08:23:09 PM

Title: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: mrtickel on April 12, 2014, 08:23:09 PM
Just wondering has anyone ever added a can of any extract into an all grain brew.
If yes did it make your beer better or worse??
I was thinking of trying it just to see what difference it would make by adding it into a brew
Title: Re: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: Eoin on April 12, 2014, 08:53:39 PM
Well I've done partial mashes with extract.... Does that count?

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Title: Re: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: mrtickel on April 12, 2014, 11:05:31 PM
yes i suppose it would because iv done partial mashes without the extract
Title: Re: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: Eoin on April 12, 2014, 11:23:16 PM
I did it after kits and it was a serious improvement to my beer. But I'd not usually add extract to an all grain brew.

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Title: Re: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: Will_D on April 12, 2014, 11:51:43 PM
For most of us with small willies*  , I mean mash tuns, when we brewed the cask RIS we had to use extract to up the gravity!

*As I have a very large and expensive Canon camera lens I am constantly told things like "Big Lens small dick"

Just as well I don't drive a Ferrari!
Title: Re: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: sub82 on April 13, 2014, 09:13:14 AM
We've also used a can of extract to up the gravity of a beer.

It worked quite well but I think next time we'll use DME - I've since read that DME can be a more consistent product.
Title: Re: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: DEMPSEY on April 13, 2014, 01:40:57 PM
Is DME as fully fermentable as Household sugar :-\
Title: Re: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: Eoin on April 13, 2014, 03:16:20 PM
Quote from: DEMPSEY on April 13, 2014, 01:40:57 PM
Is DME as fully fermentable as Household sugar :-\
Not quite I think about 80%

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Title: Re: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: sub82 on April 13, 2014, 05:06:02 PM
Interesting! I thought it was better as it couldn't have sugar added?
Title: Re: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: LordEoin on April 13, 2014, 05:48:09 PM
beersmith:
DME to OG 1.050 - says estimated FG 1.014
LME to OG 1.050 - says estmated FG 1.013
Sugar to OG 1.050 - says estimated FG 0.989

If you're just trying to boost ABV, some sugar is fine. But remember that you'll thin the beer out too. I use a maximum of 300g(lighter beers) to 500g (darker thicker beers)
LME will boost the ABV and add to the body, but you'll also get some residual sweetness and darkness (not great for lagers and light pale ales)
Light DME is pretty foolproof.

It's all about balance :)


Title: Re: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: mr hoppy on April 13, 2014, 08:49:14 PM
DME has about the same PPG as sugar (45ppg or 375 per kilo litre), but as has been said above DME isn't fully fermentable.

It's quite useful for hitting your target gravity. When I started getting serious about mash efficiency I used extra pale DME a few times to make sure I hit target gravity. Like WillD said it's also useful if you're making a big beer, are pushing your mashtun capacity, and need a little extra to get it over the line.

LME goes off quicker than DME, and can get quite soapy. Also, with DME it's quick and easy to measure the exact amount you need to hit your target.
Title: Re: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: mrtickel on April 17, 2014, 08:13:32 AM
Yea i was going to add LME to an irish red ale to give it more body and ABV and to see how it would taste after. I just was'nt sure if it would of been a good/bad idea and runin a good beer.
Thanks for the help  8)
Title: Re: Extract included in All grain brew
Post by: Damien M on April 17, 2014, 08:26:12 AM
I added DME to up the OG of a batch last year and it added an "improved" maltyness to it to boot. Now I know due the the residual unfermentables!

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