Recommendations for Liquid Malt Extract Sources

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scorriga
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Recommendations for Liquid Malt Extract Sources

Post by scorriga »

All,
My friend and I are mid-way through our fourth batch of beer (all with good results, I'm happy to say), but we're trying to find a good source for liquid malt extract besides the major/imported brands carried by our local homebrew supplier. We've used Munton and Fison for all four of our batches, but we end up spending almost $25 on extract alone for each batch. Browsing around online I see several places (Northern Brewer, Morebeer.com) that have their own brands or those supplied to them by lesser known sources for $13-$14 for 6 lbs. Has anyone found a good lesser-known brand that might save us some money and still produce good, reliable results? Thanks in advance.
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Mesa Maltworks
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Best to use XL DME rather than LME!

Post by Mesa Maltworks »

Switch to extra light DME for the base of all your beers. There are a number of reasons this is a better choice. 1) It is less expensive. You are not shipping water, so it is LESS exspensive per pound of gravity attained. 2) XL-DME lacks the "processed" flavors that the condensation process produces becasue it is boiled down under high pressure to concentrate it. DME is produced by making a strong wort then flash drying it by spraying the liquid through fine nozzles. It is much less stressful on the malt flavor. 3) XL-DME is very light in color since it is not massively darkened by the condensation proceedure that LME undergoes. This allows the production of beers with the proper color values. Try any LME "Pilsner" or a lighter unhopped LME kit and you'll get a beer that is light amber in color instead of straw colored as you would using XL-DME.

So it is a win-win: Costs less, Better quality. How can you lose?
Make your next beer (or spirit) a local one!!!!

Eric Watson
Head Distiller & Brewer

Seven Fathoms Rum
Georgetown, Grand Cayman
Cayman Islands
scorriga
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Thanks for the Tip

Post by scorriga »

Thanks for the tip. By "XL" do you mean "extra light" dry malt extract? If so, what would be the reason for using extra light DME even in cases where the recipe calls for amber or dark, for example? Wouldn't that affect the final product?

Finally, how does one know how much DME to use as a substitute for, say, 6.6 lbs of LME? I would think that the lack of water would mean you would need less DME than LME to get an equivalent gravity.

Thanks for the help.
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brewmeisterintng
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Conversion

Post by brewmeisterintng »

LME to DME * 0.89
DME to LME * 1.10

And for those that want to convert to an all grain:
1lb Base grain = 0.67lb DME = 0.75lb LME

Hope that helps.

-James-
scorriga
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LME vs. DME

Post by scorriga »

Thanks, James.

I can get LME in bulk for $2.29/lb, while DME goes for about $3.95/lb. So, for a batch using the typical 6.6 lbs of LME I'd spend $15.11 whereas if I used DME I would need 5.9 lbs and spend $23.31. Unless I'm missing something, it seems to me that for the same gravity, LME is cheaper by about $8/batch. I can certainly appreciate the potential quality benefit of DME mentioned earlier in the thread, but it doesn't seem that it will save me any money.
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brewmeisterintng
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Try this supply store

Post by brewmeisterintng »

Try this place. They offer free shipping on your first order and the prices are pretty good. I have ordered from them twice and with the exception of their yeast was really satisified. They list a telephone number so I would call them to verify they are still in business. It has been a while sence I ordered from them.

-James-

http://www.brewbyyou.com/default.htm
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Mesa Maltworks
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Re: Thanks for the Tip

Post by Mesa Maltworks »

[quote="scorriga"]Thanks for the tip. By "XL" do you mean "extra light" dry malt extract? If so, what would be the reason for using extra light DME even in cases where the recipe calls for amber or dark, for example? Wouldn't that affect the final product?

Finally, how does one know how much DME to use as a substitute for, say, 6.6 lbs of LME? I would think that the lack of water would mean you would need less DME than LME to get an equivalent gravity.


Yes XL = extra light DME. You will see where my first reference to this in my post it was spelled out: "extra light" and from there out abbreviated it as XL.

"'If so, what would be the reason for using extra light DME even in cases where the recipe calls for amber or dark, for example?"

The reasons are the same... better flavor, the ability to produce beers that more closely approximate classical styles and at a lower cost. If the recipe is written as requiring "amber" or "dark" all you have to do is suppliment the base XL DME with the appropriate specialty malts for the style at hand and steep them prior to boiling. This is much better than being slave to whatever malts they used in LME which for some styles might be the wrong choices.
Make your next beer (or spirit) a local one!!!!

Eric Watson
Head Distiller & Brewer

Seven Fathoms Rum
Georgetown, Grand Cayman
Cayman Islands
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Mesa Maltworks
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Re: LME vs. DME

Post by Mesa Maltworks »

scorriga wrote:Thanks, James.

I can get LME in bulk for $2.29/lb, while DME goes for about $3.95/lb. So, for a batch using the typical 6.6 lbs of LME I'd spend $15.11 whereas if I used DME I would need 5.9 lbs and spend $23.31. Unless I'm missing something, it seems to me that for the same gravity, LME is cheaper by about $8/batch. I can certainly appreciate the potential quality benefit of DME mentioned earlier in the thread, but it doesn't seem that it will save me any money.
You can also get DME in bulk... Munton's XL-DME, $134 for 55# = $2.43 per #(www.northernbrewer.com) and THAT IS ALL MALT EXTRACT NOT WATER AND ADDED SUGAR (a large share of the available LME has sugar added to the final product, particularly the UK produced ones).

Do the math... per the pound, you are getting more extract for your investment AND the resultant beer will be of better quality!
Make your next beer (or spirit) a local one!!!!

Eric Watson
Head Distiller & Brewer

Seven Fathoms Rum
Georgetown, Grand Cayman
Cayman Islands
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whosyerbob
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Re: LME vs. DME

Post by whosyerbob »

Mesa Maltworks wrote:You can also get DME in bulk... Munton's XL-DME, $134 for 55# = $2.43 per #(www.northernbrewer.com) and THAT IS ALL MALT EXTRACT NOT WATER AND ADDED SUGAR (a large share of the available LME has sugar added to the final product, particularly the UK produced ones).
That's the best cost saving advice I've come across so far. Any more tricks you can share? :D
I'll be yer huckleberry...
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