Understanding the beer that came with my Brewdemon

[RobertP]

This is what came with my Brewdemon - one can labeled Pale Horse Pale Export unhopped malt extract, another labeled American hopped malt extract.

Why were these particular ingredients paired together?

Thanks!

https://brewmybeers.com/products/brewde ... y-ale-plus

[mashani]

You use both together to make the intended beer.

One has hops (HME) for bitterness and flavor, the other does not and just adds more body/malt flavor and alcohol (UME).

[berryman]

As always Mash answered your question right on, but i will add a little tip. put the cans in hot water before opening and will be easier to get it all out.

[BlackDuck]

I totally forgot about that tip, works like a charm.


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[RobertP]

You use both together to make the intended beer.

One has hops (HME) for bitterness and flavor, the other does not and just adds more body/malt flavor and alcohol (UME).

What I was getting at is why *these* particular ones? There are different varieties of each.

[mashani]

You use both together to make the intended beer.

One has hops (HME) for bitterness and flavor, the other does not and just adds more body/malt flavor and alcohol (UME).

What I was getting at is why *these* particular ones? There are different varieties of each.

The HME is the "American Prophecy Ale" base. It has all of the basic hop flavor, aroma, and bitterness intended, and is the minimal base for an American Pale Ale.

The "standard" kits mix them with a mixture of sugar (that will ferment out) and maltodextrin (a more complex malt derived sugar that will not ferment out). But this mixture doesn't actually "enhance" the flavor.

Since the kit that came with yours is a "premium" kit, it comes with a UME that matches the actual desired final beer profile which has a bit more malt flavor and body then what the sugar would give you. The one that came is the most pale colored one without any strong caramel or roasty flavors where the others start to add more malt, caramel, and roast.

The one you got is exactly what is intended and proper in an American Pale Ale. If you used one of the other UME's they sell, the beer would not turn out at all like an American Pale Ale, but instead more like a darker British beer (Bitter, ESB), or American Brown ale, or a weird Porter or Stout.

In all grain brewing or steep + extract beers we would be picking the grains to add whatever flavors we like, but with the kits you have 4 different UMEs that go from "light" to "dark" and also more of a "lighter flavor" to "stronger flavor" with the darkest being roasty and the ones in the middle being more strongly caramel flavored or malty flavored.

So again... it is simply the right one to make the intended beer.

If you are asking why the "intended beer" is an American Pale Ale vs. a Stout or something, I don't know beyond that's what they think people will like.

[RobertP]

The HME is the "American Prophecy Ale" base. It has all of the basic hop flavor, aroma, and bitterness intended, and is the minimal base for an American Pale Ale.

The "standard" kits mix them with a mixture of sugar (that will ferment out) and maltodextrin (a more complex malt derived sugar that will not ferment out). But this mixture doesn't actually "enhance" the flavor.

Since the kit that came with yours is a "premium" kit, it comes with a UME that matches the actual desired final beer profile which has a bit more malt flavor and body then what the sugar would give you. The one that came is the most pale colored one without any strong caramel or roasty flavors where the others start to add more malt, caramel, and roast.

The one you got is exactly what is intended and proper in an American Pale Ale. If you used one of the other UME's they sell, the beer would not turn out at all like an American Pale Ale, but instead more like a darker British beer (Bitter, ESB), or American Brown ale, or a weird Porter or Stout.

Okay - I have a lot to learn about beer. I'm not much of a drinker myself, so don't have a lot of beer familiarity. Though I did pop $114 for a six pack of Westvleteren 12 as a bucket list kind of thing.

Is the kind of beer in my kit similar to a typical consumer beer - Miller, Bud, etc.? Is that basic class of beer considered American Pale Ale?

[mashani]

I don't remember that kit specifically, but it is probably is more bitter and hoppy flavored then those.

What you mentioned are "American lagers", which is a mild style derived from "European lagers", that use adjuncts like corn or rice instead of being all malt. Your kit beer probably is better.

BTW, you can make your own Westvleteren like substance for way less money. This is an extract kit that will get you close. You need to use the Wyeast 3787 Omega OLY028 yeast to be the most similar, and you need to start your fermentation in the upper 60s and let it ramp up to ~78 degrees during fermentation, to get the right profile. This kit would make 2 full batches of beer in your fermenter, you would need to divide the recipe in 2 and brew it as 2 separate batches. But this one is easy to do it with.

https://www.northernbrewer.com/collecti ... lgian-quad

If you were ever to do all grain brewing I can get you even closer and for less money.

[The_Professor]

.....Is the kind of beer in my kit similar to a typical consumer beer - Miller, Bud, etc.? Is that basic class of beer considered American Pale Ale?

I would suggest Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as a classic example of an American Pale Ale. There are, of course, tons more.
A pale ale is made mostly with pale malt and fermented with ale yeast - so pale ale. Hop additions are used to add the desired bitterness and flavor.
An "American Lager" is made with plisner malt (roasted less than pale malt) usually with a corn or rice addition which makes for a lighter body. It is fermented with lager yeast. "American Lagers" have low hop additions.