BeerBorg

Ricklust wrote:Thanx...
That clears things up for me. Will proceed with ur advice.
On another note, I was totally surprised when the wort I received was in a can and a syrup like mixture. I assume this is because of the small amount of beer to be brewed. (2 gallons). I assumed all recipes had dry ingredients. Looks like it will be a month or more before tasting.

What came in the can is Liquid Malt Extract (LME). Actually, since you're beginning with BrewDemon, it's Hopped Malt Extract (HME). There are LMEs that have no hops added. There are also Dry Malt Extracts (DME). All of these formulations are extracts; it's just that the DME has pretty much all the liquid taken out of it.

The wort is what you're creating with the HME and water, before you pitch the yeast. Wort is unfermented beer, is what it is.

As far as LME vs. DME, it's Brewer's Choice. Both are just fine and dandy for making beer. I prefer DME, myself, but some others can get LME in bulk and store it for their brewing. Depends on what suits your needs.

FedoraDave wrote:

Ricklust wrote:Thanx...
That clears things up for me. Will proceed with ur advice.
On another note, I was totally surprised when the wort I received was in a can and a syrup like mixture. I assume this is because of the small amount of beer to be brewed. (2 gallons). I assumed all recipes had dry ingredients. Looks like it will be a month or more before tasting.

What came in the can is Liquid Malt Extract (LME). Actually, since you're beginning with BrewDemon, it's Hopped Malt Extract (HME). There are LMEs that have no hops added. There are also Dry Malt Extracts (DME). All of these formulations are extracts; it's just that the DME has pretty much all the liquid taken out of it.

The wort is what you're creating with the HME and water, before you pitch the yeast. Wort is unfermented beer, is what it is.

As far as LME vs. DME, it's Brewer's Choice. Both are just fine and dandy for making beer. I prefer DME, myself, but some others can get LME in bulk and store it for their brewing. Depends on what suits your needs.

Will add a sidenote to this, For the HME's that come as DrewDemon and Mr Beer among others, you do not want to boil these you only want to add these at flameout. Boiling will make much more bitter than should be.

I am a big believer on the 3 weeks in the fermenter on MB and BD brewing and even without a hydro. you are usually quite safe at that time. And as Herb said, most likely it is done fermenting in a week or less if temps are right, but why take a chance, let it go longer and be safe. After you do more and more batches and get the right yeast and pitch rates and good gravity readings, you can cut that time way down before you bottle, but even with that a lot of beers improve in the bottle with aging. I am drinking some stouts today that was bottled close to a year ago and are really good, but almost out of them now...

This ^^^

There is no reason NOT to follow 3/4 with the canned HMEs, it results in better beer.

berryman wrote:I am drinking some stouts today that was bottled close to a year ago and are really good, but almost out of them now...

Agree. I've been drinking my 2014 Christmas Ale throughout this holiday season. That kind of aging is selective... I wouldn't age an IPA, pale ale, or pils that long, but you certainly can sit on beefier beers. And, like others have said, patience on the front end is your friend. I bottle some things once it's done (even after just a week after proper hydrometer readings), but most go 2-3 weeks. I have a cider that's been in ferment since April... some sours that sit that long as well.

As brewers, all we need is just a little...