Learning About Malt Extracts for the Home Beer Maker
If you are looking to manufacture your own home made beer, there is a wide range of malt extracts and other malt products from which to choose. The many different kinds of malt extracts can allow a home brewer to make any sort of beer that they would like. There are a few simple rules to making the best possible beer with any malt that you may want to be aware of and follow if you are brewing your own beer.
One thing to keep in mind: if you decide to purchase malt extract made in Europe, you won’t want to follow the instructions on the can. This is because the European manufacturers are writing directions for the European clientele and so their measurements will be metric and they will suggest the use of sugar. You will also want to remember to use malt to supplement the alcohol. The malt sugar is maltose and it is seventy five to eighty five percent fermentable. So, this will increase alcohol content about an eighth of a percent for every pound of malt. It will increase the price of your beer around ten or twenty cents a bottle, but will be well worth it.
Also know that, when using malt in your recipe, never use cane sugar. Cane sugar is sucrose, so it is one hundred percent fermentable. However, it will develop a taste that is something like a cider or wine sort of sour. Beer that is made with cane sugar will not improve with age like that of beer made without it. When using specialty grains and malts always boil your wort for at least fifteen minutes. Boiling your wort will help precipitate out any solids that are not fermenting. These solids can cause your beer to be cloudy. Using specialty malts will improve body, increase head retention, and impart malt characteristics and varying degrees of color. Specialty malts will be a little more expensive, but they are well worth the investment that you make in them. Using specialty malts can bring a new level of brewing to your home beer making set up. Of course, using just mid quality malts can make great batches of beer just as well. For more quality information about home beer making check out our eBook “How to Brew Your Own Beer“
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