7 replies to this topic

[VirginiaBeach]

What sorts of flavors will Amber DME give to a beer? I'm going to add 2 pounds of it to a Irish Red recipe kit, which I'm guessing will have about 5 pounds Light DME for the bulk of it. Will adding the Amber DME give it any sort of roasted flavor? (Because I'm not a big fan of the roasted taste)Thanks.

[chauvan]

Just color. Enjoy!

[denny]

Different manufacturers use different grains to make colored extracts, so you have no idea what it will taste like. It definitely has a flavor to it, not just color. But that flavor could come from various crystal malts, a little chocolate or roast malt, Munich malt....who knows?

[Sidney Porter]

I'm going to add 2 pounds of it to a Irish Red recipe kit, Will adding the Amber DME give it any sort of roasted flavor? (Because I'm not a big fan of the roasted taste)

you realize that an Irish Red has a roast flavor in the finish?

[VirginiaBeach]

Yea, I realize that. I don't like a lot of roast/burnt taste, like some big stouts can have... just making sure amber dme doesn't impart that much roast taste..

[MtnBrewer]

Yea, I realize that. I don't like a lot of roast/burnt taste, like some big stouts can have... just making sure amber dme doesn't impart that much roast taste..

It shouldn't but there's really no reason to use any DME other than the palest you can find. As Denny said, you really have no knowledge of what was used to make it amber and that lessens the control you have over the finished beer. Generally speaking, I find that it's a lot better to use your own steeping grains than to rely on the extract manufacturer to do that for you.

[Big Nake]

Yep, I agree with that. When I was at or near the end of my extract days, all of my beers were made with light or extra-light DME and then my specialty grains would dictate the rest of the recipe. This is similar to all-grain brewing where you have pale malt as your base and smaller percentages of specialty grains for the rest. It's one of the reasons I got away from colored extracts in the first place... you have no idea what's in there. Good luck & cheers.Ps. If you don't like the roastiness (neither do I), then just call it a red ale or an American red ale or whatever. My Home Run Red Ale or Lager has Crystal and Special B but no chocolate, roasted barley or black malt. Cheers.

[japh]

In general I agree with only using the lightest extract you can find, but many do tell you what is in theirs. For example, Briess's Amber is "Base Malt, Caramel Malt 60L, Munich Malt." I only have one recipe that I make using anything other the light LME, and that uses a little bit of Amber. I always use the same brand, and I've gotten consistent results with it. I developed it as something to give to someone as a first beer to make (it's the American Bitter in the recipe section).