25li Bulk LME

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johnnyboy1965
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25li Bulk LME

Post by johnnyboy1965 » Mon Dec 10, 2018 8:36 pm

Before I review this, a little background info.
Ive been HBing for about 10 years. First kits, then partial mash, then All Grain. Ive brewed just sort of 300 x 25li beers.
Now Im getting lazy, not enough time, etc I decided to give LME a try. I purchased a 25li LME from MaltMiller (£62.50) approx.
Weighed out the required of LME (4200g) and brewed as usual.
Normal hop routine, fermented as usual (SO-4 yeast) and bottled.
I noticed at time time of bottling how clear the wort was. I was a lttle bit worried that there wouldnt be enough suspended yeast for secondary fermentation in the bottles.
Time to crack one open and have a taste test. UNBELIEVABLE.
Every aspect of this beer is outstanding...
Clarity...perfect
Head Retension (sp)...Im drinking one and watching another that I poured 15mins ago, still got a good head.
I am totally shocked how good this brew is.
This is my fisrt brew using LME, Ive got another one taht I bottled this morning.
If the results are the sam I will never go back to mashing again

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HTH1975
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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by HTH1975 » Tue Dec 11, 2018 10:01 am

I’ve found that LME can finish a little sweeter than a typical AG batch. Did you find this? I’ve heard people mention using some sugar to help dry it out and reach the desired FG.

I’m about to do an extract brew myself in the coming week or so, just because of time constraints (and not having unpacked my AG kit into our new house).

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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by LeeH » Tue Dec 11, 2018 10:53 am

I love the process, using LME just wouldn't do it for me, glad you ended up with decent beer though.

Also you must limited on what styles you can do?
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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by goodolpete » Tue Dec 11, 2018 1:28 pm

Johnny,
You bought 25 litres, but put 4.2Kg in your brew. Any rough idea how many litres that was,
to give an estimate of how many brews you can get out of your bulk purchase?

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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by IPA » Wed Dec 12, 2018 8:44 am

goodolpete wrote:
Tue Dec 11, 2018 1:28 pm
Johnny,
You bought 25 litres, but put 4.2Kg in your brew. Any rough idea how many litres that was,
to give an estimate of how many brews you can get out of your bulk purchase?
4.2=25 litres
25÷4.2x25=148.8 litres
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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by charliemartin » Wed Dec 12, 2018 10:27 am

That is making the assumption that 4.2Kg of LME is equivalent to 4.2litres. I would think that 25 litres of LME weighs a bit more than 25Kg. Water is approximately 1 litre to 1Kg, but LME is denser so should be heavier.

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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by IPA » Wed Dec 12, 2018 11:50 am

charliemartin wrote:
Wed Dec 12, 2018 10:27 am
That is making the assumption that 4.2Kg of LME is equivalent to 4.2litres. I would think that 25 litres of LME weighs a bit more than 25Kg. Water is approximately 1 litre to 1Kg, but LME is denser so should be heavier.

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The OP said that 4.2 kg went into the brew. I assumed that was a standard homebrew of 25 litres. Hope that makes my calculations clearer.
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin

1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip

It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)

Alone we travel faster
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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by Kev888 » Wed Dec 12, 2018 2:02 pm

I think the issue being put forward might be that the OP apparently bought 25L of LME (not 25Kg), which is a bit unusual. So the equation appears to divide 25 litres by 4.2kg.

Though the amount of LME needed for different beers could vary 'so' much, that it would be better to work out the actual extract required for the beers intended to then calculate how far the LME will go.

EDIT: looking around, it partly depends on how concentrated the LME is, which varies so probably best to go on its extract potential. But roughly about 1.4kg/L is a common figure quoted.
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johnnyboy1965
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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by johnnyboy1965 » Wed Dec 12, 2018 3:24 pm

I worked it out by using BeerEngine. 4200g for 25li (finish) will give a ABV of 5.1%.
I started the boil with 27li of wort, knowing that I would probably loose 3li during the boil.
After boiling and overnight chilling I ended up with a OG of 1.056, I just back liquored to 25li with a OG of 1.050...Spot on.

Only one slight downside...the colour, it says on the jerry can 5.5 EBC, but the finished beer is more like 10 EBC, this must be down to caramelization during the boil, which I have no control over.

Ive worked it out, that I will get just short of 6 x 25li brews out of 1 x 25kg jerry can.

Of course I can only make certain styles of beer using LME, but I only really brew Bitters/IPA`s anyway.

LME does sound expensive compared to AG, but when you take into account the gas/leccy that you use to heat your sparge water and the ammount of time and the quality of the finished beer, its a no brainer. I really recommend that you give one a go (they sell smaller quantities than 25kg)

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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by johnnyboy1965 » Wed Dec 12, 2018 3:31 pm

Edit to OP...the jerry can weighed 25kg and not 25li as originally posted.

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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by Kev888 » Wed Dec 12, 2018 3:37 pm

Thanks, that clears up the confusion, and now IPA's formula works for 25kg too.

If you needed to liquor back, then the pre-boil volume would have been somewhat smaller (and thicker) than it could have been and/or else the boil-off rate was higher. As you probably know, this could have darkened things slightly... although not hugely I would have thought.
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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by goodolpete » Wed Dec 12, 2018 3:40 pm

“Edit to OP...the jerry can weighed 25kg and not 25li as originally posted.”
Gotcha. So about six brews from your 25kg @ just over £10 a brew.
Thanks

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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by gobuchul » Wed Dec 12, 2018 3:51 pm

.the jerry can weighed 25kg and not 25li
Is there much difference? What's the RD of LME? It can't be much more that water?

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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by johnnyboy1965 » Wed Dec 12, 2018 3:55 pm

Costings...I think I paid £62.00 for a 25kg jerry can, cant remember, so Ill round it up to £70.00.
25kg divided by 4.2kg = 5.95
£70.00 divided by 5.95 = £11.00 per 25li brew.
I brew on a calor gas burner. I pay £40.00 per bottle and get 13 brews out of 1 bottle AG, because I no longer have to heat sparge water, I think I will get 26 brews out of 1 bottle of calor gas

Gas cost...£1.53

Labour costs...with a 60 min boil it now takes me 90 mins to brew a beer (30mins for the water to boil, 60min boil)

I totally accept HBers do not vector in labour costs, its our hobby, its what we enjoy

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Re: 25li Bulk LME

Post by orlando » Thu Dec 13, 2018 1:44 pm

Would DME make a similar Beer?
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