Our first encounter with malt extract as homebrewers came from the first recipe kit we bought. For those new to homebrewing, the notion of malt extract may not be entirely novel. However, experienced homebrewers can also use malt extract.
Malt extract is a useful for seasoned brewers during the brewing process. After making significant expenditures in grains, machinery, and the time necessary for all-grain brewing, we frequently laugh at the thought of switching back to extract or partial-grain brewing.
Even for seasoned home brewers, there are situations when extract brewing is superior or advantageous.
You may be asking why we are so certain that utilizing malt extract in home brewing is so beneficial. In order to address your concerns, we’ve compiled a list of five reasons why malt extract is an excellent component for home brewing.
What is Malt Extract?
A concentrated version of wort is called malt extract. Manufacturers of extract go through the wort-making process in a controlled setting. The grains are removed, the wort is concentrated, and occasionally it is dehydrated.
Malt extract is available in two different forms: liquid and dehydrated. While dried malt extract is a powder, liquid malt extract resembles syrup.
Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, but you’ll frequently discover that a blend of liquid and dehydrated will produce the greatest results for your brew.
5 Benefits of Using Malt Extract in Home Brewing
1. Excellent for Newcomers
Using malt extract is usually always a good place to start when learning to brew. A little package of grains and malt extract is typically included in recipe kits that come with homebrew beginning kits.
With the help of these kits, novice home brewers may learn the fundamentals of the process without having to spend a lot of money on expensive equipment or become impatient with the time-consuming all-grain method.
With malt extract, amateurs may make their first batch of beer that should taste like the desired style without having to worry about using the right grain blend.
You may brew various beers while learning to brew using malt extract without spending a lot of time or money on equipment, and you get a solid concept of how each beer type should taste.
2. Suitable for Experimentation
Even if you are totally committed to all-grain brewing, there may be occasions when you’d like to try a new recipe or beer type without making a significant time or ingredient commitment.
Malt extract is an excellent way to make a suitable base wort for new beer types or for experimenting with different ingredients because it is meant to produce a consistent taste profile for regular grain bills.
When experimenting, using malt extract enables you to put less emphasis on having the same base beer flavor each time and more emphasis on getting the proper flavors from your added components (herbs, coffee, chocolate, fruits, etc.).
You may shift to all-grain and begin polishing the foundation of your beer once the flavor or beer style has been mastered using malt extract. This eliminates the need to second-guess whether the flavor enhancers or beer-style profile is appropriate.
3. More Consistent Results
You might want to think about bypassing the all-grain brewing and creating your fan-favorite utilizing malt extract if you have a beer type that you truly enjoy brewing or that is a favorite among your friends and family
Even if you always use the same grain bill during all-grain brewing, especially on a small scale in the homebrew process, there is a considerable chance that the tastes of your beer may vary. This variation results from small variations in the grain blend and in the mash temperature.
You can be confident that every time you brew when you skip the mash step and go straight to the boil using components produced under tight quality control.
4. Shortens the brewing process
Use malt extract instead of spending the effort to prepare your wort from milled grains if you want to brew but are short on time. Your wort is already prepared in malt extract. All you need to do to rehydrate and dilute is add water.
Your brewing time may increase by an hour or more with a proper mash process. Your brew day will take longer due to all of the additional equipment that has to be cleaned for all-grain brewing.
When using malt extract, your brew day begins with the boil, when you add the malt extract. Once the wort returns to a boil, you immediately add the first hops. Without taking into account the time required to clean your equipment, the brew time for malt extract might be as little as one hour.
5. Requires Less Equipment
Due to equipment or space limitations, some home brewers have no choice but to use malt extract. Many individuals who make homebrew with malt extract employ partial-grain brewing. This enables you to perform a mini-mash (similar to steeping a tiny amount of grains in boiling water) before adding the malt extract.
Pumps, mash tuns, and sparging apparatus are not required. A small grain bag and a boil kettle are required. Sticking with partial grain or malt extract recipes is an excellent alternative if you don’t have enough room or aren’t ready to invest in the necessary equipment for all-grain brewing.
Our list contains only a few of the factors that make malt extract excellent for home brewing, in case you’ve been wondering how it may help with your homebrewing process.
A malt extract is a fantastic choice for home brewing all kinds of delicious beers, regardless of whether you are an experienced brewer who wants to explore or you are new to home brewing and want to get started with the least amount of time or equipment expenditure.
