Briess Munich LME question

[ed71]

Ok guys, I see this stuff for sale at my local homebrew distributer and it goes for about 2.50 a pound. I was wondering if I could simply buy an amount to make 5 gallons and make beer out of it. (trying to find a cheeper alternative since most extracts are in the 30 dollar mark)

[NYCbrewing]

You should read through the info on the Briess site:

http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Assets ... ichLME.pdf

It depends on what you are trying to brew, while it can be used alone, you may want to use some steeping grains.

[ed71]

Yeah, my local homebrew website gives the specs and it does mention it can be used alone. (Its why I was asking... wasnt sure) But Im guessing this cant become an ale since used alone is in the style of Lagers. Or I am wrong? (Well Im quite sure anything with starch or sugars can be fermented..just wondering...especially at the cost per pound) Basically trying to make an everyday alcoholic beer drink at a cost efective way until the my other "real beer" is being brewed properly in other fermentors. But then again, Im only seeing "all grain brewing" as maybe a few dollars cheaper.

[AbacusBrewingCo]

At the end of the day, brew what makes you happy and what gives you beer you enjoy drinking. With that said, it is my (and i think a lot of homebrewers') opinion that looking at your ingredients from a purely cost standpoint is the wrong approach. Yes, a high gravity beer with a big malt bill will be more costly than a medium gravity beer, and much more than a light lager, but these are all very different beers.

However, what it sounds like you're suggesting is not so much brewing light lagers instead of imperial stouts, but simply looking for the lowest possible cost products that will accomplish the right chemical reaction; doing so will produce ethyl alcohol in a drinkable liquid, but it won't produce great beer.

[ed71]

Your right. Was just wondering if I could make something "Beery" with alcohol so I could get drunk while I wait around for the partial kits to ferment and carbonate. Just thought I could buy 6 pounds of the stuff (since my local beer brewing store has it on sale for very cheap...2.50 a pound) buy some hops and some yeast and brew something up. The said LME instructions say it can be used alone by itself. (but I assume it means as a lager instead of an ale...and lagers I take it, take much longer than ales to produce) Was curious if anyone here has done any thing similar. Sure it might not be good beer, but its either that or make some dollar store fruit drink homemade get drunk wine. (or just go out and spend money on store drink....but its just more fun making your own stuff)

[siwelwerd]

The said LME instructions say it can be used alone by itself. (but I assume it means as a lager instead of an ale...and lagers I take it, take much longer than ales to produce)

Whether a beer is an ale or a lager is determined by the yeast, not the malt. You can certainly make both ales and lagers solely using your favorite extract. Check the bottom of this page for a Munich LME-only Altbier recipe: http://byo.com/cider/item/582-dusseldor ... le-profile . It's basically 6 pounds of Munich LME, noble hopped to 40 IBU, and fermented with a German ale yeast. Since you are trying to keep costs down, you could probably sub in whatever noble hop (or even something like Perle or domestic Hallertau) you can find cheap, and ferment with US-05 (the cooler the better) and produce something decent.

[ed71]

Yes I know that. I just dont have the patience or the probable low temps to make a lager. Ales are so much easier to make cause of the average near room temp controls. And from what I read...about 3 months till drinking a lager. (am I wrong?) What would happen if I were to use an ale yeast to the LME in question and to brew it in a ale like time frame with temps?

[spiderwrangler]

Just do it.