grain vr dry malt

[cowboy7307]

if i have a recipe that uses grain as its main malt. can i change the grain to DME, would i lose any thing in the taste ,body . i know i would save time in the smaller mash with just the specialty grains, any one tried this i know its not one for one on weight , i think the equation is .6

 

[Sandy Feet]

Grain makes better beer. I started with extracts, and the results with grain are far superior. We do have a member that does use partial DME, apparently with good results, but it would not be my first choice.

 

[Megary]

if i have a recipe that uses grain as its main malt. can i change the grain to DME, would i lose any thing in the taste ,body . i know i would save time in the smaller mash with just the specialty grains, any one tried this i know its not one for one on weight , i think the equation is .6

Carefully choose your DME based on what the recipe's base malt is. There are so many DMEs that you should be able to stay true to the recipe.

I believe your conversion number (.6) is based on an all-grain recipe designed for 75% efficiency. If the recipe uses a different efficiency, that conversion would change slightly. You've probably seen the chart from Ray Daniels, but in case you haven't, you can find it here.
https://homebrewanswers.com/converting-all-grain-to-malt-extract/

I think you can make great beer with today's extracts, just try and get them as fresh as possible.

Good luck.

 

[NorthCoastBrewer]

Generally, when converting base malts to DME, when the base malt is
* PIlsen malt, convert to 'extra light' (or 'pilsen') DME
* Brewers malt (a basic 2 row malt), convert to light (or 'golden light') DME
* Pale Ale malt, convert to Pale Ale DME
* Maris Otter / Golden Promise, convert to light (or Pale Ale) DME
* Wheat malt, convert to Wheat DME

Wheat DME is a blend of Brewers Malt and Wheat Malt. The ratio varies slighter between maker, but assuming a 50/50 ratio makes the conversion easier.

For recipes that are light in color (SRM ~4 or less), prefer 'extra light' DME, shorten the boil time, and add some of the DME at flame-out.