Dry Malt Extract
Dried Malt Extract ("DME") is basically Liquid Malt Extract that has undergone an additional step of being spray dried to remove the moisture content. Dried Malt Extract has a longer shelf life than Liquid Malt Extract and is therefore a great source of malt to have around on brew-day in case you fall short of your targeted Starting Gravity. DME is also ideal for making yeast starters.
Excellent beer can be made from both Dried and Liquid Malt Extract. The only thing to keep in mind is that they will differ slightly in their sugar content when diluted weight for weight:
- 1 pound of Dried Malt Extract dissolved in one gallon of water = 1.045 SG
- 1 pound of liquid Malt Extract dissolved in one gallon of water = 1.035 SG
- For reference: 10 pounds grain to create 6 gal wort, boiled to 5 gal = 1.050 SG (assuming a 70% efficiency).
