TOPIC:

The only suggestion I would make for the extract recipe is to add the second can of extract (or second half of your DME) 15 minutes from the end of the boil, rather than adding it all at the start. This will give you better hop utilisation. Concentrated boils don't achieve the same hop bitterness as full volume boils as the wort gravity is too high. This is one way to compensate.

Look at it this way: If you're aiming for a beer with a starting gravity of 1.040 in 5 gallons, boiling all the extract in 2.5 gallons effectively doubles the gravity to 1.080 (you'll later get it back down ny topping up with water). By boiling half the extract for the first 45 minutes the hops are sitting in a 1.040 wort for the majority of the time. The remaining 15 minutes is plenty to sterilise the rest of your extract.

The other benefit to this approach is a lighter coloured beer as extract beers (especially LME) are prone to darkening. Not that this will be a big issue with a Hobgoblin clone...

Hi Bigears,
How much DME would you use in this recipe instead of the 3.48kg of LME?? I plan on using DME.


Thanks,

Mez.

Generally with DME you use 20% less than LME to get the equivalent gravity - this is to compensate for the fact that the lqiuid has been removed from the dried extract. If you're using DME in the 500g packs I would be tempted to use 3kg to keep things simple. Your OG may be slightly higher but I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks Bigears,
I'm going to do one more kit as I bought two in the last order from the homebrew centre. I really want to do this one so it will my first extract brew!! I have to say this place is brilliant for people like me starting off!!

Thanks Again,

Mez.

I think you will found you will make a much nicer beer with DME as a posed to LME

Good luck with it