MALT EXTRACT - LME AND DME

 Whenever someone talks about Malt extract, the first thing that clicks in their mind is “an important ingredient in brewing beer”. But that might not be the case. It IS an important ingredient but not only for beer. Malt Extract is used in various recipes in various forms such as Pharma Grade Malt Extract, Malted Milk Food Grade Malt Extract, Non Alcoholic Beverages Grade Malt Extract, Flakes Grade Malt Extract.

Malt Extract is majorly divided or available in two forms - LME and DME.

LME:

LME stands for Liquid malt extract and is basically made by conducting a typical mash, then dehydrating the wort down to about 20 percent water and getting the result as a molasses-like syrup.

This molasses-like syrup helps in creating a more pleasant flavor with sweet essence. In recipes calling for large amounts of malt extract, LME may be the best option for a bulk of the fermentables.

LME is usually considered hard to use but it is the best option when the recipe calls for  large amounts of malt extract, as it can be easily used by swishing around some hot water in the container to get all that sugary-goodness. LME, if stored properly under cool, dark and dry condition, can have the shelf like upto around 2 years.

 DME:

DME stands for Dry Malt Extract. The process of DME is similar to that of LME with the only difference of going through an additional dehydration step which reduces the water content down to about 2 percent. The availability of lower water content makes it drier and also helps with having a longer and better shelf life. But DME also needs to be put in a seal tight, cool and dark area.

Even though both LME and DME undergo similar processes but still there exist some differences which makes people wonder about which one is better. Well, there is no specific answer to this as it totally depends on what features you are looking for and where and how it is going to be used. But if we broadly talk about the difference between the two, then:

LME provides more pleasant flavors in beer when compared to DME, while DME provides better consistency in color when compared to LME.

LME is typically used when needed to be used in large amounts,  because of its ability to dissolve in boiling temperatures, whereas DME can clump up and become a hassle to liquefy. 

When it comes to the long shelf life - DME usually takes the lead as LME tends to experience slight hiccups over time; darkening and giving off “extract twang” flavors. 

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