HELP: Can you scald or burn DME??

[Tetsuo1981]

@Brew_DD2
Maillard reaction - Wikipedia

Just gave it a quick skim read and makes sense to me, with the brioche bun as example. And my water was screaming hot too.

 

[MyQul]

Just gave it a quick skim read and makes sense to me, with the brioche bun as example. And my water was screaming hot too.

So at a guess, from having made golden (which is actually more the color of your starter) syrup and doing bit of basic reading on malliard reaction my money would be on it being one of those two things

 

[Tetsuo1981]

So at a guess, from having made golden (which is actually more the color of your starter) syrup and doing bit of basic reading on malliard reaction my money would be on it being one of those two things

I'm inclined to agree. At any rate its not fit for a lager starter. If it'd been an ale or a stout I might have run with it for a laugh but I've not had many biscuity / caramely Mexican beers. Saying that I bumbled across an Aunt Bessie's jam roly-poly beer while watching YouTube on my lunch break today...maybe Mexican biscuit beer is the next big thing!!

 

[MyQul]

I'm inclined to agree. At any rate its not fit for a lager starter. If it'd been an ale or a stout I might have run with it for a laugh but I've not had many biscuity / caramely Mexican beers. Saying that I bumbled across an Aunt Bessie's jam roly-poly beer while watching YouTube on my lunch break today...maybe Mexican biscuit beer is the next big thing!!

It depends on whether your going to throw all the spent starter wort into your main batch of wort or not. I normally let my starters settle out then decant almost all the spent starter off the yeast. Leaving only enough to be able to swirl the yeast off the bottom of the DJ

 

[An Ankoù]

Bit of a panic, boiled some water to mix with extra light DME to make a yeast starter and it's gone ever so dark and I'm worried I've buggered it
View attachment 24868
Put the DME in the sterilised demijohn, took the water off the boil and poured it in an mixed it. Is it screwed? I've not put the yeast in yet thank god

Cheers

If I understand right, you've poured boiling water into your DME and the solution is darker than you expected. In which case, there's nothing wrong with anything. You simply haven't added enough water to dilute it to its right strength and colour. Have faith, cross your legs, think of England and carry on.
You can't caramelise anything with just boiling water.

 

[Tetsuo1981]

It depends on whether your going to throw all the spent starter wort into your main batch of wort or not. I normally let my starters settle out then decant almost all the spent starter off the yeast. Leaving only enough to be able to swirl the yeast off the bottom of the DJ

I was going to pitch the whole lot in. Is that not normally the done thing? I guess not and that makes sense as I guess it's like racking your beer into a secondary to get it off the yeast / trub but the other way around, you don't want the watery bit but the yeast that's left behind.

 

[Tetsuo1981]

If I understand right, you've poured boiling water into your DME and the solution is darker than you expected. In which case, there's nothing wrong with anything. You simply haven't added enough water to dilute it to its right strength and colour. Have faith, cross your legs, think of England and carry on.

Spot on. And now I've slung it and resolved to trying again tomorrow. Bah, all I've done today is jump the gun!! think I need to get to my bed and start again fresh tomorrow!!

 

[MyQul]

If I understand right, you've poured boiling water into your DME and the solution is darker than you expected. In which case, there's nothing wrong with anything. You simply haven't added enough water to dilute it to its right strength and colour. Have faith, cross your legs, think of England and carry on.
You can't caramelise anything with just boiling water.

If you read further up the thread, the OP used 2L/220g so diluted correctly. So it's all a bit of a mystery

 

[terrym]

@Tetsuo1981
I use DME in partial mash beers. The colour of the dissolved DME liquor is always much darker than the powder. And the dissolved DME liquor always has tiny particles of what I assume is grain in it, which may give it its colour. I have also made up extra light DME using hot water and it has sometimes come up looking almost black when first dissolved. The colour of the finished beers, however, have always been as expected
If you just added hot water to the DME to dissolve it and didn't subsequently heat it in a pan and perhaps scorch it you have nothing to worry about. You haven't changed it, it still malt extract solution and so I suggest you just use it as intended.

 

[An Ankoù]

Spot on. And now I've slung it and resolved to trying again tomorrow. Bah, all I've done today is jump the gun!! think I need to get to my bed and start again fresh tomorrow!!

Never chuck anything, is my motto. Keep it for years cluttering up the place, but the moment you chuck it you'll need it. From bitter experience. Sleep tight.

 

[Tetsuo1981]

@Tetsuo1981
I use DME in partial mash beers. The colour of the dissolved DME liquor is always much darker than the powder. And the dissolved DME liquor always has tiny particles of what I assume is grain in it, which may give it its colour. I have also made up extra light DME using hot water and it has sometimes come up looking almost black when first dissolved. The colour of the finished beers, however, have always been as expected
If you just added hot water to the DME to dissolve it and didn't subsequently heat it in a pan and perhaps scorch it you have nothing to worry about. You haven't changed it, it still malt extract solution and so I suggest you just use it as intended.

Thanks terrym. I think my panic came from just how dark it went, especially as its extra light, it looked burnt hence the title of the thread. My only experience with DME has been with can kits in a big bucket fv and it's all together and steaming up Ive never really paid much mind to its colour. My lesson today is not to be so quick to panic. As I said before it could have been worse and I've sadly ditched it now, again without stopping to think. Tomorrow is another day, I'm only down 2l of spring water and 220g of DME. I'll have a sleep and get on it again tomorrow

 

[Tetsuo1981]

Never chuck anything, is my motto. Keep it for years cluttering up the place, but the moment you chuck it you'll need it. From bitter experience. Sleep tight.

I've done that for years, you should see my 'ooh I might need that' crate in my shed!! It'd be bigger but I get in trouble with the Mrs!!

 

[Tetsuo1981]

Well the plot thickens for anyone still watching this thread...
Had another go at a starter today, boiled my water and let it get to room / pitching temp (21 / 22 ish °C) then added the extra light DME and it's gone pretty much the same colour as before

So I've put the yeast in and followed packet instructions and slung it under the stairs. Will check again in the morning. Might be the colour of the glass demijohn making it look darker but it still seems pretty dark for extra light DME. Anyway, will post back with results here in the interest of science

 

[Brew_DD2]

I maintain that it isn't extra light DME.

 

[Tetsuo1981]

I maintain that it isn't extra light DME.

The one on the left is what I've used and the one on the right is another one I got later.

Unless I'm having a really thick moment I thought DME & Spray Malt were the same thing...? But anyway, I still think it's bloody dark mixed up. Unless I got a duff / mislabled bag??

 

[Brew_DD2]

The one on the left is what I've used and the one on the right is another one I got later.
View attachment 26163
Unless I'm having a really thick moment I thought DME & Spray Malt were the same thing...? But anyway, I still think it's bloody dark mixed up. Unless I got a duff / mislabled bag??

Neither of them should come out any where near the colour of your wort.

 

[Tetsuo1981]

Neither of them should come out any where near the colour of your wort.

That's what made me panic in the first place. But this time around I've cooled the water to room temp and it's still that colour

Gonna roll with it for 3 days and see what occurs

 

[Tetsuo1981]

Next day update:

Looks a hell of a lot better and a more convincing colour. Does this look like a good starter a day in?