Homebrewcompany Liquid Malt Extract

[terrym]

In recent months I have done a number of extract brews using The Homebrewcompany's Liquid Malt Extract.
http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/light-premium-liquid-malt-extract-15kg-p-2284.html
HBC source it from Senson in Finland and it comes in an unmarked 1.5kg can.
At £5.95 per can (not long ago it was £4.95) it represents good value for money.
However all the brews I've made using it have had a slight cloying taste, dare I say twang, which only mostly disappeared after about 3 months conditioning. Other extract brew efforts using Holland and Barret LME didn't seem to have this taste, so last time I ordered some more stuff from HBC I ordered a can of Coopers and a sachet of Mangrove Jacks LME to compare.
I used the Coopers first, to make a Pale Ale based on American hops, which I sampled young tonight after only 17 days in the FV and 9 days carbonation . What a difference, no cloying taste, and certainly drinkable, although I will be leaving the rest to condition for a while longer.
So to those of you out there who have also used the HBC LME in 1.5kg cans is your experience the same as mine?

 

[evolram]

I bought some LME from brewsmarter and have used it with wilkos ipa, cervasa and a pilsner/saison. Up to about 8 weeks after bottling there is twang but it isn't there after 10 weeks.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Global33]

I bought some LME from brewsmarter and have used it with wilkos ipa, cervasa and a pilsner/saison. Up to about 8 weeks after bottling there is twang but it isn't there after 10 weeks.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Drat. I've recently bought a fair bit from them as it was cheap. Still to early to judge the results, but that's disappointing. It's my first batches of home brew though, so I'm glad I've seen this thread, I may have blamed the kits or all sorts.

What other cheap sources of LME and DME do people use?

 

[evolram]

Drat. I've recently bought a fair bit from them as it was cheap. Still to early to judge the results, but that's disappointing. It's my first batches of home brew though, so I'm glad I've seen this thread, I may have blamed the kits or all sorts.

What other cheap sources of LME and DME do people use?

If you can wait don't worry about it. I'm drinking 11 week old wilko ipa made with it and it's a great pint.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Slid]

In recent months I have done a number of extract brews using The Homebrewcompany's Liquid Malt Extract.
http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/light-premium-liquid-malt-extract-15kg-p-2284.html
HBC source it from Senson in Finland and it comes in an unmarked 1.5kg can.
At �£5.95 per can (not long ago it was �£4.95) it represents good value for money.
However all the brews I've made using it have had a slight cloying taste, dare I say twang, which only mostly disappeared after about 3 months conditioning. Other extract brew efforts using Holland and Barret LME didn't seem to have this taste, so last time I ordered some more stuff from HBC I ordered a can of Coopers and a sachet of Mangrove Jacks LME to compare.
I used the Coopers first, to make a Pale Ale based on American hops, which I sampled young tonight after only 17 days in the FV and 9 days carbonation . What a difference, no cloying taste, and certainly drinkable, although I will be leaving the rest to condition for a while longer.
So to those of you out there who have also used the HBC LME in 1.5kg cans is your experience the same as mine?

My experiences are 3 years old, so maybe not much help.
I only did kits then, but was experimenting with hop additions and such.
My records show that I was well pleased with the outcomes on the two times I used it.

Best Feedback I can give from my records:
Started 16 Feb 2014 - "Immense Beer at 17 May (2014)"

 

[BeerCat]

Made around 6 partial mashes with those tins and never had any twangs from it. I really like it and will get more at some point for when its raining and want to knock something up inside. I have managed some twangs with my AG though.

 

[Sandimas]

In recent months I have done a number of extract brews using The Homebrewcompany's Liquid Malt Extract. However all the brews I've made using it have had a slight cloying taste, dare I say twang

Exactly the same here.

I bought a load as the price seemed too good to be true, sadly it was. I used it in several extract brews, and to supplement 1-can kits, all with the same result - a twang that just wouldn't go. One of the extract brews was a repeat recipe that I know is good and how it should taste (Amarillo Pale Ale) this LME really tainted the flavour. Won't be buying it again.

I'm also used to making up extract brews with the Coopers tins - my LHBS makes up his own kits with these and some hops. Never had a problem with these. And I've also make up 3 of the HBC full extract kits, these come with Mangrow Jacks LME, again great beers. It's definately the unbranded tins that are the issue. I''ve gon back to using dried malt extract.

Maybe we got a bad batch, if others are getting good results? Trying to remember when I bought mine, maybe 9-12 months ago? The bad brews were all Sept-Nov 2016.

 

[terrym]

Exactly the same here.
It's definitely the unbranded tins that are the issue.
Maybe we got a bad batch, if others are getting good results? Trying to remember when I bought mine, maybe 9-12 months ago? The bad brews were all Sept-Nov 2016.

Thought so :-?
The cans I bought were towards the end of last year and in Jan this year so some time after yours, so its likely to be be the LME itself.
Perhaps that's why the HBC have now started to put other LME into their extract kits.
Anyway I have one or two cans to use up, and like you I won't be buying any more.
My problem now is what do I do with it:hmm:

 

[dad_of_jon]

Thought so :-?
The cans I bought were towards the end of last year and in Jan this year so some time after yours, so its likely to be be the LME itself.
Perhaps that's why the HBC have now started to put other LME into their extract kits.
Anyway I have one or two cans to use up, and like you I won't be buying any more.
My problem now is what do I do with it:hmm:

stick it in a big abv beer like an imperial stout and let the mega roastiness over power it. I use dme from muntons it's not cheap but not ever had a twang.or with brewmaker, muntons or brewfferm lme kits either.

 

[Sandimas]

My problem now is what do I do with it:hmm:

If I had any left, I'd chuck it and put it down to experience. I used one of mine with a tin of Coopers and a load of EKG and Centennial to make their "Battleship Bitter" recipe and even then you could taste the twang through it.
http://store.coopers.com.au/recipes/index/view/id/81/

I've used lots of LME and DME over the years and this is the only time I've tasted "the twang". Good spot on them changing it in their own extract kits, I thought I spotted it in a photo someone posted on here: now they supply Mangrove Jacks LME so must realise their own is not so great. Wonder where they get it from / who makes it?

 

[terrym]

Wonder where they get it from / who makes it?

HBC source it from Senson in Finland who appear to be quite a large foodstuffs company.

 

[Covrich]

I haven't used it myself but also heard someone else here mention it was twangy.

IMO If you're doing extracts I would stick to dme mostly.. I find it pretty robust enough and maybe its less likley to twang up??

Have a small partial mash brew with H&B extract actually so will be interested to see how it turns out..

 

[terrym]

Have a small partial mash brew with H&B extract actually so will be interested to see how it turns out..

I have used this in the past on its own and found it was OK. I usually stock up when it's on offer.

 

[Covrich]

I have used this in the past on its own and found it was OK. I usually stock up when it's on offer.

Next time I make a starter ill use one.. nice and easy tbh and as much as I prefer dme I think measuring and all that can get messy, open dump on pan boil and in the bottle.. simples

 

[terrym]

Anyway I have one or two cans to use up, and like you I won't be buying any more.
My problem now is what do I do with it:hmm:

Wot I did today with one can;. minimal cost option.
One can HBC 1.5kg LME, 300g Golden Syrup. 25 g Challenger boiled with some LME for 60 mins, 20g Celeia 10 mins. 13 litres, OG about 1.044. It was a toss up whether I used some ale yeast trub I had kept in the fridge for a month or 'fresh' lager yeast trub from a Coopers European Lager I racked this morning. The lager won. . It's now in the garage and the air lock is bubbling way steadily after about six hours.
The aim is to brew it cool and then bottle it and leave it six months to see if the twang disappears completely. I might lager it along the way as well.
I live in hope that it will turn out OK......

 

[terrym]

@darrellm posted about HBC extract kits the other day, and I was reminded that I had not opened one of my 'Last Chance' HBC Extract Bitters discussed above.
So I opened one. It's well over two months since I bottled it.
It had had a hop tea of 10g of each of Challenger and Celeia chucked in for five days after a full week of primary, followed by racking and was then bulk stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks. It was reluctant to clear at this point, although the fermentation had long finished, so I fined some bottles with gelatin which I rarely do.
Anyway, what does it taste like? Interestingly it's not got a twang like the other HBC LME beers I brewed. I've no idea why, perhaps it was the lager yeast, perhaps the low temperature storage. It's now fully clear although the yeast at the bottom does kick up, and the Challenger and Celeia do come through, and it tastes a tad 'lagery'. It's not the best beer I have brewed, but not the worst. I think I'll keep it for a few more months to see what happens to it.
But I am still unlikely to buy any more HBC unbranded LME.