Making a 5 gal batch of lager from Pilsner extract as a starter for a 15 gal batch to come. I haven’t used extract in years and I was wondering if it required a 90 min boil like you would do with a batch of all grain or does the extract process drive off the sulphur compounds?
Thanks.
No, it’s had the sulfur driven off in the extract process. I use Briess pils dme regularly to do 1 gallon batches for hop experimenting and get zero sulfur ever.
It is a good question though. I don’t doubt that the evaporation process helps strip SMM and DMS, but I’m not sure how much. I’m doubting that the raw wort was boiled much. Jon, it is good to hear that your experience says its no problem.
I also think it’s possible , regardless of being labeled as pils dme, that it’s a very pale 2 row extract that’s sold as pils, more as a color designation. Given production constraints, it makes more sense. Regardless it’s clean boiled 60, and I think Eric actually boils it like 15 or 20.
I typically use Munton’s Extra Light DME as my base extract, but I have used Briess Pilsner DME on a couple of occasions with 15 minute boils. I have never picked up any DMS in any of my shortened-boil extract brews.
Thanks guys. I may do a 15 min boil too. Hop it with one charge of Hallertau and move on.
Briess Pilsen Light DME extract is made from 99% Pilsen malt and 1% Carapils according the data sheet.
Cool, good info. Nonetheless, I get no DMS from it on a shorter boil, so they are managing to remove it by boiling (or whatever). Plus, it would probably discourage a lot of brewers to have to boil an extract for 90 minutes.
Yeah 90 minutes might intimidate. From reading on the web lots of people do 60 minute boil with AG Pilsner malts. I do 90 just in case.
I use a lot of Breiss Pils DME. Always added late to the boil with no issues. It’s by far the palest and most fermentable DME I’ve encountered.
Yep
OK, I emailed Briess about their Pils extracts and got a response on the long boil question. Since I use it in 30 minute boils regularly to try hops (and heard anecdotes here about even shorter boils) and never gotten DMS, I expected something along these lines :
"Hi Jon,
Thanks for getting in touch.
In general, our extracts are boiled gently and then evaporated. Both of these processes will drive off DMS. We essentially use a large brewing system, and of course the malt and process will be a bit different each time. If you boil the DME at all, you should be left with no excess DMS, as this is the second time this pilsen malt has been boiled. So no, 90 minutes isn’t necessary.
Regards,
Aaron Hyde
Homebrew Products Manager
Briess Malt & Ingredients Co."
Thanks again. I did a 20 min boil with 1 charge of 80 g of Hallertau which is all I had on hand. Beer smith estimates 28 IBU and 4.7% ABV which is good with me. 2 fresh vials of yeast into a 1l starter and then that into a 5 gal batch should make a nice pitch for a big batch.
i had always kind of wondered about this on and off… as I use Pilsner DME for my yeast starters and kind of wondered if it would have any possible impact since a starter uses a very short boil. I had never detected any type of DMS flavors in my fermented starter wort though.