Best Places To Buy Malt Extract For Beer

If you're looking to buy malt extract to brew beer, there are several online retailers to choose from. Northern Brewer, for example, offers a wide range of malt extracts in various colours and formats, perfect for any beer style you can imagine. Craft a Brew is another option, offering free shipping on orders over $99 and dry malt extract in three styles and many sizes. Great Fermentations provides malt extracts from two maltsters: Briess and Muntons, allowing extract brewers to brew almost any style. Alternatively, you could try Mr. Beer, which offers free shipping on orders over $75, or RiteBrew.

Online retailers for malt extract

Malt extract is widely available online, with several retailers offering a range of products. Here are some of the top online retailers for purchasing malt extract for beer:

• Northern Brewer: They offer a vast selection of malt extracts, including liquid and dry varieties, suitable for brewing almost any style of beer. Their products come in various colours and formats, from light dried malt extract to dark malt syrups for stouts. Northern Brewer is a one-stop shop for all your malt extract needs, with a satisfaction guarantee.
• Craft a Brew: Craft a Brew provides a selection of dry malt extract (DME) in three styles and multiple sizes. Their DME is shelf-stable and suitable for brewing small or large batches of ales, lagers, stouts, and wheat beers. Craft a Brew also offers exclusive sales and recipe ideas when you subscribe to their newsletter.
• Great Fermentations: This website offers a wide range of malt extracts from two popular maltsters: Briess and Muntons. With their combined offerings, brewers can create almost any style of beer. Great Fermentations provides a comprehensive selection of products to cater to different preferences and requirements.
• MoreBeer: MoreBeer is dedicated to providing amateur brewers with the freshest malt extract on the market. They offer a large selection of both liquid and dry malt extracts, with nine and six different types, respectively. MoreBeer's products are packaged daily and qualify for free shipping, making them a convenient and cost-effective option.

These online retailers offer a diverse range of malt extracts, ensuring that brewers can find the specific products they need to craft their desired beers. Whether you're an experienced brewer or just starting out, these websites provide the ingredients and resources necessary to turn your beer recipes into reality.

Local homebrew stores

Homebrewing has become increasingly popular, and many local homebrew stores have emerged to cater to this growing market. These stores often carry a wide range of malt extracts, including liquid and dry malt extracts, in various styles and sizes. You can typically find well-known brands such as Briess and Muntons, offering different types of malt extracts suitable for brewing ales, lagers, stouts, and wheat beers.

The staff at these local homebrew stores are often knowledgeable and passionate about brewing, so they can provide valuable advice and guidance. They understand the needs of homebrewers and can help you select the right malt extract for your specific beer style. You can also benefit from their expertise in storing and using malt extract effectively, ensuring you get the most out of your purchase.

Additionally, local homebrew stores often have regular customers who are experienced brewers. Visiting these stores provides an opportunity to connect with fellow homebrewers, share tips and tricks, and learn from each other's experiences. This sense of community can enhance your brewing journey and make it more enjoyable.

When buying from a local homebrew store, you can also take advantage of their fresh inventory. As noted in an article from the American Homebrewers Association, reputable homebrew stores turn over their inventory regularly. This ensures that you can access fresh malt syrup, which is essential for achieving the best results in your brewing endeavours.

Supporting local businesses is another benefit of choosing local homebrew stores. By purchasing from them, you contribute to the local economy and foster the growth of specialised businesses that cater to niche markets.

In summary, local homebrew stores offer a comprehensive selection of malt extracts, knowledgeable staff, a sense of community, fresh inventory, and the opportunity to support local businesses. They are an excellent resource for homebrewers looking to create their own beer masterpieces.

Using dry malt extract

Dry malt extract (DME) is a high-quality, shelf-stable foundation for any home-brewed beer. It is a sugar extracted and concentrated from malted grains. It is suitable for brewing small or large batches of ales, lagers, stouts, and wheat beers.

DME is available in a variety of styles and sizes. For example, Briess offers a range of DME products, including Golden Light, Bavarian Wheat, and Traditional Dark.

DME can be used as 100% of the fermentable sugar in extract brewing. It can also be used in partial-mash or all-grain brewing to adjust the flavour, colour, and gravity of brews. It can also be used to increase head retention and body.

When using DME, it is important to keep it away from heat, light, and oxygen to prolong its useful life. It should also be brought to room temperature before use.

One technique when brewing with DME is late addition, which involves adding part of the recipe's malt extract at the start of the boil and reserving the remainder for the last 10 to 15 minutes. This reduces colour changes associated with kettle caramelization and improves hop utilization.

Using liquid malt extract

Liquid malt extract is a convenient way to make beer at home. It is a concentrated malt sugar that can be purchased online and delivered straight from the malt house. This means it arrives fresh, and circumvents any exposure to unwanted warm temperatures that could spoil the product.

Liquid malt extract is a time-saving alternative to the traditional all-grain brewing method, which can be very time-consuming. The extraction process provides a concentrated malt sugar, allowing you to skip the mashing step. All you need is a large pot and a heat source, and you're ready to brew.

When using liquid malt extract, it is important to keep it away from heat, light, and oxygen to prolong its shelf life. It should be stored in a cool, dark place, like the back of the refrigerator, and brought to room temperature before use.

One useful technique when brewing with liquid malt extract is to add part of the extract at the beginning of the boil and reserve the rest for the last 10 to 15 minutes. This is because extract is boiled during production and does not need to be boiled again for sanitation purposes. Adding some of the extract later in the process has several benefits, including:

• Lighter-coloured beer: Wort made from extract is often darker than wort made from freshly mashed grain, and extract also darkens as it ages. By reducing the boiling time, you can minimise colour changes due to kettle caramelisation.
• Better hop utilisation: Boiling hops for longer causes more isomerization, which results in a higher level of bitterness. By boiling the hops in less concentrated wort, you can improve isomerization and achieve better hop utilisation.

Liquid malt extract is an excellent option for home brewers who want to save time without sacrificing the quality of their beer. With its convenience, freshness, and versatility, liquid malt extract is a great choice for brewing a variety of beer styles, from ales and lagers to stouts and wheat beers.

Malt extract kits

Malt extract is a sugar extracted and concentrated from malted grains. It comes in liquid or dry form and serves as a base for your beer recipe. It is suitable for brewing small or large batches of ales, lagers, stouts, and wheat beers. The extract can be purchased in a variety of colours and formats, from light domestic pilsen to dark imported malt syrups, allowing you to brew almost any style of beer you desire.

When using a malt extract kit, you can choose to add the extract at the beginning of the boil or reserve some for the last 10 to 15 minutes, known as the "late addition." This technique is useful for achieving a lighter-coloured beer, as boiling the extract for a shorter time reduces colour changes due to kettle caramelization. It also improves hop utilisation, as a less concentrated wort results in better isomerization of alpha acids into iso-alpha acids, which contribute to the bitterness of the beer.

Many companies offer malt extract kits with a variety of beer styles to choose from. For example, Northern Brewer offers extract kits for ales, lagers, and specialty beers such as IPAs, stouts, and porters. MoreBeer also provides a range of extract kits, including popular styles like IPA, Saison, Stout, and Porter. These kits come with step-by-step instructions, making them ideal for beginner and intermediate brewers.

Overall, malt extract kits offer a convenient and accessible way to brew beer at home, providing a satisfying and enjoyable experience for beer enthusiasts.

Frequently asked questions