Brew Tips: Late Addition of Malt Extract

There's quite a bit of argument between brewers on whether malt extract should be added late in the boil process. I've been doing quite a bit of reading on this and I think late addition of malt extract is what should be done to get a lighter color for the beer.

Why do late addition?

- The malt extract is already boiled before they're packaged. So why boil again?

- Because you boiled the malt extract for a full 45-60 minutes, they tend to caramelize and add a dark color to the beer.

- If you want a lighter coloured beer (say dark yellow to orange), late addition is the best way to go.

- A low gravity wort will extract more bitterness out of the hops. So that is your cue if you want more bitterness in your brew.

How late can I add the extract?

- Some say that adding extract at 15 minutes towards the end of the boil is good as it sanitizes the beer.

- Some say at flame out. There's enough heat in the wort to sanitize the beer.

Ideally, its the brewers call as to how late they want to add the extract, but do let me know how your beers taste if you do a late addition.