There shouldn’t be a difference when using dry vs. liquid…. I personally started using more grain… around 8LB to 10LB and have had success with my beer being much more full bodied… and the ABV is higher as a nice side effect.

EDIT:

Lipscomb,

But you aren’t supposed to use the same amounts of liquid and dry. 1lb of DME is roughly equal to 3.3LB of LME. Of course you are going to get higher OG and such if you are equal weights.

I still stand by my increase your grain bill…. it also has the benefit of allowing better customization of your beer.

You are correct. You get more malt from DME(dried) than LME(liquid). So you can expect to get a higher OG from the same weight of DME than LME. Go to morebeer.com or northernbrewer.com and visit the forums, a wealth of information can be found there.

If you want to learn more about brewing beer- how it works, why it works, and how to have fun creating your own recipes and taking on advanced techniques- then i encourage you to keep brewing. Learn how to brew beer from scratch, without extracts, using the malted barley itself. This kind of brewing puts you in control of the final product, and many brewers find this ” all- grain ” type of brewing to be the most satisfying. There are three important things to keep in mind every time you brew: Preparation, Sanitation, and good record keeping. Remember good record keeping will make the difference between luck and skill.

I have never used a dry malt-extract. I began using malt syrups and now when I brew at home it is an all grain grist bill. I see above that the dry type of extract is a more concentrated form of malt source.

Try to brew your own all dry malt extract batch. As ststed above keep notes. Trial and error (plus study) is your best teacher.

I am of the mind set that if you continue to brew that the all grain methods are the best. Best flavor. Best overall control to S.G. and thus ABV. Best to reproduce the beer styles you like best.
{Yes, the equipment investment can be great but so will be your reward.}

Keep brewing and good luck.

Relax, don’t worry have a homebrew.

As mentioned, you get more fermentable sugar per pound of dry malt extract, versus liquid malt extract. I have used only dry malt extract many times in the past to make beer with great results, and I agree with Mayor that your use of specialty grains will help with flavor, body, and color a lot.

As for pros and cons:
DME:
Pros: more sugar per pound, lighter to ship, and doesn’t require heating up the can and trying to get the last bit out like with liquid. Also, DME won’t sink right to the bottom and scorch if you’re not careful.
Cons: will cause horrible boil overs if you add during the boil. Must be kept cool and dry so it doesn’t clump up. Doesn’t come in too many styles, usually just light, amber, dark, and wheat.

LME:
Pros: A lot of styles and brands to choose from. Doesn’t cause boil overs when added to boiling pots.
Cons: Less fermentables per pound, due to extra water content. If not stirred properly, can cause scorching at the bottom of the boil pot. Seems to be a pain in the neck about trying to get out of the can or jug it came in.

Prices for both, for amount of fermentables are usually similar enough, but I think the DME is usually cheaper. If you use the same overall malt content, the body shouldn’t be changed much at all. When I used DME, I made damn good beers, but then I also made good beer the few times I used LME (I upgraded to all grain finally).

I prefer DME, and if anyone can think of any other pros and cons, I hope they mention them. However, if you brew two batches using DME and LME in the same malt concentrations, I doubt you’ll notice much difference at all.

Just as with base grain in all-grain brewing, your malt extract is mostly a base sugar for fermenting, and you will get much more color, flavor, and body from the types of specialty grains you use, as well as the hops used.

You are right. You do get more malt if you use DME rather than LME. I’ve never been entirely happy with using much DME in a recipe, though. I do use it to get my OG to where I want it when using all LME would leave me with a fraction of a can left over. [I rarely brew enough to warrant buying LME in bulk containers.] The DME may solidify before I use it but it still dissolves — eventually.