DME now Very DME

[Cazamodo]

Ok... Just went to knock up my starter for this weekend, and My DME which has sat in a obviously not very sealed container, must have got damp. as its now one solid block of hard malt extract.

Can I (if i physically can) cut this block up and still use it? As i dont have anything else and wanted to get this starter underway

[mark4newman]

Hi

I can't see why not. Just make sure you add water boil it for 10mins

[EoinMag]

It can turn to a large malteser like mass if it's not kept dry enough. It's not an issue, but I would boil the wort just to ensure that it's sanitised as the addition of liquid will have meant that it's a better growth medium than when it's dry, dryness in itself is normally enough to take away one of the essentials of life which is water meaning that it will keep most things sanitary. Not saying that a lot will have grown in there by any means, but it increases the ever so slight possibility of contamination by nasties.

[Andy__]

Just to inject a not of caution, but I would be very carefull about using it. If its been sitting wet for a while it may have become stale or worse moldy.

I would boil it for 10 minutes as descibed than cool a small amount and taste it. You dont want to add off flavours to your beer via the yeast starter.

[greenxpaddy]

It will be fine. Only the same as very concentrated liquid ME.

[Cazamodo]

I boiled it up and it seemed fine. Took a bit of cutting up, came off in flakes in the end (tasty sticky flakes) and finally dissolved with a good boil