help please- spray malt

[cashfan1]

hi everyone
first timeon the board and have a question. i am doing a youngs bitter kit and have used 500g of sugar and 500g of spray malt. i have made it up in the usual way but the spray malt has turned rock hard. is this normal? if not what have i done wrong and can i put it right.
all advice desperately needed.
thanks
dennis.

[joel_m]

Is that rock hard while making it up?
I'm only on my second brew but the adivce I got for using DSM was to boil up the kettle and put the hot water and DSM into a pyrex jug then Give it a stir (there will be lumps) but nuke it in the micro for 20sec another stir another nuke another etc until all the lumps have gone. I'm sure there are better methods than this but it seemed to work well and the final brew tastes good!
If you put it straight in to the FV I don't know someone else may be able to give you a better answer.

Hope this helps.

[cashfan1]

hi Joel
yes it has gone into hard lumps when i added the 4 pints of cooled boiled water. i am still stirring but it really is rock hard.
dennis.

[joel_m]

Hi sorry editing my post see above!

[OldSpeckledBadger]

Sounds bad. I'd try to fish out the lumps together with a few litres of the liquid and heat it whilst stirring until the lumps have dissolved. Spraymalt can be tricky as it likes to clump up. I find adding it slowly whilst stirring vigorously works well (helps aerate the wort at the same time). You want the wort to be hot too when you add it.

[arturobandini]

Spraymalt is best dissolved in a pan of water whilst stirring well. Not made up a kit with rocky clumps of spraymalt but logic says it should dissolve eventually and the yeast will destroy it and turn it into booze.

[rollin danny]

I always add dry malt to fv once boiling water and malt extract already in.The secret is sprinkle in slowly with right hand while keeping stiring with left hand.Its a bit like rubbing your tummy and patting yer head but you get the knack.The only thing I would try now is get it into a big clean pan and simmer it hopfully it will eventually dissolve.

[cashfan1]

Hi all
thanks for all the help. i disolved it in a pan of liquid and it is fine now, fermenting really well. this will be the first time i've used spray malt and looking forward to tasting it.
dennis.

[pauljmuk]

I added mine to water that had been brought to boil, along with other sugars to make sure fully disolved. Added that to the FV with LME and stirred. All was fine.

[Big Phil]

Hello Everyone, Just a word of warning about DSM, try and keep steam out of bag or you'll have another problem, getting it out of the bag.

[MartyMcFly]

He he, I've done that as well, Big Phil

[harbinger]

Dont worry too much even if it goes hard the yeasties will eat it anyway

[Ditch]

Really can't see where all this anguish and drama's coming from, quite frankly.

I just slit my bag of malt open. Dump it into the empty FV. Lid back on.

Cut off the sides of bag. Put fully opened bag down for Pesticle to lick clean.

Dump contents of tin into FV. Add water. Have at it with power drill driven artex stirrer.

Job done.

Where's all this steaming and hard come from? Sounds a tad gay!

[timbo41]

Erudite as always Ditch. Yeah just straight into fv add tin add boiling water. Stir like an idiot or zap it with paint stirrer. Stuff will break down in end. But sticks like the proverbial if you get it damp. Pouring it into a steaming pot is asking for trouble

[Nikster]

Did it on my last brew and as others have said the yeasties get to work on it no problem no matter how hard it is.

Does make it difficult working out abv if you care.