Malt Extract

Malt extract is one of the most useful ingredients in home brewing. It's essentially pre-mashed malt in concentrated form — either as a thick syrup (liquid malt extract, or LME) or a fine powder (dried malt extract, DME, also called spraymalt). Most brewing malt extract is barley malt extract made from malted barley. Both formats give you the fermentable sugars, colour, and malt character that come from the grain, without needing a full mash setup.

There are two main uses. The first is extract brewing — building a beer recipe from scratch using malt extract as the base, combined with hops, yeast, and sometimes specialty grains. The second, and probably more common, is upgrading a beer kit by replacing some or all of the brewing sugar with malt extract. That single change makes a noticeable difference to body, mouthfeel, and malt flavour.

We stock liquid and dried malt extract from Muntons and Mangrove Jack's, in a full range of colours from Extra Light through to Extra Dark, plus Wheat and Maris Otter variants.

Malt Extract Buying Guide

Liquid malt extract (LME) or dried malt extract (DME)?

Both produce excellent beer — the choice usually comes down to convenience and how you're using it.

Liquid malt extract is easier to dissolve and slightly more economical by weight, but it's sticky to work with and has a shorter shelf life once opened. It's the format most commonly called for in extract recipes. We stock LME from Muntons in 1.5kg tins and 25kg bulk sizes, plus Mangrove Jack's Pure Liquid Malt Extract in a convenient 1.2kg pouch.

Dried malt extract (spraymalt) is easier to measure accurately, stores well, and is more convenient for smaller additions — particularly useful when you just want to add a bit of body to a kit without committing to a full tin of LME. It dissolves readily in warm water. Our Dried Spraymalt range from Muntons covers all the main colour grades in both 500g and 1kg sizes, with a 25kg bulk option available.

Which colour should I choose?

Malt extract colour directly affects the colour and flavour of your finished beer. As a general guide:

• Extra Light — DME | LME — for lagers, wheat beers, and pale ales where you want minimal colour contribution. The cleanest, most neutral base.
• Light — DME | LME — a slight step up in colour and malt character. Good for pale ales, golden ales, and most kit upgrades.
• Medium — DME | LME — adds a warm amber colour and fuller malt flavour. Suits bitters, amber ales, and Irish red ales.
• Amber — LME — deeper colour and a more pronounced malt character. Good for ESBs, brown ales, and darker bitters.
• Dark — DME | LME — rich, roasty character. Used in stouts, porters, and dark milds, often blended with a lighter base extract.
• Extra Dark — DME — the darkest option, with strong roast and coffee notes. Use sparingly or blend — a little goes a long way.
• Wheat — DME | LME — made from wheat malt, producing the characteristic haze, soft body, and light flavour of wheat beers and weissbiers.
• Maris Otter — LME — made from Maris Otter, the classic English ale malt. Adds a biscuity, bready character that's particularly good in traditional British ales and bitters.

One thing we'd always recommend: if you're upgrading a kit, match the extract colour to the style. Using dark extract in a lager kit will muddy the colour and flavour. Light or Extra Light is the safest choice for most kit upgrades if you're not sure.

How much malt extract should I use to upgrade a beer kit?

The most common approach is to replace the brewing sugar called for in the kit instructions with an equal weight of light or extra light dried malt extract, or around 10–15% more by weight of liquid malt extract (which contains more water). So if a kit calls for 1kg of brewing sugar, use 1kg of DME or around 1.1–1.15kg of LME.

You can also use a partial replacement — half malt extract, half brewing sugar — which gives a noticeable improvement in body without as much impact on fermentation time or attenuation. This is a good starting point if you've never tried it before.

Can I use malt extract for full extract brewing?

Yes — extract brewing uses malt extract as the primary fermentable base, combined with hops, yeast, and optionally some specialty malts and grains steeped for colour and flavour. It's a genuinely capable brewing method that produces excellent beer without the need for a mash tun or full all-grain setup. Our Extract Brewing Methodology guide covers the process in detail.

What's the hopped malt extract for?

Our Muntons Hopped Light LME and Hopped Light Spraymalt already contain hop extract, so no separate hop addition is needed. They're primarily used for simple extract brews or as a convenient kit upgrade where you want a bit of hop character without the complexity of a separate hop addition. They're not suitable for recipes where you want to control hop bitterness and aroma independently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

• Extract Brewing Methodology — a full guide to brewing with malt extract
• Making Beer: Essential Steps, Ingredients & Equipment

Related Categories

• Brewing Hops — for extract brewing recipes
• Brewing Yeast
• Malts & Grains — specialty grains for steeping alongside extract
• Beer Kits — if you'd prefer a complete kit
• Beer Starter Kits
• Brewing Equipment — fermenters, kettles and measuring equipment

Why Buy From The Hop Shop?

We've been supplying home brewers for over 50 years and stock malt extract from trusted brewing brands including Muntons and Mangrove Jack's, in a full range of colours and formats. Whether you're upgrading your first beer kit or building extract recipes from scratch, we stock what you need and can help you choose the right product for your style. If you're not sure, get in touch. Order online for UK delivery, with free UK delivery available on qualifying orders over £70.