Convert All-Grain Beer Recipes to Malt Extract
Found a great all-grain beer recipe you’d love to brew, but prefer extract brewing? You’re not alone! Many homebrewers (including myself) come across recipes that look fantastic, only to discover they’re written exclusively for all-grain brewing.
Our free All-Grain to Malt Extract Conversion Calculator makes it easy to estimate how much liquid malt extract (LME) or dry malt extract (DME) you’ll need to replace the base grains in an all-grain recipe. Simply enter the grains from your all-grain recipe, choose whether you prefer liquid or dry malt extract, and let the calculator estimate how much extract you’ll need. If your original recipe lists a mash efficiency, you can enter it for a more accurate conversion. Otherwise, just leave the default setting at 75%.
Whether you’re converting a favorite craft beer clone or experimenting with a new beer style, this tool can help you adapt all-grain recipes to your extract brewing setup.
All-Grain to Malt Extract Calculator
Turn an all-grain grain bill into a practical extract brewing plan. Enter the grains you want to replace and keep steepable specialty grains separate.
Use the percentage listed in your original all-grain recipe. If none is provided, leave it at 75%.
Original grain bill
Choose Convert for mashed grains replaced by extract; Steep for suitable specialty grains retained in the recipe; Needs mash for grains you plan to keep but that require mashing.
| Grain / malt | Weight (lb) | Potential (PPG) | Handling |
|---|
Converted extract recipe
Before you brew
Use a light/pale extract for pale base malt; select Pilsner, wheat, Munich, or other specialty extract where available to better match the original malt profile. Crystal/caramel and many roasted malts can usually be steeped, while unmalted adjuncts and many other grains need a mash. Steeping does not necessarily reproduce the original gravity contribution.
Hop bitterness, wort color, fermentability, and flavor may change with extract selection and partial-volume boils. Check the original recipe’s target OG and IBUs with brewing software before brewing. PPG defaults are estimates; replace them with maltster specifications when available. This calculator does not predict the entire recipe’s OG.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
This calculator provides estimates based on typical grain and malt extract yields. Actual results may vary depending on the ingredients, mash efficiency, and brewing methods used. Some specialty grains can be steeped, while others require mashing to properly convert their starches into fermentable sugars.
Converting an all-grain recipe to extract may also affect the finished beer’s color, flavor, and hop bitterness. For best results, verify your ingredients and brewing instructions before brew day and use the calculator as a helpful starting point rather than an exact recipe conversion guarantee.
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