brewing sugar vs lme

tom_con

newbie question.
any big differences between using brewing sugar or lme??
any difference in taste/strength?

WallsToTheBall

You are likely to get far better tasting beer from using LME instead of using just Dextrose (brewing sugar). LME is made up of quite a high proportion of sugars that are unfermentable by the yeast, this results in a beer with more body, a thicker taste and mouthfeel with more malty goodness as opposed to a boozy/cheap-alcohol twang.

As a result of these unfermentables, you have to use more LME than Dextrose for the same ABV to be achieved (about 1.5 : 1 ratio).
Hope this helps

WallsToTheBall

Sorry had a bit more of a read into it, is more like 1.25 : 1 Dextrose : LME required for brewing out about the same.

loyatemu

In what context? To add to a kit?

It's not as simple as saying "use malt extract" - if the kit says to add sugar it has been designed to have sugar added to it and adding malt extract instead will change the flavour, you'll end up with a maltier beer.