Muntons Malt Extract, Liquid, Unhopped Amber, 3.3 Pound Cans (Pack of 2) Review (2026)

Who this extract fits

This is a pack of two 3.3 pound cans of Muntons liquid malt extract in the unhopped Amber variety, aimed at extract and partial mash home brewers building amber ale, bitter, or other reddish-colored beer styles. Muntons is a long-established English maltster that produces its liquid malt extract range exclusively from English 2 row barley, concentrating the extracted sugars into a viscous syrup through an aqueous extraction process. Because this version is unhopped, it suits brewers who want to design their own hop schedule and bitterness level rather than relying on hop character already built into the extract, which matters for anyone dialing in a specific IBU target or hop flavor profile.

Materials and specs in plain English

According to the manufacturer, this Amber extract is blended from pale and crystal malts, which is the combination responsible for its reddish amber color and mild caramel character. The manufacturer specifies a color rating of 16 to 20 EBC units and solids content, measured by refractometer, of 80 to 82 percent, both of which are technical benchmarks brewers can use to judge consistency between batches or compare against other extract brands. Each can weighs 3.3 pounds, and this listing bundles two cans together, giving 6.6 pounds of extract total, which is enough fermentable sugar for a typical five gallon batch of amber ale when combined with steeped specialty grains, depending on the exact recipe and target gravity.

Using the extract in practice

In practice, liquid malt extract like this is added to brewing water, often alongside steeped specialty grains, and dissolved before the boil to build the wort's fermentable sugar content. Because it comes in a thick, viscous syrup form, many brewers find it pours more easily after warming the unopened can briefly in hot water, which loosens the syrup and reduces sticking to the can and pour spout. As with any liquid malt extract, color and flavor can drift over storage time, since the malt sugars continue to darken and can pick up slightly different character the longer a can sits on the shelf, so brewers chasing a specific, repeatable amber color and flavor should use it relatively soon after purchase rather than stockpiling cans for extended periods.

Trade-offs and how it compares

Against the Muntons Liquid Malt Home Brew Extract Amber Hopped 3.3 Lbs, this unhopped version gives full control over bittering hops instead of relying on hops already blended into the extract, which suits brewers who want a customized hop schedule rather than a simpler, more foolproof process. Compared with Briess Sparkling Amber Liquid Malt Extract, both are amber-style extracts from established maltsters, and the choice often comes down to brand preference in malt character and regional grain sourcing, since Briess uses American-grown grain while Muntons sources English 2 row barley. The core trade-off with any liquid extract compared with dry malt extract is that liquid extract is heavier to ship, stickier to pour, and more prone to gradual darkening in storage than the powder form.

Verdict and who should pick something else

This pack suits extract and partial mash brewers building amber ale or bitter style beers who want a consistent, English-sourced base malt extract and prefer to control bitterness themselves with a separate hop addition schedule. Its EBC color rating and refractometer solids spec give a useful, repeatable benchmark for recipe planning. Brewers who want a simpler one-can process with hop character already built in should look at the hopped Amber version from the same brand instead. Anyone who brews infrequently and worries about extract sitting on a shelf for many months might also consider dry malt extract, which stores longer without the same gradual color drift that liquid extract can show.

Frequently asked questions