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I'm fairly new to brewing, I've done 3 kits so far. Last time I brewed in a 23 litre, glass carboy but I found getting the malt extract into it really difficult. The only way I managed to do it was to dilute the extract separately in a saucepan and then add a little at a time through a funnel.
Can you suggest a better way?
I found this a problem too when I occasionally ferment in a carboy (I usually use brew buckets for ease of cleaning some you may also want to look into as a 6.5 gallon carboy with lid will run you under 20 bucks. ). What I found worked out really great was my lhbs sells funnels with splash shields. Its nothing more than a really plastic piece that covers half the top edge but it stops you from missing the edge of the funnel. It also has a removable filter screen to filter your wort. Very nice and about 12 bucks.
Here is a link to the item. http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/funnel-10-in.-anti-splash/4,10141.html
You should definitely dilute the malt extract before adding to the carboy - this is to ensure that it is sanitary, that it mixes evenly in the carboy and to make it easier to handle.
Many kits in fact require boiling the extract in ca. 2-3 times the amount of water to help reduce the viscosity of the liquid. Even if the kit says no boil, it's often just a marketing ploy, and it's still a good idea to dissolve the extract in hot (176°F/80°C) water in a pan to both soften and dilute the extract, and kill any microbes (e.g. bacteria on your tin opener) that could spoil the beer.
You can then half fill the carboy with cold water, and pour in the extract through a funnel, then top up to the target volume. Pour the extract "noisily" so that it splashes about - this will provide oxygen for the yeast.
