We would like to personally thank Jim Busch for allowing me to post this information on my Homebrew pages. This Grain information is posted with his permission.
-Thanks Jim!
- Pale Malt (2 Row, Klages)
- The basic malt for brewing all grain beers from scratch. Being American grown,
high in diastatic power, well modified and fairly neutral, Klages makes an
excellent base malt. Best for both American Lager and Ale styles, Klages lends
itself well to all beer styles.
Examples: Briess, Shreier, Froedterts. Froedterts is slightly darker than
Briess and Shrier. It is currently used at the Baltimore Brewing Co and
the Alleghaney Brewing Co, two quality German style micros. Alleghaney
uses a decoction mashing program with this malt. Great Western is also
a common variety of this malt. (Alleghaney Brewing Co has just been
renamed as the Penn Brewery).
- Wheat Malt (Malted Wheat)
- Use to make wheat and weizen beers. Also, small amounts (3-6 %) aid in head
retention to any beer without altering final flavor. Use 5 to 70 % in the mash,
40 to 70 % being the norm for wheat beers, combined with a high enzyme
malt such as Klages.
Examples are: Briess (cattle feed due to excessive protein levels)
Gambrinus (canadian, high protein wheat)
Ireks (German), DeWolf-Cosyns. Imported varieties have lower protein
levels. In Germany, a weizen must be of at least 50% wheat malt, as
measured in the final beer. This means if a weizen is made of 55%
wheat, and subsequently krausened with say Helles krausen, the amount
of krausen must not reduce the final proportion of wheat to below 50%.
Germans are like that!
- Vienna Malt (Lightly kilned) 4L
- Vienna malt is kiln dried at a higher temperature than pale malt yet still
retains sufficient enzyme power for use as 60 to 100% of total mash grist.
Vienna is a rich, aromatic malt that will lend a deep color and full flavor to
your finest Vienna or Marzen beers.
- Munich Malt (Domestic) 10 L
- A little darker than our German Munich malt, use our Domestic Munich to add a
deeper color and fuller malt profile. An excellent choice for Dark and amber
lagers, blend Munich with German Pils or Klages at the rate of 10 to 60% of the
total grist.
Darker grades of Munich are available from contential maltsters. Essential
ingrediant in German Bock beers.
- Carapils (Dextrin Malt)
- Dextrins lend body, mouthfeel and palate fullness to beers, as well as foam
stability. Carapils must be mashed with pale malt, due to its lack of enzymes.
Use 5 to 20% for these properties without adding color or having to mash at
higher temperatures.
Some brewers dislike the almost cloying sweetness that high amounts (10%)
of Dextrin malt contributes.
- Light Crystal (Caramel Malt) 10 L
- 5 to 20% will lend body and mouthfeel with a minimum of color, much like
Carapils,
but with a light crystal sweetness.
Also sold as CaraPils from the Dewolf-Cosyns maltster. My own opinion
is that this is a much better choice in malt sweetness/body builder than
the US Dextrin malt version.
- Pale Crystal (Caramel Malt) 40 L
- As with all Crystal malts, the character of this malt is contributed by
unfermentable
crystallized sugars produced by a special process Called "stewing". 5 to 20 %
Pale
Crystal will lend a balance of light caramel color,
flavor, and body to Ales and Lagers.
Caramel 40 is a mainstay malt in brewing of all types of ales. It
can be used in British and American ales, and in conjunction with
other malts in Belgian ales and German lagers. Hugh Baird Maltings
in Witham , Essex, England make very fine high grade caramel malts.
US domestic specialties are made from 6 row malt, whereas the
European vesions are 2 row. This makes imported specialties a much
higher quality product. The grain kernels are also plumper and as
such will mill better than 6 row malts.
- Medium Crystal (Caramel Malt) 60 L
- This Crystal malt is well suited to all beer recipes calling for crystal malt
and is a good
choice if you're not sure which variety to use. 5 to 15% of 60 L Crystal malt
will lend a well rounded caramel flavor, color and sweetness to your finest
Ales.
- Dark Crystal (Caramel Malt) 120 L
- 5 to 15% will lend a complex bitter/sweet caramel flavor and aroma to beers.
Used
in smaller quantities this malt will add color and slight sweetness to beers,
while heavier concentrations are well suited to strong
beers such as Barley Wines and Old Ales.
- Victory Malt (Aroma & flavor malt) 25 L
- A unique, lightly roasted malt that provides a warm "biscuity " character to
Ales and
Lagers. Use 5 to 15 % to add a fuller flavor and aroma to Ales, Porters and
full flavored, dark Lagers where a bigger malt character is desired without
crystal malt sweetness.
D/C Biscuit malt fits in here also. Biscuity/toasted flavors and aromas
result from the use of this malt.
- Special Roast (Aroma & flavor malt) 50L
- Pale roasted to lend an unmistakable, toasted malt flavor and aroma and amber,
red-orange color to beer. At the rate of 3 to 10% Special Roast is an excellent
addition to your Vienna, Marzen and Alt beers or in recipes calling for Amber
malt.
- Chocolate Malt (Roasted, black malt)
- Being the least roasted of the black malts, Chocolate malt will add a dark
color and
pleasant roast flavor. Small quantities lend a nutty flavor and deep, ruby red
color while higher amounts lend a black color and smooth, roasted flavor. Use 3
to 12%.
Chocolate is an essential ingrediant in Porters, along with Caramel malts.
Used in smaller quantities in Brown ales, old ales and some Barleywines.
- Roast Barley (Black, Unmalted Barley)
- Use 10 to 12% to impart a distinct, roasted flavor to Stouts. Other dark beers
also
benefit from smaller quantities (2 - 6%).
Essential ingrediant in Stouts. Small amounts are OK in Porters, provided
they dont overpower the chocolate/caramel notes. Rarely used in any
Belgian ales or German Lagers
- Black Patent (H ighly roasted black malt)
- The darkest of all malts, use sparingly to add deep color and roast-charcoal
flavor. Use no more than 1 to 3%.
Best used in trace amounts only, for color. Almost any contribution
that Black Patent gives to beer can be obtained from using another malt
with less harsh flavor impacts.
