Specialty
Grains (Malts)
Specialty
grains are used by intermediate to advanced homebrewers to
add color, body, taste, and aromatic properties to the beer.
In fact, some styles of beer cannot be properly achieved without
the help of specialty grains.
Don't
be intimidated when considering using specialty grains for
the first time. It really is easy to do. Here is the method
that I prefer.
How to
Use Specialty Grains
The
first thing you need to do is to crack the grains. The object
here is to lightly crack open the husks to allow the good
stuff to come out, without pulverizing the grains into a powder.
I use a grain mill for this but you can also use a rolling
pin with a light touch.
Now
that the grain is cracked and your ready to start brewing
your beer, take the brew kettle and fill it with about a 1.5
gallons and add the specialty grains to the cold water.
Turn
the burner on and just before the water starts to boil (this
should take around 20 minutes), strain the husks out of the
kettle.
That
is really all there is to it! Now proceed with brewing your
beer as you normally would by adding the malt extract and
hops.
Types
of Specialty Grains
Black
Patent Malt
Black patent malt or black malt is very dark malted barley.
It essentially gets its black color from very high roasting
temperatures. Black malt can be used to give the beer a dark
color, but will also impart a slight burnt or smokey flavor
to the beer. In homebrews, this burnt flavor can be overpowering
if too much is used. I would recommend using this grain sparingly.
Chocolate
Malt
Chocolate malt is similar to black patent malt, except it
just hasn’t been roasted as long. It is dark in color,
but doesn’t have the burnt flavor of black malt. It
will give a nice deep nut-like flavor to the final beer. I
prefer to use this malt instead of the black malt in stouts
and porters.
Crystal
Malt
Crystal malt is produced using a special malting process
that allows some of the starches to be converted to simpler
sugars (such as sucrose and maltose) inside the intact grain.
These simple sugars are fermentable. However a significant
percentage of more complex sugars remain intact and can
add body, sweetness and mouth feel to a beer. These sugars
also help with head-retention in the beer. Crystal malt
is a good grain to start with if you’ve never used
a specialty grain before. It has a fairly mild flavor, and
will generally not overpower the final product.
Roasted
Barley
Roasted barley is basically just that. Un-malted barley is
roasted in an oven at a fairly high temperature until it turns
to the desired color. This specialty grain will not contribute
to any of the final alcohol content of the beer, and is used
primarily for flavoring. It will add a slight nutty flavor
to the beer.
Tip:
You
can make your own roasted malt in the oven. Simply spread
a single layer of un-malted barley on a cookie sheet, and
roast in the oven for 5-15 minutes at about 375-400 degrees
F. The desired darkness of the final grain will determine
how long you let it roast in the oven. Check it often to prevent
burning and don’t forget to give it a few shakes during
to process so it roasts evenly. You know it’s starting
to roast when you can smell the nutty aroma.
Cara-Pils
Cara-Pils or dextrine is can lend a range of characteristics
to a beer. How long it is roasted will determine what level
of flavor it will impart in the final product. Cara-Pils has
no enzyme by itself, so it should generally be used in conjunction
with other types of malts that do contain enzymes. There are
three main types of Cara-Pils malts. They are referred to
as Mild Malt, Vienna Malt, and Munich Malt.
In Conclusion
As I said earlier, there are multiple ways to use specialty
grains. I prefer to let them steep while the water is coming
to a boil at the beginning of the brew session. It is easy
and convenient. Also, since it's not boiled, not as much tannin
will be released which adds astringency.
Anyway,
try using specialty grains if you have not tried them before.
You will notice a big difference in the complexity of your
beer.
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