# "special B" Grain



## Swinging Beef (8/10/08)

What do we call this in Australia?
Im planning a Belgian Double using an American recipe and this grain Ive not heard of.


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## Adamt (8/10/08)

Closest available here, I believe, is Weyermann Caraaroma. Not sure how close it is to the real deal though.


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## glennheinzel (8/10/08)

I think that Ross may be trying to source a number of hard to get malts. You should drop him a line to see if Special B is one of them and how far he might be from getting it.


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## Swinging Beef (8/10/08)

Rukh said:


> I think that Ross may be trying to source a number of hard to get malts. You should drop him a line to see if Special B is one of them and how far he might be from getting it.


Squeeze my ingorance, but who is Ross??


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## Adamt (8/10/08)

Hah! Take that, Ross' ego! :lol: 

I'm 99% sure he's referring to Ross at Craftbrewer (site sponsor)


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## glennheinzel (8/10/08)

Swinging Beef said:


> Squeeze my ingorance, but who is Ross??



Sorry. As per Adamt, contact Ross at Craftbrewer. 

(It won't be long before you join the "I love Ross from CraftBrewer" FaceBook group.  )


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## neonmeate (8/10/08)

didn't esb have some special b from brewferm in at one point? has anybody here used it and how was it? i think the dingemans special b is the stuff you want - perhaps weyermann caraaroma may even be closer than the brewferm stuff that is called "special b"


i've been using caraaroma in dubbels and quads for years and it is good stuff.


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## wessmith (8/10/08)

The Brewferm "Special B" that we did have available was indeed made by Dingemans. Weyermann developed the Caraaroma some years back as an alternative to the Belgian variety after Inbev bought out deWolf Cosyns maltings and then closed it down. History now.

Wes




neonmeate said:


> didn't esb have some special b from brewferm in at one point? has anybody here used it and how was it? i think the dingemans special b is the stuff you want - perhaps weyermann caraaroma may even be closer than the brewferm stuff that is called "special b"
> 
> 
> i've been using caraaroma in dubbels and quads for years and it is good stuff.


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## KillerRx4 (8/10/08)

neonmeate said:


> didn't esb have some special b from brewferm in at one point? has anybody here used it and how was it? i think the dingemans special b is the stuff you want - perhaps weyermann caraaroma may even be closer than the brewferm stuff that is called "special b"
> 
> 
> i've been using caraaroma in dubbels and quads for years and it is good stuff.



I had (still might have a bit) some Special B malt from ESB. I had used caraaroma before & didn't note any real similarity. But when i chewed some melanoiden for the 1st time, I instantly thought it tasted like the special B.


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## Yorg (8/10/08)

I posted recently on this, and Ross repleid that he expected some Specila B by end of year.
Yes Wyerm Cara-aroma formulated as replacement. But how many ale malts taste exactly the same. Still it would be different not better.
The other malt often used for dark Belgians is Aromatic - and this one's replacement is Wyerm Melanoiden. Same as all that above.


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## hoohaaman (16/10/09)

oh dear,been using a mixture of both.Hell dingermans is good

and I'm a powells fan boi B)


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## hoohaaman (16/10/09)

did I miss something


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## HarryB (16/10/09)

My LHBS has Special B.


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## manticle (16/10/09)

Grain and Grape stock Dingeman's special b.


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## Pennywise (16/10/09)

I'm pretty sure ross sell it too, I have a bag of it and I'm sure that's where I got it from. If not it could only have been G&G.


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## Lecterfan (22/12/11)

Another Necro....

...I am LOVING this grain...is anyone using it in bizarre and/or unexpected ways (yet still to do with brewing beer - I don't care if you roll around in it wearing a stocking on your head and weeping for your lost potential) ? I've used it now in an amber, an esb, an 'irish' red. I had some on hand and was inspired to start chucking it around a bit more after one of Argon's comments about an amber ale he'd used it in.


I've found it's one of those grains that munching on it makes you pucker, but sitting there in the background it can do marvellous things. I'm keen to use it with wy1318 in a %7ish English Old type thing (I used it with 1318 in the red thing).

Cheers. :icon_cheers:


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## Nick JD (22/12/11)

Lecterfan said:


> ...I am LOVING this grain...is anyone using it in bizarre and/or unexpected ways



This one's bubbling furiously at 32C right now.

17L
3.5kg Wey Ale
100g Special B
100g Caraaroma
250g Dextrose
30g Citra 15min
3724 Belgian Saison

People compare it to Caraaroma ... it's nothing like it.


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## going down a hill (22/12/11)

That's weird, I was looking at this thread this morning.

I took the advice from Adamt at the start of this thread because my lhbs don't stock Special B, I subbed it for Weyermann Caraaroma in my soon to be brewed American Brown Ale. If Special B is anything like Caraaroma, its killer, I used it before in a dark lager and it was beautiful.


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## Lecterfan (22/12/11)

I must say, I've used both and while I can see why people would suggest it, there is no real comparison - special B is just huge and has a certain 'depth' (for want of a better word).

Citra is an interesting choice Nick...the amber I did with it was FWH and 20 min bittered with Apollo...

I'm only just working my way up to using some new yeasts with new styles next year and saison is on my list for sure. I'd love to use this grain in a dubbel and/or tripel (one 'p' or two?) style as well.

It plays well with maris otter, as of early Jan I'll see how well it plays with GP also.


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## stanko (22/12/11)

This may help http://www.brew.is/files/malt.html


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## going down a hill (22/12/11)

Nick JD said:


> People compare it to Caraaroma ... it's nothing like it.



Hey Nick, can you specify the difference?

Cheers


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## razz (22/12/11)

Lecterfan said:


> Another Necro....
> 
> ...I am LOVING this grain...is anyone using it in bizarre and/or unexpected ways (yet still to do with brewing beer - I don't care if you roll around in it wearing a stocking on your head and weeping for your lost potential) ? I've used it now in an amber, an esb, an 'irish' red. I had some on hand and was inspired to start chucking it around a bit more after one of Argon's comments about an amber ale he'd used it in.
> 
> ...


I used 9% spec B in an Arrogant Bastard clone (AIPA) great colour, went well with loads of Chinook.


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## Lecterfan (22/12/11)

razz said:


> I used 9% spec B in an Arrogant Bastard clone (AIPA) great colour, went well with loads of Chinook.



...and the %91 was just base malt?

That might be the next thing I do....I've almost finished my last lot of big AIPA's....


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## razz (22/12/11)

Yep, 91% ale malt. Recipe is from CYBI on The Brewing Network


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## Lecterfan (22/12/11)

Cool, thanks Razz (and others). I'll ignore that hopping schedule but go for a similar grist at the end of next week I reckon (going to have a cake of wy1272 to harvest from)...


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## Nick JD (22/12/11)

going down a hill said:


> Hey Nick, can you specify the difference?
> 
> Cheers



Best way to do that would be to get you to smell and taste the two - there, the difference is easier to describe. 

For me, Special B is the grain version of sticky date pudding. Caraaroma is darker but milder, and I find is amazing when combined with American/NZ hops in APAs as it lends a dried apricot/nectarine thing to the beer. It's quite "Milo". Caraaroma is very red too.

Caraaroma is sharper; Special B softer. Toffee vs fudge. 

As always, this is a "taste" thing so YMMV. I like to use 10% Caraaroma in AAAs.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (22/12/11)

Crumbs - I love Citra, but putting it in a saison with Special B and at 15 minutes only - that's either inspired or bizarre. Either way, love the creativity.

Let us know how it works out.

Goomba


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## argon (22/12/11)

I love Special B... a firm staple around here in American beers. I too did the 90% ale and 10% Spec B inspired by the Arrogant Bastard, bittered with Chinook and finished with Amarillo and Cascade. I put it in QABC and got 3rd with 40points in special category under American Amber Ale.

I really love the sweet raisin flavours and aromas. Next brew will be same grist but all Amarillo to about 55ibu i think 1272 may also be a good idea to lend some more fruitiness.


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## going down a hill (22/12/11)

Nick JD said:


> Best way to do that would be to get you to smell and taste the two - there, the difference is easier to describe.
> 
> For me, Special B is the grain version of sticky date pudding. Caraaroma is darker but milder, and I find is amazing when combined with American/NZ hops in APAs as it lends a dried apricot/nectarine thing to the beer. It's quite "Milo". Caraaroma is very red too.
> 
> ...


 Wow thats a lot of flavour going on. The reason why I asked was that my HB shop doesn't stock Spec B and you stated they were different. 

Its awesome how many variables are in this brewing game. I have just made a Rye APA, having never tasted rye in beer before I would have never have thought it would have tasted the way it does. Cheers


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## Nick JD (22/12/11)

going down a hill said:


> Wow thats a lot of flavour going on.



Caraaroma and Special B are the heavyweights of the spec malts.


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## going down a hill (22/12/11)

Nick JD said:


> Caraaroma and Special B are the heavyweights of the spec malts.



I think I know what you are getting at?
"And in Association with Spec Malts: The Only Grains Worthy of Being in the Octagon!"


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## davo4772 (22/12/11)

stanko said:


> This may help http://www.brew.is/files/malt.html



Cheers, nice chart. Although I'm not sure in my experience that Amber is a substitute for Victory. Biscuit would be on the money.


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