"brewcraft" Grain Products

[SJW]

I went to my other local HBS to buy some pale base malt for my Bock. All they had was this pre packaged, pre crushed/cracked grain. I asked the guy for 1kg of Pale base malt grain for a part mash. He looked at me for a minute as if i was from marz, then handed me a bag of dry malt. So i brushed him and went about the seach solo. All i could find was a product called "LIGHT CRACKED GRAIN". Could one of you noble one please confirm that this is what we call an unmodified "base malt grain". I can only asume it is as the one next to it was Carapils then Vienna, munich and so on down to the dark grain.
Anyway this is the way the Grumpys OLD SAXON BOCK looks now-

3kgs pale malt extract "Morgans"
1kg Light cracked grain
1kg Vienna 8.1ebc
1kg Carapils 3.5ebc
300g Caramunich
200g of Wheat malt.
200g choc malt
25g Northern Brewer 60min (9.8%)
30g Hallertaue 15min (2.5%)
S-23 Saflager

Its getting bigger every day, but i spoke the the head Grumpy and he said i would need the base malt for the mash, so i tracked it down. I just hope i have not bitten of more than i can chew for my first part mash, as my pot and esky will be chockers with 4kg of grain.
I ran all the above thru Beersmith and the colour, og and bitterness all look good.

 

[bonk]

i've used the 'light cracked grain' before with out that any problems. however there seem to be no specs on it or the website. as a wild guess i would say its an ale malt. works ok in an single infusion mash.

i know, no facts, just my opinion.

 

[pint of lager]

From the info you have given us, yes, you have pale malt. The term "base malt" usually refers to what malted grain the recipe is using as the major component of the total grain bill. Base grain is malted and has enough enzymes to convert any extra adjuncts such as rolled oats etc. Base malts are usually ale malts or pilsener malts, but also Vienna or Munich could be used as a base malt.

The term "modified" refers to sprouting, part of the malting process. It indicates how much of the starch of the grain will be available to a single step mash. Under modified need a step mash to utilize all of the starch in the grain. Fully modified, all of the starch is available to mash with. Over modified, the grain has been allowed to sprout too much and some of the starch has been used to grow the rootlets and start the stem growing and therefore there is less starch left to convert during mashing.

Most malted grain supplied from malt houses is fully modified.

For your first partmash, I would suggest an easier brew of lower og and less grain. Better to get a handle on strike temps, stuck mashes, boil volumes, boilovers etc on a small batch.

Do say a pale ale with 3kg ME and mash 2 kg malted grain.

Then for your next, go to 2-3 kg base malt, then for the third go for 4kg.

A 4kg mash is big enough to do full mash beers of low og.

Yes, I know the idea of mashing and making big beers is exciting, but work out the basics first, then launch into the big stuff. Before you know it, you will be buying big bags of grain and the ME will be sitting at the back of the cupboard.

Also, you might like to post the expected IBU's and the alpha acid ratings of your hops, for one of us to make sure you are on the right track.

 

[SJW]

I put the alpha % back up in the recipe and i work out it should be about 15 ibs's ?
Thanks

 

[SJW]

. Base grain is malted and has enough enzymes to convert any extra adjuncts such as rolled oats etc.

POL.
So in my recipe if i did not add the Light Cracked Grain would the Carapils & Vienna act as the base malt? as everthing is mixed together except for the Light Grain, and i fear that the grain bill is getting out of hand.
Also in my gain bill list what are the adjucts? as i thought everything other than the Vienna & Carapils could just be steeped? :blink:

 

[dreamboat]

Even for a bock I would think that 15 IBU's is on the low side.... let me check the style guidelines....

5. BOCK OG FG ABV IBU SRM
A. Maibock/Helles Bock 1.064-72 1.011-18 6.3-7.4 23-35 6-11
B. Traditional Bock 1.064-72 1.013-19 6.3-7.2 20-27 14-22
C. Doppelbock 1.072-96+ 1.016-24+ 7.0-10.0+ 16-26+ 6-25
D. Eisbock 1.078-120+ 1.020-35+ 9.0-14.0+ 25-35+ 18-30+


seems borderline low at 15 IBU, particularly with the sweetness from the vienna, but, if you are at the low end of the OG guide, then the lower end of the IBU range is probably fairly right.

 

[SJW]

Beer smith has this recipe with a OG of 1066, so in that case i might up the NB. And i think i with keep all the grain in as the extra Light grain does not change the OG much at all.

 

[Jovial_Monk]

If you haven't mixed the grains yet just mash the pale, vienna and cpils
steep the rest
do a split boil if needed

GO FOR IT! My first part mash I did a cereal mash as well! Damn the torpedos!

Jovial Monk

 

[bonk]

aye captain, fire away

 

[SJW]

I love you guy's