Crystal Malt Grain

[ASYLUM_SPIRIT]

Hi guys

I have bene brewing extract for a little while now and pretty confident at doing that. I want to step it up a fraction and do a partial for my next brew.

I'm new to all things grain, but just a question I had and I hope this makes sense. When you steep Crystal Malt Grain your hoping to get all that flavour and sugar out of the grain to add to the wort.
Now depeneding on what type of Crystal Malt Grain you get does any of that sugar ferment or is it just for flavour?

Cheers

 

[mika]

Depending on the crystal malt, a small percentage will ferment. How much is a really open ended question. Mostly you're adding complex sugars to the wort in an effort to add body and flavour. <slightly simplistic answer>

 

[Dave70]

You need to keep an eye on crystal as to much can really throw the balance of a beer out. Sweetness, toffee and caramel overtones sound delicious until they monster everything else.
I once knocked out an ESB that was so cloyingly sweet it would have needed Wormwood extract to balance it out..

 

[ASYLUM_SPIRIT]

Thanks guys for the advice and information.

Before I dabble into steeping grains I will do a bit more research and have a chat with my LHBS.

 

[bowie in space]

You're only going to steep a couple of hundred grams which will impart bugger all flavour and bugger all fermentable sugaz. It'll probably raise your OG by a point, but all that goo you add will just overpower any taste sensation and body you get from grain.

I've been AGing it for about two years now and tried a couple of partials recently as an experiment. 2.5kg Pils grain as a base with some specialty grains and a tin of goo in each brew and I still got that shitty sweetness you get from malt extract.

Good on you for giving grain a go. At least you'll get an idea of how to soak grain, the different smells, etc. The sooner you move to all grain the better. You'll never look back. Unless you're a doofus like me and wanna experiment to remind yourself of why you moved to AG in the first place. Last time I EVER do that.

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