hey simpletotoro, just to round off the topic, how about a simple explanation of the crystal malt and the carapils - what do they add to the brew. Taste, aroma, body ?? I've played with them a little but often forget they're there by the time I drink the. A simple xplanation might help me, and Twenty, and all other novices out !
Fatgodzilla
okay...good question...firstly let me tell you i to am still a novice i only
started brewing in december and have only brewed 20 odd beers...first four you
could say were ok after that i learned about temp control and upon tasting the
result of a beer fermented at the correct temp hit the ground running...still most
of what i write is merely regurated info from brewers much more experienced then
me...but i'll have a burl at answering your question...(in a nut shell i'd say
adding specialty grains of any kind will do a combination of the following
things...)
[1] taste (different grains add different tastes to your beer...more later on
specifics)
[2] aroma (yeah my opinion is that there is a slight aroma quality to adding
grains...obiviously the more you add slightly more aromatic the final
product...bear in mind this may be the product of an overactive imagination )
[3] body (yep definitely ...once again i think its subtle but defintely an added
boast in my opinion)
[4] colour (from slight to dark depending on the grain added and the amout added)
okay now to answer your question a little more clearly
QUESTION:crystal malt and the carapils - what do they add to the brew.?
ANSWER
kay carapils first ...the following i pinched from grumpys website so its
their words not mine okay but it says it much more simply and eloquently then i
ever could..."Weyermann CaraPils EBC = 3-5
Use 5% to 10% for improved body and head retention. Ideal for European
Pilsener styles or for adding body without adding colour. Also known as dextrin
malt or carapils. NO MASH REQUIRED " link below
link
http://www.grumpys.com.au
also from another site this which says a little about what a dextrin is ...but not
much.... Carapils is a brand name and is ....is a very pale crystal malt. Other
maltsters make similar products and sometimes use names like dextrin or cara-pils
to describe their products.[the last bit i pinched to from link below..)
link
http://byo.com/mrwizard/776.html
A dextrin is an unfermentable carbohydrate chain that is not large enough to be
considered starch.this i am led to believe it helps create mouthfeel and body in a
beer...which is basicly what my homebrew shop dude told it does...
now crystal malt... often called caramel malts...john palmer says it like this
(direct quote) "Caramel Malts (may be steeped or mashed)
Caramel Malts have undergone a special heat "stewing" process after the malting
which crystallizes the sugars. These sugars are caramelized into longer chains that
are not converted into simple sugars by the enzymes during the mash. This results
in a more malty, caramel sweet, fuller tasting beer. These malts are used for
almost all ale and higher gravity lager styles. Various crystal malts are often
added in half pound amounts to a total of 5-25% of the grain bill for a 5 gallon
batch.
Caramel 10 10 L This malt adds a light honey-like sweetness and some body to the
finished beer.
Caramel 40 40 L The additional color and light caramel sweetness of this malt is
perfect for pale ales and amber lagers.
Caramel 60 60 L This is the most commonly used caramel malt, also known as medium
crystal. It is well suited for pale ales, English style bitters, porters and
stouts. It adds a full caramel taste and body to the beer.
Caramel 80 80 L This malt is used for making reddish colored beers and gives a
lightly bittersweet caramel flavor.
Caramel 120 120 L This malt adds a lot of color and bittersweet caramel flavor.
Useful in small amounts to add complexity or in greater amounts for old ales,
barleywines and doppelbocks."
end quote
link to palmers how to brew below.
link
http://www.howtobrew.com/section2/chapter12-1.html
basicly to me crystal malt (i use the medium one mostly cause it whats available)
adds a nice sweetness to the beer ...read a nice sweetness if you use it in
appropiate quanties ...i tend to use about 200-250 grams when making an ale ... and
as i said above i believe it adds body,slight aroma and a richer colour to the
finished product...
NOTE : when i use specialty grains like carapils and crystal this is what i do
(others have different ways of doing it ...what follows is how i was taught and it
works for me...)
firstly i boil say 1 1/2 litres of water in the kettle add it to my smaller brew
pot ...check temp when it goes down to 80/c i add my grains ...their thermal mass
reduces this down to the mid to low 70's/c i bung on the lid and leave steeping for
1/2 hour ...i strain these grains (through a cheap fine guaze strainer from BIG W
..some people use a grain bag ) ...into my bigger brew pot and rinse with recently
boiled water say 1 litre or just a little less to extract a little more from the
grains ( again temp of this water i am told is now critical but mine is around
70-80/c )... don't squish the grains in the strainer as this i'm told will release
tannins which are astringent same i am told goes for stirring grains whilst their
steepeing...i chuck the spent grain in the garden or compost bin and boil the
resulting liquid for 20 - 30 mins ( to help kill any of the bugs that may be
present in the solution) before adding malt hops etc to make my extract...i'm told
i don't need to boil the resulting liquid so long but i do anyway...
check out this grain guide below for more info on this kind of stuff i think
bconnery made it...
grain guide
View attachment grainsguide1.xls
also i'll bung in bconnerys hops guide this is bloody brillant...
hops guide
View attachment hopsguide.xls
*** BIG BIG DISCLAIMER THIS IS WHAT I THINK ...I MAY BE WRONG IF I AM PLEASE LET ME
KNOW ...***
hope this helps
cheers simpletotoro
