Speciality Grains Selection

[Dazza_devil]

Here's my long list for a speciality grain order from Craftbrewer.

Once again I want to make Porters, Irish and English Stouts , Pale Ales of all origins, English Bitters, perhaps even a Red or Brown Ale and Amber Ales in no order of preference. Really jumping in at the deep end here and will be steeping these for use with kits, dried and liquid malts. I'm thinking 500g, milled of each but really need to lose any superfluous items.

Crystal Malt Dark (Bairds)
Caraamber Malt (Weyermann)
Barley Roasted Malt (Bairds)
Chocolate Malt Pale (Bairds)
Caramunich II Malt (Weyermann)
Carared Malt (Weyermann)
Caramalt Malt (Barett Burston)
Black Malt (Bairds)
Chocolate Malt (Bairds)
Carapils Malt (Weyermann)
Crystal Malt Pale (Bairds)
Wheat Malt (Barett Burston)

Is there any missing?
What can go?
I wont be mashing at this stage.

Cheers.

 

[raven19]

Have you got any specific recipes in mind that will use these grains?
Maybe pick your 'approximate' next 10 beers, and stock up on the specialy grains that align with these beers, round up each type to keep a little spare , and you are on your way.

Maybe have a look at appropriate recipes in the database above if unsure on recipes to go with.

 

[WarmBeer]

Specialty grains tend to oxidise and become "stale" once they've been milled. Keeping them in an dark, air-tight container (or even better, in the fridge in an air-tight container) will help extend this period, but within a couple of weeks or months, they'll contribute a stale taste to your beer.

You'd be better planning two or three brews ahead, and just order the grains that you need, ready milled.

The other alternative is buy your spec grains unmilled, and invest in a mill. Unmilled, converted grains will last years with little to no effect.

Cheers,

Brett

 

[Dazza_devil]

Specialty grains tend to oxidise and become "stale" once they've been milled. Keeping them in an dark, air-tight container (or even better, in the fridge in an air-tight container) will help extend this period, but within a couple of weeks or months, they'll contribute a stale taste to your beer.

You'd be better planning two or three brews ahead, and just order the grains that you need, ready milled.

The other alternative is buy your spec grains unmilled, and invest in a mill. Unmilled, converted grains will last years with little to no effect.

Cheers,

Brett

Thanks Brett,
I was actually wondering about that and sent Ross an email last night regarding the same issues. I'll look into 2 or 3 recipes for now and think about a mill down the track.

Cheers

 

[Dazza_devil]

Here's what I've decided for my next 3 brews

English Traditional Bitter - the crystal that came with the converter kit is a bit stale, there was a small hole in the bag so i'll get some fresh.

An American Pale Ale - along the lines of Little Creatures or Cascade First Harvest

A Porter - along the lines of James Squires, not sure if you would call it robust but it's delicious

Any suggestions for a specialitly grain selection to cover these three would be great. Good recipes are hard to find.

Cheers again.

 

[brendo]

Wheat Malt (Barett Burston)


I wont be mashing at this stage.

If you aren't mashing mate, then you are going to need to drop the wheat malt... it requires conversion, otherwise you will just end up with haze inducing starch.

If you want some wheat flavour, grab yourself some extract.

Cheers,

Brendan

 

[WarmBeer]

Any suggestions for a specialitly grain selection to cover these three would be great. Good recipes are hard to find.

Ask, and ye shall receive:

APA - a'la Little Creatures
- 1x Coopers Heritage IPA can
- 1x Coopers Light Liquid malt extract
- 150g milled Crystal
- 15g Amarillo @ 15mins
- 15g Cascade @ 15mins
- 1x Safale US-05 yeast

Porter
- 1x Cascade Chocolate Mahogony porter can
- 500g Light Dry malt extract
- 500g Dark Dry malt extract
- 500g Lactose powder
- 300g milled Chocolate grain
- 150g milled Roasted Barley
- 200g milled Crystal
- 28g Fuggles @ 60mins
- 12g Fuggles @ 15mins
- 1x Safale S-04 yeast

 

[Fourstar]

If you aren't mashing mate, then you are going to need to drop the wheat malt.

+1.

Also take note of the EBC/SRM of the Crystals, no real point in having 2 the same Lov unless they are distinctly different. e.g. Caramunich II and JW Crystal... Same SRM~ completly diff flavour. YOu might even want to get some Carafa Special (dehusked Choc malt). I prefer to use this exclusively as my choc malt, especially when making porters etc. any husk from dark roasted malts i can reduce in my grain bill, i do.

Best of all with Carafa special you can grind it to a powder because there is no husk and you will get maximum extraction.

I would drop the 'roast barley malt' as you already have 'black malt' and swap it with straight 'roast barley'. This is an integral ingredient if you are making a dry stout (unless it is infact roast barley, just misrepresented as a 'malt' than you can ignore this) You might want to ask ross about that. Before you ask, there is a difference between Roast Barley and Roast Malt. 1stly, Roast barley is unmalted and gives a very coffee type of flavour. Roast/black/black patent Malt is Malted Barley and Gives coffee, ashy and a (i find) astringency/grainy bitterness that roast barley does not have.

My choices generically would be:
Crystals:
Carapils (Weyermann)
20L~ Crystal (Pale Bairds/W Carared
40L~ Crystal (Med Bairds/W Caraamber OR W CaraMunich I)
60-80L~ Cyrstal (Dark Bairds/W Caramunich II or III)
120+L Cyrstal (caraaroma would be my choice)

Roast malts:
Carafa Special II
Roast Barley
Black/Roast Malt


Cheers!

 

[Dazza_devil]

Thanks for all that,

If you aren't mashing mate, then you are going to need to drop the wheat malt... it requires conversion, otherwise you will just end up with haze inducing starch.

If you want some wheat flavour, grab yourself some extract.

Cheers,

Brendan

Thanks for picking me up on that one, must of misread.

How about the Wheat Chocolate Malt (Weyermann)?
I just read on the James Squire Porter bottle about the use of Roasted barley and wheat.

 

[Fourstar]

How about the Wheat Chocolate Malt (Weyermann)?
I just read on the James Squire Porter bottle about the use of Roasted barley and wheat.

That's a viable option or some Wheat Caramalt, if you want to use Rye you could get some Rye Crystal/roast malts too.


If you want to make a Decent Porter, get yourself an English Bitter Tin (yes, a bitter tin, not a porter tin of goo)
and Steep:
250g Choc Malt (you could try the wheat choc if you desire), 150g roast malt, 350g of mixed crystals (your choice)

give a 5 min boil of around 30g of EKG in the liquor.

You will get some decent flavours from that, simply top-up your final gravity with dry or liquid malt.

Niiice.

 

[Siegale]

Question aside, but still to do with grains...would weyermanns caraamber be a biscuit malt?, and would this be any good for an IPA?
Cheers
Sieg

 

[Dazza_devil]

I would drop the 'roast barley malt' as you already have 'black malt' and swap it with straight 'roast barley'. This is an integral ingredient if you are making a dry stout (unless it is infact roast barley, just misrepresented as a 'malt' than you can ignore this) You might want to ask ross about that. Before you ask, there is a difference between Roast Barley and Roast Malt. 1stly, Roast barley is unmalted and gives a very coffee type of flavour. Roast/black/black patent Malt is Malted Barley and Gives coffee, ashy and a (i find) astringency/grainy bitterness that roast barley does not have.

According to Ross the grain listed as Barley Roasted Malt on the website is in fact unmalted roast barley so I will grabbing some of that.
He also informed me that his cracked grain will keep for many months if stored dry & cool.

If you want to make a Decent Porter, get yourself an English Bitter Tin (yes, a bitter tin, not a porter tin of goo)
and Steep:
250g Choc Malt (you could try the wheat choc if you desire), 150g roast malt, 350g of mixed crystals (your choice)

give a 5 min boil of around 30g of EKG in the liquor.

You will get some decent flavours from that, simply top-up your final gravity with dry or liquid malt.

Niiice.

I'll be giving that a go as my first Porter, thanks. Perhaps it may go well with a 3 kg ESB.

Question aside, but still to do with grains...would weyermanns caraamber be a biscuit malt?, and would this be any good for an IPA?
Cheers
Sieg

There is a lot of info about each particular grain on the Craftbrewer website which you may find helpful.