Tell Me Your Top 5 Specialty Grains

[Pumpy]

All,

Keen to know your most popular/favourite 5 (or more if that is the case) specialty grains that are in your AG recipes and grain stores at home.

I have done a number of searches and could not find a similar topic.

This shall help me start my specialty grain library to go with my base malts.

Cheers!

English Pale Chocolate 600 EBC
Munich 1
Caramunich 1
Caramunich 2
Dark Crystal

Pumpy

 

[technocat]

And here's mine

MUNICH 1
CARAR0MA
MELANOIDIN
CHOC
FLAKED MAIZE

 

[Pennywise]

Damn, I forgot about Carahell

 

[raven19]

Damn, I forgot about Carahell

Not to worry mate, I reckon it will be on my next buy of spec grains!

 

[Fourstar]

Haven't used caramalt but find I can detect the carahell sweetness in even small amounts ie. < 5%. For my palate, anyway. Got near 5 kg of carahell and have been too apprehensive about using much more than 5%. Gonna last me for ages unless I up the ante.

Caramalt is beauuutiful in heavily hopped american beers. The sweetness helps pull the malt forward and balance it out a little. almost a requirement for my AIPAs (except the next one, im doing a Vinnie C beer and he believed crystal has no place in an IPA! )

 

[reviled]

Munich is a base malt you silly people But if its classed as a specialty, it would be up there in my top 5 for sure cos I put it in everything!!!

Mine would have to be

1. CaraPils
2. CaraRed - I use carared and carapils exclusively in my AIPA's, with a bit of munich its the perfect combo IMO
3. CaraMunich II
4. CaraAmber
5. CaraAroma

In saying that, I try to have a big stock at all times, I probably have about 10 or more specialtys in stock atm... B)

 

[DiscoStu]

These are what I have used most since and keep at least a kilo of each on hand since I went AG

Carafa II
Light Crystal
Choc Malt
Roasted Barley
Brown Malt

 

[technocat]

Munich is a base malt you silly people But if its classed as a specialty, it would be up there in my top

I have never used it as a base malt and have almost a full 25 kilo bag of it as I use it a fair bit. Interesting option, probably worth trying.

:icon_cheers:

 

[Pennywise]

I have never used it as a base malt and have almost a full 25 kilo bag of it as I use it a fair bit. Interesting option, probably worth trying.

:icon_cheers:

Good for Dunkelweizens so I've read/heard, I'm having a crack at a partial with 2kg on the weekend, 50/50 wheat/munich2. In my new mashtun

 

[drsmurto]

I have never used it as a base malt and have almost a full 25 kilo bag of it as I use it a fair bit. Interesting option, probably worth trying.

:icon_cheers:

Munich Dunkel! :icon_drool2:

 

[Fourstar]

I have never used it as a base malt and have almost a full 25 kilo bag of it as I use it a fair bit. Interesting option, probably worth trying.

Munich Dunkel!

Beat me to it!

Oktoberfest/Marzen :icon_drool2: :icon_drool2:

 

[raven19]

Grain Order #2.

Special B
Pale Choc
Caramunich 1
Caramunich 2
Carafa 2
Melanoiden


Slowly collecting the set... grabbing some extra caramunich 1 for some repeated upcoming brews. :icon_drool2:

 

[manticle]

A few people (myself included) mentioned biscuit malt. Recent readings suggest to me this is actually a malt that needs to be mashed. I throw all my grains in the tun together so that bit doesn't affect my brewing but I am curious. Is it defined as base or spec?

 

[fcmcg]

A few people (myself included) mentioned biscuit malt. Recent readings suggest to me this is actually a malt that needs to be mashed. I throw all my grains in the tun together so that bit doesn't affect my brewing but I am curious. Is it defined as base or spec?

Manticle,
According to Palmers "How to Brew ", page 124 ,Amber Malt 25 L ( eg Biscuit , Victory both tm) is a kilned malt that needs to be mashed.... so , i'm guessing its a base malt ?
As you throw it all in the tun , it's no prob !
Hope this helps
Cheers
Ferg
edit..further eading says typically its 10 per cent max of the garin bill..so maybe its a spec that must be mashed ?
Bugger...now i'm confused

 

[bum]

From Dingemans' webpage:

Biscuit (Mout Roost 50) (18 - 27 L)
This toasted malt will provide a warm bread or biscuit flavor and aroma and will lend a garnet-brown color. Use 5-15% maximum. No enzymes. Must be mashed with malts having surplus diastatic power.

 

[raven19]

Imo - If you cant use it to at least 50% say of the grain bill (similar to say wheat) then I would wager it is a specialty malt - but happy to be corrected on this item.

I ordered some of it in my previous grain purchase - looking forward to using it!

 

[Fourstar]

A few people (myself included) mentioned biscuit malt. Recent readings suggest to me this is actually a malt that needs to be mashed. I throw all my grains in the tun together so that bit doesn't affect my brewing but I am curious. Is it defined as base or spec?

Imo - If you cant use it to at least 50% say of the grain bill (similar to say wheat) then I would wager it is a specialty malt - but happy to be corrected on this item.

I'd concur with it being a specialty. In my books, a specialty grain is one you would not want to make a beer with 100% of it for the grist.

Also, the higher the kilning of the malt, the lower the diastatic power it has (enzyme conversion). I'd say a grist with 100% amber/biscuit malt would struggle to fully convert itself anyway. Same thing goes for Melanoiden too. '

So they are not grains for steepers unless they plan on minimashing them with some base malt. Even 50:50 with pils malt would be worthwhile as pils has a high diastatic power to aid in conversion without having to add bucketloads of grain.

 

[manticle]

I'd concur with it being a specialty. In my books, a specialty grain is one you would not want to make a beer with 100% of it for the grist.

Also, the higher the kilning of the malt, the lower the diastatic power it has (enzyme conversion). I'd say a grist with 100% amber/biscuit malt would struggle to fully convert itself anyway. Same thing goes for Melanoiden too. '

So they are not grains for steepers unless they plan on minimashing them with some base malt. Even 50:50 with pils malt would be worthwhile as pils has a high diastatic power to aid in conversion without having to add bucketloads of grain.

I guess the thing I was getting at is whether a base malt is called so because it's generally the basis for a beer or because it needs to undergo conversion.

My guess is base= basis but it's good to clarify.

 

[raven19]

Grabbing 1kg of the following next week for some more brews...

Carafa Special

Bairds Brown Malt

Bairds Black Malt

Pale Choc

Choc Chit

Simpsons Imperial

 

[Bizier]

Cool thread.

I love the following:

Caraaroma
Carahell
Brown
Bairds Pale Choc
Simpsons Med Crystal (with milk in the morning)

ED: perhaps the last entry should be Wey Munich II which I have been using a fair bit of recently.