Malt?

[geh4rig]

Is there any difference between crystal & caramel malt ?

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Nope. If I remember correctly, one is a brand name. Much like Kleenex being the common term for facial tissue.

 

[Captain Damage]

Most British maltsters use the term crystal, most others use the term caramel. The basic process is the same, though tweaking one or more details here snd there will profuce diffetences in the resulting malts.

 

[Hammer Malt]

big difference..... caramel malt can be produced in a kiln whereas crystal malt is only produced in a roaster. Typically a crystal malt will have nearly 100% crystalline kernels and a caramel will usually have from 5-50% crystalline kernels with the remainder having a starchy inside still.

 

[Robert65]

big difference..... caramel malt can be produced in a kiln whereas crystal malt is only produced in a roaster. Typically a crystal malt will have nearly 100% crystalline kernels and a caramel will usually have from 5-50% crystalline kernels with the remainder having a starchy inside still.

^^^^
This.

 

[Pappers_]

big difference..... caramel malt can be produced in a kiln whereas crystal malt is only produced in a roaster. Typically a crystal malt will have nearly 100% crystalline kernels and a caramel will usually have from 5-50% crystalline kernels with the remainder having a starchy inside still.

How does that impact the mash, fermentation, and the final beer?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

big difference..... caramel malt can be produced in a kiln whereas crystal malt is only produced in a roaster. Typically a crystal malt will have nearly 100% crystalline kernels and a caramel will usually have from 5-50% crystalline kernels with the remainder having a starchy inside still.

Then why are all of the Briess caramel malts certified to be at least 95% glassy?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

I don't think the OP cares, 7 years after asking the question.

 

[Robert65]

Then why are all of the Briess caramel malts certified to be at least 95% glassy?

Caramel malt is made on a kiln. It is still somewhat moist when the temperature is raised to roasting temperature, which allows for a little conversion and caramelization. You could think of them as being on a continuum with Munich malts.

Crystal has to be made in a drum. The green malt must not be dried at all before the temperature is raised for "stewing," when the endosperm is liquefied and fully converted -- mashed right in the husk. Then temperature is raised and the drum is slowly vented so the sugary syrup inside is caramelized and dried.

But some maltsters like Briess are loose with the terminology, leading to considerable confusion.

Typically German maltsters make caramel and British make crystal. But if it's glassy its crystal.

What is important to homebrewers is probably that since true crystal malts are really just lumps of sugar, they're suitable for steeping. True caramel malts need to be mashed with a base malt: they are partly starchy, but no longer have any enzymes.

 

[RM-MN]

Excerpted from an article Bob Hansen in "Blogging with Briess".

"They are not different, of course, for with certain exceptions caramel malts are crystal malts, and the terms are often used interchangeably in the malting trade. Many producers especially English and Belgian, (such as Muntons, Simpsons, Hugh Baird, Crisp, Thomas Fawcett, Castle) refer to them as crystal malts, though some (Briess, Weyermann) call them caramel malt. Though there are unique house flavors particular to every specialty maltster and varietal (and quality differences of course), the truth is most caramel malts produced by the same method have very similar flavor at the equivalent Lovibond color. This is because the flavors produced are mainly a function of the process."

 

[Robert65]

In fact, true caramel malts are rare today, with most of the products being drum roasted crystal malts by whatever name. I'm aware of a few craft malthouses that are starting to make kiln produced caramel malts, however, if only because the investment in a drum system is beyond their means. As that excerpt notes, flavor is a product of process, and so the flavors of the two types are distinct.

 

[Pappers_]

Excerpted from an article Bob Hansen in "Blogging with Briess".

"They are not different, of course, for with certain exceptions caramel malts are crystal malts, and the terms are often used interchangeably in the malting trade. Many producers especially English and Belgian, (such as Muntons, Simpsons, Hugh Baird, Crisp, Thomas Fawcett, Castle) refer to them as crystal malts, though some (Briess, Weyermann) call them caramel malt. Though there are unique house flavors particular to every specialty maltster and varietal (and quality differences of course), the truth is most caramel malts produced by the same method have very similar flavor at the equivalent Lovibond color. This is because the flavors produced are mainly a function of the process."

Thanks

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Excerpted from an article Bob Hansen in "Blogging with Briess".

http://blog.brewingwithbriess.com/is-it-crystal-or-caramel-malt/ ?

When I read the article a couple of years ago, "glassy" vs "mealy" was a key idea.

FWIW, here's my approach: Assume each crystal / caramel malt is unique; get a "product information sheet" to determine "glassy" vs "mealy" (and read-up on other "points of interest" - like a flavor wheel other flavor information).

 

[Robert65]

When I read the article a couple of years ago, "glassy" vs "mealy" was a key idea.

Correct. To take the imprecise marketing terminology out of the picture, here's a clarification of the conclusion of my post #9. And you can do this without an analysis, just by examining the kernels.

If it's fully glassy, it can be steeped. If it shows any mealiness, assume it needs to be mashed with a base malt.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Can you provide examples of commercial Caramel malts (aside from the likes of Carapils) which are less than 90% to 95% glassy, in agreement with your post which claims that some are only 5% to 50% glassy?

 

[Hammer Malt]

we make a light caramel malt with 5 percent glassy kernels. its basically a munich malt but cannot be classified as a munich because base malts should have 100 percent starchy kernels.....thus making a caramel with a dp of 115, nearly capable of using as a base malt.

 

[Robert65]

Here in NE Ohio, Haus Malts in Cleveland makes kiln produced caramel malts. I haven't tried them. West Branch in Brunswick has at least one product in development I've seen a sample of, called Special 60, that is a type perhaps like what @Hammer Malt is talking about. ~60° SRM, >95% friable, and retaining a DP of ~50.

 

[Hammer Malt]

The thing about malt is that there really isn't a "cut and dry" way to produce it. We are given guidelines and try to stay close to them but limiting factors are at play. A prime example is that we use a drum kiln that rotates frequently. This allows for a caramel malt to be produced and still be homogeneous as we can mix while we
dry. Majority of malthouse equipment can only dry in a static grain bed thus making caramels extremely difficult to do well.

 

[mashpaddled]

we make a light caramel malt with 5 percent glassy kernels. its basically a munich malt but cannot be classified as a munich because base malts should have 100 percent starchy kernels.....thus making a caramel with a dp of 115, nearly capable of using as a base malt.

What is the intended purpose of that malt?

 

[kh54s10]

When I started creating my own recipes about 6 years ago I read somewhere there was little difference. I have never compared side by side but do use them interchangeably.

I think this is a term that has passed from two distinctly different malts to something muddied over time. Somewhat like Enamel in paints. 30 years or so ago if you got an enamel paint it was oil based. I believe that enamel now means there is something added to the paint to get a sheen other than flat. Thus enamel can be in oil based or water based paints.

 

[Hammer Malt]

What is the intended purpose of that malt?

well its kind of a swiss army knife because you can use it for some very malt forward beers or use a small amount to help with head retention while not adding overpowering flavour.