The use of Special Malt

[Appcr4sh]

Hello, my problem is this: Some malts are of 10% of use, others 25%. Let's say that I want im my recipe one base malt and 2 of 10% max usage. The question: It will be, for example: 80% base, 10% special malt 1 and 10% special malt 2 or it must be 90% malt base and a mix of the two, up to 10%?

In the second case, what about the use of 1 base malt, 1 25% max special malt and 1 10% max?

Thanks guys!

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

The individual percentage ratios for malts and adjuncts is totally up to you. If the sum total of all malt percentages equals 100% and no single malt exceeds the maximum suggested percentage for it as provided by the manufacturer, you should be good to go. But the maltsters safe maximum percentage advice is simply loose guidelines for usage. And taking each specialty malt or adjunct to its manufacturer recommended maximum percentage is more often than not very bad advice. Half or less of the recommended maximum is generally better advice.

 

[mongoose33]

When you say "special malts," to which kinds are you referring?

Some malts, like "Special B", you don't want a lot of in your grain bill, it will dominate rather than provide desired complexity.

Others can be a larger percentage depending on what you're trying to achieve.

I do a rye beer that has about 30 percent of the grain bill with Rye malt, and even some flaked rye on top of that. I also use Munich malt (not what I'd consider a specialty malt, it's a base) where in one recipe I might add a pound, in another it forms half the grain bill.

As a rule of thumb, if the special malt is a crystal or caramel malt, it shouldn't be a base malt, and its percentage should be relatively low (in the range of 10 percent or less). Or even less if it's something like Special B.

 

[Appcr4sh]

When you say "special malts," to which kinds are you referring?

Some malts, like "Special B", you don't want a lot of in your grain bill, it will dominate rather than provide desired complexity.

Others can be a larger percentage depending on what you're trying to achieve.

I do a rye beer that has about 30 percent of the grain bill with Rye malt, and even some flaked rye on top of that. I also use Munich malt (not what I'd consider a specialty malt, it's a base) where in one recipe I might add a pound, in another it forms half the grain bill.

As a rule of thumb, if the special malt is a crystal or caramel malt, it shouldn't be a base malt, and its percentage should be relatively low (in the range of 10 percent or less). Or even less if it's something like Special B.

When I say special, is caramel and roasted, malts that can only be add a small amount. My problem is that amount. Some of it says 10% of the bill. If I get a caramel and a roasted malt, can be 10% each or need to be both up to 10%?

 

[ChaosB]

When I say special, is caramel and roasted, malts that can only be add a small amount. My problem is that amount. Some of it says 10% of the bill. If I get a caramel and a roasted malt, can be 10% each or need to be both up to 10%?

Depends on the recipe. If you start lowering your percentage of Base malt, you could end up with something slightly different.

 

[kh54s10]

When I say special, is caramel and roasted, malts that can only be add a small amount. My problem is that amount. Some of it says 10% of the bill. If I get a caramel and a roasted malt, can be 10% each or need to be both up to 10%?

The question is much more complicated than that. There are too many variables for a blanket answer.

What style of beer
Does a caramel or roasted fit the style?
Caramel and roasted might be used together in one style and only one or neither in other styles.
What level Caramel?
What roast?
They are different and would normally be used in differing amounts. For example I make some smoked beers. For Cherrywood smoked I might use a few pounds. In the same recipe, for Peat Smoked malt I would only use at maximum - .25 pound. Cherrywood is mild and Peat Smoked is very harsh. The same is true for different roasted malts. Some are milder and some are harsher. You need to use accordingly.


I would start with "How to Brew" by John Palmer. There is an outdated copy online or the current on in paperback.
Another good one is "Designing Great Beers" by Ray Daniels.

The way I suggest that you learn to make beer recipes is to start with a proven recipe and add or switch an ingredient in small amounts to try to change it to something a little different. Once you find out the difference the changes make you can increase, decrease or use what you have learned to alter another recipe. From there you will have a knowledge each ingredient adds and you can start from scratch. If you don't go too far "outside the box", anything you come up with should be at least drinkable.

 

[Appcr4sh]

I've made a porter and now thinking of a Irish Red Ale.
For the Porter I used:
3kg of pilsner;
340g of chocolate;
180g of caraaroma.

For my IRA
4kg pilsner;
200g caraaroma;
100g cafara 3.

What do you think?

The problem is when I have a caramel and a roasted, for example. How far can I go...

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

The problem is when I have a caramel and a roasted, for example. How far can I go...

In my opinion, for an Irish Red Ale you can only go until the finished beer color hits around 14-16 SRM (28-32 EBC).

Caraaroma is about 150 Lovibond, or roughly 400 EBC
Carafa III is about 525 Lovibond, or roughly 1,400 EBC

You won't be able to use very much of either of these two malts.

 

[Appcr4sh]

In my opinion, for an Irish Red Ale you can only go until the finished beer color hits around 14-16 SRM (28-32 EBC).

Caraaroma is about 150 Lovibond, or roughly 400 EBC
Carafa III is about 525 Lovibond, or roughly 1,400 EBC

You won't be able to use very much of either of these two malts.

What do you think of the recipe that I've made?

 

[Appcr4sh]

The individual percentage ratios for malts and adjuncts is totally up to you. If the sum total of all malt percentages equals 100% and no single malt exceeds the maximum suggested percentage for it as provided by the manufacturer, you should be good to go. But the maltsters safe maximum percentage advice is simply loose guidelines for usage. And taking each specialty malt or adjunct to its manufacturer recommended maximum percentage is more often than not very bad advice. Half or less of the recommended maximum is generally better advice.

Ok, but still my problem is: I have two malts of the same family, like two crystals and the two are up to 10%. It 10% in each one or the two, together must be 10%?

 

[Yooper]

Ok, but still my problem is: I have two malts of the same family, like two crystals and the two are up to 10%. It 10% in each one or the two, together must be 10%?

Go by "types". For example, all cara- and crystal malts are the same type. So, go with no more than 15% of those, ever, and usually much less. It depends on what you're making- a highly hopped American amber (red) may have 15% crystal/caramel malt and be ok. So, maybe 10% 40L crystal and 5% 80L, for example.

It's not a real rule or anything like that- it's just what makes a reasonably decent beer. You can still add other specialty malts if they fit your goals for the recipe, you just want to make sure you have enough base malt to convert the specialty grains, but you will almost always have enough diastatic power to convert using today's base malts.

Specialty grains have been processed to have no enzymes to convert starch to fermentable sugars, so you need to have enough base malt grains to have enough enzymes (diastatic power) to convert the entire grain bill. Otherwise, you have a bunch of non-fermentable starches in your wort.

The software I use, Brewer's Friend, has a diastatic power calculator built in, so it's never a worry for me.

 

[brewbama]

Several articles address what I believe is the basis of your concerns — not overdoing categories of malts (crystal, specialty, roast, etc) in your recipe. I find this is a helpful article: https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/keeping-it-simple-with-smash-brewing/

You can basically brew any style beer with Palmer’s formula (below) by using different hops, yeast, adjuncts (wheat, oats, corn, rice) and sugars (candi, brown, milk, etc):

* Blonde: Base Malt
* Pale: base malt plus a half-pound of caramel malt
* Amber: pale ale plus a half-pound of dark caramel malt
* Brown: pale ale plus a half-pound of chocolate malt
* Porter: amber plus a half-pound of chocolate malt
* Stout: porter plus a half-pound of roasted barley

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

What do you think of the recipe that I've made?

I think you need to know how much finished beer you intend to make with it. How else can you know what its color will be?

 

[Appcr4sh]

20L beer, with BIAB but I wash the grains.

 

[Yooper]

20L beer, with BIAB but I wash the grains.

"Wash the grains"? What's that?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

20L beer, with BIAB but I wash the grains.

In my opinion it will be somewhat darker than the style generally permits. I have to agree with Yooper's inquiry. What does washing the grains mean?

 

[Appcr4sh]

It's a method to get the sugar that you lost on BIAB. Pour Water at 70c through the BIAB and add to the mash, before the boil and after the mash out.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Reduce the Carafa III by about 40% to 50%.

 

[Appcr4sh]

Reduce the Carafa III by about 40% to 50%.

Ok, but it will make the beer less red. I'm aiming to 32 EBC, a little off the idea, but some guys says the ruby red is in that range. What can I do to that?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Ok, but it will make the beer less red. I'm aiming to 32 EBC, a little off the idea, but some guys says the ruby red is in that range. What can I do to that?

In the end the color of the beer is completely up to you. The beer you make must be pleasing to you. But my guess is that you will be at 35 EBC or somewhat more.

 

[Appcr4sh]

Thanks man!

 

[Yooper]

It's a method to get the sugar that you lost on BIAB. Pour Water at 70c through the BIAB and add to the mash, before the boil and after the mash out.

I understand, thanks! That's generally referred to as a "sparge". You are sparging during that step.