I am starting up a new category around brewing ingredients. When I search for information about particular grains or hops, I find that many sites provide the same details about the particular ingredient I am researching. What I thought I could do is start creating posts about ingredients that provide comprehensive information collected from multiple sources. The first ingredient to be showcased is 120L Caramel Malt.
Look at the colors! Light brown to brick red!
Flavor: It provides a complex malt profile to your beer. Some of the things I read included
- Pronounced sharp caramel taste and sweetness
- Toffee
- Burnt Sugar
- Raisin
- Prunes
Color: It will provide a deep red color. I found this distinction interestingnot brown, but deep red.
Body: Since it contributes plenty of non-fermentables, it will increase body and mouthfeel and aid foam retention and beer stability.
Use: Adding 120L Caramel Malt to recipe (up to 15 percent of your total grain bill) will add bittersweet caramel flavor and aroma to beers. Adding more would be well suited for strong beers such as Barley Wines and Old Ales.
Popularity: 31% [?]
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Continuing our examination of malts and hops, heres our profile of Special B malt. It is a Belgian malt that is roasted to 150L color. Here are some of the particulars that we pulled together from different sources:
Flavor: Imparts a heavy caramel taste.
- Raisin-like flavors in Belgian Abbey Ales
- Plum-like flavors in Dubbels
- Roasty/Toast flavor
- Hint of nut flavor
Color: Produces a dark black-brown color.
Body: Fuller body is noted due to the non-fermentables.
Use: Suggested use is 2 to 10% of the grain bill. Makes sense to use in in Belgian ales such as a dubbel since it is a Belgian malt, but looks like it can be used in moderation in Brown Ales, Porters, and Doppelbocks as character builders in those beers.
Popularity: 38% [?]
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The focus of this malt profile post is on Chocolate malt. This dark malt variety is named more for its chocolate-like color than a chocolate taste. Chocolate malt is one of my favorite specialty malts and it is my pleasure to present this post.
Flavor: Most sources state this malt imparts rich roasted and nutty flavors to a beer. Many said no chocolate flavors are present although one stated that a bitter chocolate flavor could be detected.
Color: 300 to 450 SRM. UK versions are darker than US versions. Dark ruby/brown colors are seen in the finished beer.
Body: Adds body to beer through the unfermentable sugars present in the malt.
Use: This malt is a key to making great porters and stouts. This malt would work in brown ales too.
Chocolate malt is not to be confused with chocolate malt milkshakesalthough those are good too.
Popularity: 28% [?]
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To continue our malt profile investigations, I thought we could start with some of the base malts. The first base malt that I chose is Munich Malt. Its a little darker than the base malts I am used to, but it does have enough diastatic power to convert its starches. The dark color comes from the higher kiln temperatures; higher than lighter colored base malts.
Flavor: Produces a malty, some even say slightly grainy taste.
Color: I saw ranges of 8.0 – 12.0 Lovibond. Most sources said 9 L. Imparts a golden to amber or orange hue to a beer.
Body: Does not contribute to increasing the body of the beer.
Use: I have been toying around with the idea of brewing a bockmore than likely a doppelbockas you can see, sometimes these malt profiles are self-serving. 
From what I have gathered, Munich Malt is the choiceforbase malt in bock beers.Ihave seen it paired with Vienna a lotwondering if that is to add more diastatic power to the mix?It can be used in smaller amounts in otheramber beers.
Popularity: 37% [?]
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Summertime brings ideas of brewing with rye. When I conducted some research into the subject, I found lots of information about rye malt. We all know rye bread andI have had afewrye beers in my time, butIhave never brewed withit. I put this post together toshare information about this brewing ingredient.
I was suprised tosee thatthe rye is actuallymalted. Iguess I thought it would be usedlike a steepinggrain. I was wrong. Its fully modified andconverts well in a single infusion mash.
Flavor: Spicy, smoked. All the characteristics you get from rye bread. It lends a crisp, dry taste to a beer.
Color: I found that most sources had the Lovibond rating fallingin the 3 -4.5L range.
Use: Rye beers (Roggenbier), smoked beers, and wheat beers. Suggestionsranged from5% to 20% of the grist for the desired flavor. A few sources said that a stuck or slow sparging might occur withlarge amounts (over 20% of the grist) becauseof thehigh glucan levels in the rye malt. Rice hulls may be needed to keep the flow a-going after the mash.
For adominant rye flavor,50% of the grist was suggested.
Popularity: 16% [?]
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Victory malt has always intrigued me. Maybe its the name. I guess I feel like I would be winning if I used this malt in my brews. I did a little research and thought I would combine all the information into some kind comprehensive overview.
This malts creation is American in origin. I believe that refers to the process to make Victory malt was developed here in the USA.
The processing is different than the processing a maltster would use to create, for example, a caramel malt. Its this special processing that gives the malt its flavor.
Flavor: Imparts a toasty character to beers.
- Nutty taste
- Biscuity
- Baking Bread
Color: 25 – 28 Lovibond. Colors described from sources I discovered ranged from slight red to amber to orange highlights. I guess it depends on how much you use.
Body: Improves body and head retention.
Use: The malt has no diastatic power so you can use it as a steeping grain. Because of the flavor it imparts, Nut brown ales are a good candidate for this malt. I think it would be a good addition to dark beers, especially a porter. If you wanted to make an American Brown Ale and stay on theme, Victory Malt would be a good addition. Probably no more than 20% of your grain bill.
Popularity: 33% [?]
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