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Malt Guide for Brewing

Welcome to my malt guide – a resource to help you create your own unique malt profile. Malts can be roughly divided into four categories: Base Malts, Caramel Malts, Chocolate/Roasted Malts, and Specialty Malts. Base malts typically make up 75-100% of the grain bill, while other types contribute specific flavors, colors, and aromas. Let's dive into each category to see how different malts can enhance your brew.

 

Base Malts

Base malts form the foundation of a beer's malt profile, providing the essential fermentable sugars that yeast convert into alcohol and carbon dioxide. These malts also significantly influence the color, flavor, and body of the finished beer.

1. Pilsner Malt (2-3 EBC / 1-2 SRM): Can make up 100% of the recipe. The lightest malt, offering a clean, delicate flavor. Ideal for lagers and as a base malt in almost any beer style.

2. Vienna Malt (3-8 EBC / 2-5 SRM): Can make up 100% of the recipe. Slightly darker than Pilsner, it provides a warm golden color and subtle toffee aroma. Suitable for Vienna lagers and other beer styles that require body and light caramel character.

3. Mild Malt (4-7 EBC / 2-3 SRM): Can make up to 100% of the recipe. Lighter than most base malts, providing a sweet and malty flavor with hints of caramel. Commonly used in mild ales and traditional English session beers.

4. Pale (Ale) Malt (7-9 EBC / 5-7 SRM): Can make up 100% of the recipe. Darker than Pilsner malt, giving a biscuit and slightly sweet flavor. Commonly used in pale ales and traditional English beer styles.

5. Golden Malt (6-10 EBC / 3-4 SRM): Can make up to 100% of the recipe. Adds a rich golden color and a toasty, biscuity flavor with a hint of sweetness. Often used in golden ales, bitters, and various traditional English beer styles.

6. Munich Malt (15-25 EBC / 7-12 SRM): Can make up 100% of the recipe. Offers an amber-orange color with a rich, malty taste. Great for amber ales, bocks, and other darker beer styles that require complex malt character. Some maltsters divide Munich malt into light and dark varieties.

7. Maris Otter Malt (3-4 EBC / 2-3 SRM): Can make up 100% of the recipe. Classic British malt known for its consistent, bready flavor. Ideal for bitters, porters, and other British ales.

8. Golden Promise Malt (3-4 EBC / 2-3 SRM): Can make up 100% of the recipe. Scottish malt with a clean, sweet, and nutty character. Perfect for Scottish ales, IPAs, and other beers requiring a balanced base.

9. Red X (30 EBC / 15 SRM): It can be used 100% of the grain bill and is thus ready for use without the addition of further malts. BEST Red X® ensures, with the highest possible process reliability and optimum processability, that reproducibly bright beers with intense red colors can be brewed. The malt was designed for a P12 beer. For stronger beers, due to the higher original wort content, some Pilsner malt should be added proportionally to the bulk to get back into the red range. It brings a little flavor of passion fruit and sherry.

 

 

Caramel / Crystal Malts

Caramel or crystal malts are processed in a special way to achieve varying degrees of caramelization, enhancing body, flavor, and color. Crystal malts can easeliy get oxidized. Crystal malts are used primarily to add sweetness, color, and body to beer. The percentage of crystal malt you can use in a beer recipe varies depending on the style of beer you are making and the specific characteristics you want to impart to the beer.

Typically, crystal malts are used in amounts ranging from 5% to 20% of the total grain bill. Here's a general guideline:

  • Lighter Beers (Pale Ales, IPAs, etc.): Generally, you can use about 5% to 10% crystal malt in these beers. This amount helps add some body and sweetness without overwhelming the other flavors.

     

  • Amber and Dark Ales (Amber Ales, Brown Ales, etc.): For these styles, you might use between 10% and 15% crystal malt. This range helps enhance the malt backbone with more caramel or toffee notes and a deeper color.

     

  • Very Dark Beers (Porters, Stouts, etc.): In these beers, crystal malt usage can be around 10% to 20%, especially if aiming for a richer, more robust caramel or sweet profile.

It's important to consider the specific type of crystal malt as well, as they come in a range of colors and flavors, from light caramel to deep, dark caramel. Each type will contribute differently to the beer's overall profile in terms of flavor, color, and mouthfeel. Experimenting with different amounts and types in pilot batches is a great way to see how they affect your specific recipes.

1. Cara-Pils (5 EBC / 2 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. A very light caramel malt that adds foam stability and body without strong flavor. Excellent for pilsners and bocks.

2. Carahell (20-30 EBC / 10-15 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Adds sweetness, body, and aroma, while enhancing foam stability. Ideal for wheat beers, pale ales, and Oktoberfest styles.

3. Carared (40-50 EBC / 20-25 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Provides a reddish color, enhances foam stability, and gives a sweet malt flavor. Suitable for Scottish ales, red ales, and brown ales.

4. Cara-Amber (60 EBC / 30 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Offers a deep red color, a distinct biscuit flavor, and rich malt aroma. Used in brown ales and red lagers.

5. Cara-Rye (90 EBC / 45 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Adds a rye bread-like flavor and a darker red color. Suitable for specialty rye beers and colored ales.

6. Cara-Munich (100 EBC / 50 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Provides residual sweetness, body, and caramel flavor. Ideal for abbey ales, porters, and Oktoberfest beers.

7. Cara Gold (120 EBC / 60 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Contributes a sweet caramel aroma and toffee notes, giving a warm brown color. Suitable for brown and dark beers.

8. Crystal Malt 60 (60 EBC / 30 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Medium caramel malt known for its rich toffee flavor. Ideal for amber ales, pale ales, and porters.

9. Special W Malt (140-160 EBC / 60-70 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Deeply caramelized malt offering raisin flavor and plum notes. Perfect for Belgian dubbels, quads, and robust dark ales.

 

 

Chocolate/Roasted Malts

Chocolate and roasted malts provide intense flavors, deep colors, and aromatic complexity to darker beer styles. Chocolate and roasted malts are key components in brewing darker beer styles, imparting rich flavors and dark hues. They are made by roasting malted barley or other grains at high temperatures, developing deep, intense flavors and colors.

 

Chocolate Malts:

  • Named for the chocolate-like aroma and flavor they impart, these malts are roasted to a rich, deep brown color.

  • They provide flavors of cocoa, coffee, and nuts, with a subtle roasted bitterness.

  • Often used in porters, stouts, and dark ales, chocolate malts deliver distinctive, complex flavor while contributing dark hues ranging from deep brown to almost black.

 

Roasted Malts:

  • Roasted barley and black malts are the most common roasted grains, delivering stronger, more intense flavors than chocolate malts.

  • They add a pronounced, bitter roasted flavor with hints of burnt toast and coffee, creating rich profiles suitable for robust porters and stouts.

  • These malts are often used in small amounts due to their high bitterness and strong taste, but they provide the essential characteristics needed for darker beer styles.

 

Both chocolate and roasted malts are crucial in brewing darker beers, providing the distinctive, full-bodied flavors and colors that characterize these styles. Their careful use can also add intriguing notes to other beer styles, offering layers of complexity and depth.

1. Smoked Malt (3-4 EBC / 2-3 SRM): Can make up 5% of the recipe. Adds a distinct smoky, spicy flavor reminiscent of campfires. Great for Scottish ales, porters, and smoked beers.

2. Melano Light (40-80 EBC / 20-40 SRM): Can make up 10% of the recipe. Adds fullness to beer, improves flavor stability, and enhances reddish hues. Perfect for amber ales, Scottish styles, and reddish beers.

3. Brown Malt (50-70 EBC / 25-35 SRM): Can make up 10-15% of the recipe. Imparts a rich, nutty flavor with hints of chocolate and coffee. Used in porters, stouts, and traditional British ales to add complexity and depth.

4. Pale Chocolate Malt (200-250 EBC / 100-125 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Subtle chocolate flavor with mild coffee undertones. Suitable for lighter beers that require roasted complexity.

5. Roasted Rye (450-600 EBC / 225-300 SRM): Can make up 10% of the recipe. Adds a spicy rye flavor with mild roasted undertones. Ideal for rye beers, dark ales, and porters.

6. Special B Malt (300 EBC / 150 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Offers rich raisin flavor with a hint of nuts. Commonly used in abbey ales, porters, and brown ales.

7. Special X Malt (300 EBC / 150 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Offers rich caramel flavor with a hint of dried fruit and chocolate. Commonly used in abbey ales, porters, and brown ales.

8. Coffee Malt (500 EBC / 250 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Provides a nutty, coffee flavor with mild bitterness. Suitable for stouts, porters, and brown ales.

9. Dehusked Chocolate Malt (800-1200 EBC / 400-600 SRM): Can make up 10% of the recipe. Milder due to the removal of husks, reducing bitterness. Suitable for stouts, porters, and brown ales.

10. Chocolate Malt (900 EBC / 450 SRM): Can make up 10% of the recipe. Intense nutty and roasted flavor with a deep brown hue. Used in strong, dark beers like porters, stouts, and brown ales.

11. Black Malt (1500 EBC / 750 SRM): Can make up 5% of the recipe. Adds a smoky, burnt flavor to stouts with a deep black color. Suitable for stouts and black ales.

 

 

Wheat Malts

Wheat malts improve body, foam stability, and the characteristic flavor in wheat beers and ales. Wheat malts are an essential ingredient in brewing, particularly popular for wheat beer styles like hefeweizen, witbier, and American wheat ale. Unlike barley malts, wheat malts are typically huskless, giving them a distinctive character. They contribute a creamy mouthfeel, enhancing body and foam stability. Their flavor profile includes notes of bread, subtle sweetness, and a light, grainy quality. Because wheat has more protein and fewer enzymes than barley, it needs careful mashing to avoid stuck sparges, but the unique flavor and improved head retention make it a sought-after choice in brewing. Wheat malts also complement darker, roasted grains in porters and stouts, adding to their versatility.

1. Wheat Malt (3-5 EBC / 1-3 SRM): Can make up 50% of the recipe. Essential for wheat beers, witbier, and non-alcoholic beers. If you use more than 20%, you should add ricehulls to avoid a stuck mash.

2. Munich Wheat Malt (15 EBC / 7 SRM): Can make up 30% of the recipe. Rich flavor and foam stability, giving a less full body. Ideal for darker wheat beers like weizenbock.

3. Chocolate Wheat (1100 EBC / 550 SRM): Can make up 10% of the recipe. Adds intense chocolate aroma and flavor to dark wheat beers and stouts.

4. Smoked Wheat Malt (4-8 EBC / 2-4 SRM): Can make up 60% of the recipe. Adds a distinctive smoky flavor with a hint of wheat sweetness. Perfect for smoked beers, German Rauchbiers, and experimental brews looking for a unique character.

 

 

Specialty Malts

Specialty malts provide distinctive flavors, improve fermentation, and fine-tune your beer.

1. Roasted Barley (1200 EBC / 600 SRM): Can make up 10% of the recipe. Unmalted barley, which provides a dry, rounded flavor. Commonly used in stouts, porters, and Scottish ales.

2. Rye Malt (3-7 EBC / 1-3 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Adds spicy and complex notes. High amounts can affect mash consistency due to its viscous nature. Add rice hulls when brewing with rye can be a good idea.

3. Acid Malt (3-7 EBC / 1-3 SRM): Can make up 5% of the recipe. Improves mash pH and adds sour flavor to light and sour beers.

4. Dextrin Malt (20-30 EBC / 10-15 SRM): Can make up 40% of the recipe. Adds body due to non-fermentable sugars, ideal for lagers.

5. Biscuit Malt (50-80 EBC / 25-40 SRM): Can make up 10% of the recipe. Provides a toasted, nutty, biscuity flavor with hints of warm bread. The taste is more pronounced than that of lighter malts, but less intense than darker roasted malts like chocolate or black malt.

6. Amber Malt (50 EBC / 25 SRM): Can make up 10% of the recipe. Offers a biscuit flavor and amber color. Suitable for porters, brown ales, and old ales.

7. Aroma malts (50 EBC / 25 SRM): Can make up 10% of the recipe. Adds a strong malt aroma with slightly sweet and nutty flavors, used to boost malt character without excess sweetness and give color.

8. Melanoidin Malt (70 EBC / 35 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Stabilizes beer flavor with a rich malt character and maillard reactions. Ideal for dark ales and lagers. It can give you some of the flavors of a decotion mash.

9. Special B Malt (300 EBC / 150 SRM): Can make up 10% of the recipe. Provides strong caramel, raisin-like flavors. Ideal for Belgian-style beers needing rich maltiness.

10. Malted Oats (5-8 EBC / 2-4 SRM): Can make up 20% of the grain bill. Offers a creamy mouthfeel and a subtle nutty, grainy flavor. Improves body and head retention. Ideal for stouts, porters, and hazy pale ales.

11. Naked Malted Oats (6-10 EBC / 3-5 SRM): Can make up 15% of the grain bill. Has a more pronounced flavor due to the lack of husk, adding a robust, nutty, and slightly sweet character while providing a smooth mouthfeel and improved foam stability. Suitable for darker ales, stouts, and hazy IPAs.

12. Smoked Naked Oats (7-12 EBC / 3-6 SRM): Can make up 10% of the grain bill. Smoked to impart a distinctive smoky and spicy aroma, balanced by the nutty sweetness of the naked oats. Ideal for stouts, porters, and smoked beer styles.

13. Chocolate Rye (500-800 EBC / 250-400 SRM): Can make up to 10% of the recipe. Provides a strong chocolate flavor with rye spiciness and roasted notes. Best used in small quantities for porters, stouts, and dark ales to add complexity and a unique twist.

 

Flaked Grains

Flaked grains offer unique flavors, textures, and fermentable sugars to your brew. Flaked grains are unmalted grains that have been processed by steam-heating and flattening, resulting in thin flakes. This processing method gelatinizes the starches, making them easier to convert to fermentable sugars during mashing. Different flaked grains contribute unique flavors and characteristics to beer. Adding ricehulls when brewing with flaked grains can be a good idea to avoid stuck mash.

1. Flaked Barley (2-5 EBC / 1-3 SRM): Can make up 15% of the recipe. Adds a grainy flavor and improves foam. Ideal for stouts and ales.

2. Flaked Corn (1-3 EBC / 1-2 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Increases alcohol content and gives a light corn-like flavor. Great for English ales and lagers.

3. Flaked Oats (3-6 EBC / 1-3 SRM): Can make up 15% of the recipe. Contributes a creamy texture and mouthfeel. Commonly used in Belgian wheat beer and stouts.

4. Flaked Wheat (2-5 EBC / 1-2 SRM): Can make up 50% of the recipe. Mild, grainy, and slightly nutty. Provides stable foam and a soft texture to wheat beers.

5. Flaked Rye (2-7 EBC / 1-3 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Adds characteristic rye flavors with foam stability. Suitable for rye beers.

6. Spelt Flakes (2-5 EBC / 1-2 SRM): Can make up 10% of the recipe. Nutty flavor and foam stability for wheat beers and specialty ales.

7. Flaked Rice (2 EBC / 1 SRM): Can make up 20% of the recipe. Adds dryness to emphasize hop bitterness while increasing alcohol content.

ABV Calculation

ABV Calculation