BYO Turmoil Cascadian Dark Ale Clone

I have a question regarding the extract recipe BYO has for this clone.
The recipe calls for steeping 18 oz Munich Malt and 12 oz wheat malt, but there's an article in the same issue about steeping grains which says that these 2 grains have to be mashed. I emailed them about it, but haven't heard anything back. Should I just follow the recipe or do I need to do a partial mash with them?

Here's a link to the recipe. It is the extract with grains one.
http://byo.com/component/resource/article/2072-birth-of-a-new-style-cascadian-dark-ale

You would mash them if you were looking for them to contribute fermentable sugars to the wort, but in this case (and in any case where you're steeping) you're just looking for the flavor, color, etc. Your fermentables are coming from the extract.

shanecb said:

You would mash them if you were looking for them to contribute fermentable sugars to the wort, but in this case (and in any case where you're steeping) you're just looking for the flavor, color, etc. Your fermentables are coming from the extract.

Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks!

Sorry to warm up the old thread, by I have a beginner's question re this recipe. Planning to brew it as my 3rd batch, so I'm still unsure about malt grains etc...

The recipe asks for:
6.6 lbs. (3.0 kg) Muntons light, unhopped, liquid malt extract
1 lb. 2 oz. (0.51 kg) Briess light dried malt extract
18 oz. (0.51 kg) Weyermann dehusked Carafa® II malt (450 °L)
18 oz. (0.51 kg) Munich malt
8.0 oz. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (40 °L)
12 oz. (0.34 kg) wheat malt

However, I bought the following from the LHBS du to lack of the exact grains the recipe calls for:
6.6 lbs of light LME
2 lb extra dark DME
1 lb UK chocolate malt
1 lb crystal malt
1 lb Caramunch EBC 90
1 lb brown malt EBC 150

What would you think about this grain/extract bill? Will it be undrinkable? I wouldn't mind if the beer turned out a bit more roasty then you would expect for a Cascadian dark ale. I'm also not aiming to clone the Turmoil CDA, but rather just using the recipe as a basis.

Thanks for your help!

You have a lot of dark grain there; dark DME, chocolate, and brown. I would eliminate the chocolate and get some wheat back in there. For future recipes, try to stick with the light DME/LME and use the specialty grains for color/flavor....you just don't have good control over dark extract (as far as its makeup).

I agree with helibrewer, too many dark malts.

Caramunich is a crystal malt made from Munich malt, they are not substitutes for one another. Vienna malt would have been a more appropriate substitute. I have some concerns about this home brew store, they didn't have Munich malt or wheat malt? Then they sold you caramunich as a substitute for Munich, eek.

Thanks guys for your suggestions. Much appreciated.
I just picked the dark DME because I was worried to not get enough colour out of the grains as Carafa was not available. Won't happen again.
Would you think though I could get away without the wheat? Just leave out the chocolate and use all the others?

@Pie_Man: it's me whom to blame, not the LHBS, which is actually very well stocked (and cheap). I went very late on a Saturday afternoon, so there was no Munich left that day, and I decided for myself that I rather not wanted the wheat in there (don't know, I thought I would like it better with barley malt only), although they did have wheat malt. I picked the replacements myself without knowing too much about them (the grumpy old lady who runs the shop is not too keen to give you much advice), but it didn't sound too bad to me at the time... they would have had Vienna though. Next time I'll ask beforehand. Thanks for pointing out the malts!