How can i make my extract beers maltier?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

timrox1212

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2013
Messages
430
Reaction score
45
Location
Dearborn
I want to make my extract beers maltier and sweeter. Not really concerned with mouthfeel but more just want a sweeter taste like I've had in DFH 90 minute IPA. Any suggestions?
 
It's easy beings you know what a ipa taste like. Drop out all the hops.
 
Adding a little crystal, as Dogbar says, will increase the maltiness. You can put some aromatic malt in with that to increase the malty aroma, and/or include some melanoiden malt for a more carmelized flavor.
 
Usually i just use American ale yeast for my beers and use a starter. I've used crystal before but maybe just up it up more.
 
Adding a little crystal, as Dogbar says, will increase the maltiness. You can put some aromatic malt in with that to increase the malty aroma, and/or include some melanoiden malt for a more carmelized flavor.

This. Steeping or even doing a mini-mash will brighten up the malt flavor without having to go all grain.

I brew 2.13 gallon batches. I've got a 1-gallon insulated water jug. Sometimes I'll toss 12 ounces of 2-row and four ounces of some other malt or malts in the cooler with 1/2-3/4 gallon of 155 degree water and let them mash for an hour. It's easy and adds a nice, fresh characteristic to the brew.
 
Yes! Steeping grains. I use carapilz or crystal 10L - 20L for better head and unfermentable sugars depending on the style. Crystal 40-120 give a wide range of sweetness with everything from caramel to toffee, and then treacle and burnt sugars, sometimes prune and dark fruit characteristics from the darker crystal malts. I tend to use a little munich, vienna, or belgian aromatic to give that maltier character. The dark munich malts are really nice too for their character as well. I find steeping grains can really change an extract batch and give it the interesting nuances it is sometimes missing. Say by using pale LME as your fermentables but using a debittered black malt to give bold color and create a light crisp bodied Black IPA, just for example.
 
Agree with the Engish Ale strains of yeast. English Ales are based on low hop, and sweet malty goodness.

I rarely use anything over caramel/crystal 40 in any of my beers. To me, once you go above 40 they can tend to lose the caramel, and be like adding a handful of raisins to your beer. I hate raisins. :drunk:

Gary
 
I'm going to try some of this Munich LME (50% Munich / 50% Pils) in my next 5gal extract IPA to see if I can get a bit more malty character:

http://morebeer.com/products/munich-malt-extract.html

Maybe something like:

1lb Crystal 40L (steeped)
6lb Light LME
3lb Munich LME

(Est 1.065 OG, 12° SRM)

Using an English Ale yeast (S-04 or Nottingham) and aiming for about 50 IBU (instead of the 70-80 I'm used to)

Aiming for something sorta Lagunitas-like this way.
 
Back
Top