Toasting 2-Row Pale Questions.

I've got 5 lbs of 2-Row Pale on two cookie sheets in the oven right now at 325 degrees.

How often should I stir it? I plan to swap racks at 15 minutes.

Any other tips on toasting malt? This is in prep for Dude's Lake Wake Pale Ale this weekend.

Depends on how thick it is on the sheets I guess. I usually put mine in a deep roasting pan and will open up the oven and shake it around maybe twice in twenty minutes. I do this on my IPA and it comes out really nice.

Read the book, n00b!

Too late now, but as per Palmer, you should let the toasted malt rest for a week or two before using it to let some volatile compounds dissipate.

The malt should be stored in a paper bag for 2 weeks prior to use. This will allow time for the harsher aromatics to escape. Commercial toasted malts are often aged for 6 weeks before sale. This aging is more important for the highly toasted malts, toasted for more than a half hour (dry) or 1 hour (wet).

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Personally, I wouldn't be afraid to stir pretty frequently; you don't want it burn, this ain't a stout you're making.

I read the book, but as usual, with something I've never tried, I thought I would ask from folks who actually have experience. Yuri toasted his and used it right away, but I'm not brewing till Sunday, so this 5 lbs. is sitting in a brown paper bag right now.

The house has a wonderful aroma now.

I toasted for around 30 mins, shook the tray a few times during and used it later that day. Nothing untold in the flavor profile. I sampled it around the 20 minute mark and continued toasting until I hit the flavor I was looking for.

Just givin' you crap, Ed.

When I toasted some malt for a brown ale, I think I toasted for around 20 minutes and let it sit in a bag for a couple days. Stirred enough to keep stuff from burning and to ensure that the toast was pretty uniform.

the_bird said:

...Just givin' you crap, Ed....

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Hey...ya gotta go with your strengths...

I toasted 4# yesterday for my Redhook ESB clone.

Toasted at 2:00, mashed in at 3:30.

You're right...the house smells like a bakery.

I had a deep pan and turned it every 10-15 minutes with a total toast time of around 50 minutes at 350.

Well, I gotta cut up a downed tree tomorrow, so brew days is postponed till the brush is on the burn pile. I'll be increasing my carbon footprint tomorrow. It was a big dead tree, so it should burn pretty nicely.

Next Sunday is brew day. I'm going to toast a few more pounds just for kicks and add them to the paper bag for venting.

I assume it is better to do this uncrushed? I don't have a mill yet and was wondering if I could get by with toasting the crushed grain.


Thanks,

I have heard some toast crushed as well. I toasted uncrushed.

Just thought I'd add my two cents and say that I wet toasted (soaked for an hour) some pale for an hour at 175C/347F.

Didn't smell great afterwards but it's been in a paper bag for a week now and smells like freshly baked cookies. It's awesome. I'm looking forward to using it in something just don't know what yet.

EdWort said:

I have heard some toast crushed as well. I toasted uncrushed.

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If I were to toast it crushed, would the differences be:

1. Keep a closer eye on it
2. Stir a bit more often
3. Slightly shorter time in the oven

???