Black Malt

I'm doing a modified Papazian's Weizenbock from the Joy and I accidently got Crisp Black Malt instead of De-Bittered. The recipe is more or less:

6.5 lb wheat
1 lb 2 Row Caramel 60
1 lb XL DME (his recipe actually calls for 2 lb amber DME)
2 oz chocolate malt
2 oz black (debittered) malt
hallertau/tettnang for a traget IBU of around 20. SRM will be high, around 22 (style upper limit is 25).

Given the small amount, will it make any difference in the end?

I would be worried about an astringency coming through using actual black malt. I'd leave it out altogether if you don't have the ability to procure the "correct" malt. All the debittered is really going to add is some color.

I am curious, do you plan to mash 6.5 pounds of wheat malt?? Or is that extract? If it's malt, then you're in for a spectacularly stuck mash...

It's wheat extract. So even such a small amount will show itself? My seeping grains are already mixed up, I'd have to get a new batch. No big deal.

I made his phat fired weizenbock with american yeast as given in the book and it is fabulous. Took a while to come into its own but I like it a lot.

Would it work to actually manually dehusk all the black malt and still add 2oz?

nutty_gnome said:

I made his phat fired weizenbock with american yeast as given in the book and it is fabulous. Took a while to come into its own but I like it a lot.

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Did you do the recipe exactly as described in the book? A few things I question here, is the DME amber or golden (the "light" throws me off)? What grade is the crystal (10, 20, etc)? The only de-bittered malt I see on the market is Belgian.

Batch size: 5 gallons

6.6 lb wheat/barley malt extract syrup
1.5 lb amber light dry malt extract
1 lb crystal malt
1/4 lb chocolate malt
1/4 lb german caffe (black debittered) malt
1.5 oz spalt hops (boiling)- 60 minutes
1 oz santiam hop pellets (sub Mt. Hood or American Tettnanger)- 5 minutes
1 oz santiam hop pellets (sub Mt. Hood or American Tettnanger)- 2 minutes

Seep crystal, chocolate, black malt in 1 gallon at 160F for 30 minutes. Add additional water for a 3 gallon boil. Proceed as usual.

Jawbox0 said:

Would it work to actually manually dehusk all the black malt and still add 2oz?

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All the grains are just a few bucks, probably not worth the trouble. Problem is having to wait for my next order.

Read somewhere, and I can't vouch for it, that if you steep grain cold it won't be as bitter. You could taste it before adding it if is for color.

smata67 said:

It's wheat extract. So even such a small amount will show itself?

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I wasn't thinking of steeping, so my bad. It'll probably be just fine. I will change my answer to RDWHAHB.

I did the all grain version from the back of the book (3rd edition).... I used Pilsner malt, white wheat, and light munich. So I would go with light DME. let your steeping grains give the color.