Chocolate Wheat malt vs. DEbittered Black Malt.

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Schnitzengiggle

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I will be brewing a base beer for what will become a strawberry wheat ale. I was interested in toying with the color of the beer.

I was contemplating the use of a small amount of chocolate wheat to adjust the color darker, but at ~400SRM it seems it is a roasted grain and will add a roasted flavor.

Since strawberry is very delicate flavor, I don't want to mask or cover it up.

Would a small portion of chocolate wheat add too much flavor to darken this beer? (I have never used chocolate wheat before)

Would some debittered black malt be a better option just for color? (another grain I have yet to use)

I want a dark beer with a fairly pronounced strawberry aroma, and a definite strawberry flavor, is ther a way to accomplish this without masking or detracting from the strawberry notes?

FWIW my recipe is going to be extremely simple:

Pale 2-row 50%
Wheat Malt 50%
Ultra hops IBU's ~7.0

Any suggestions?
 
Sorry I can't answer your question directly. You probably already know this technique, but you can add color to a beer without flavor by adding a small amount of chocolate or roasted malt at the mash out. In other words, don't put it in the mash until you are ready to drain it. Some color will be extracted and little or no flavor.

This is a technique I use when making an red ale.
 
Sorry I can't answer your question directly. You probably already know this technique, but you can add color to a beer without flavor by adding a small amount of chocolate or roasted malt at the mash out. In other words, don't put it in the mash until you are ready to drain it. Some color will be extracted and little or no flavor.

This is a technique I use when making an red ale.

So add during the sparge?

The grain absorption for my first runnings would not allow me to add it during the end of the mash.

I want to have extremely little to no roasty flavors, I would think it would add more than just color.

I was even thinking of steeping grain in the kettle.

The chocolate wheat I have used had much less flavor than the debittered black malt.

What type of flavor, is it roasty/coffee, chocolaty/toffee?

My LHBS doesn't carry the stuff, so I will be making an order probably from BMW, and I have no way of tasting any myself, so I'm really looking for a detailed description of its flavor in the finished beer.
 
If the choco wheat only makes up 1-2% of the grist, I think you will be OK. Once you get to 3-4% I think you will detect roastiness. I used some choco wheat to add color to my attempt at an Altbier. I like the way it turned out, but at 3.5% of the grist it has a slight, but not-to-style, roast character.
 
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