I am still doing extract brewing, but also steep specialties for an hour in the 150F-160F range, prior to adding the extract.
This has worked fine with roast barley and black patent. I don't pretend to understand the sugar and enzyme issues; I simply know that I can clearly taste this stuff in my stout.
But when I read about Carapils and Crystal/Caramel malt, everything I see on the net suggests that I've been using them wrong: unless you mash these with pale malt (or something else that contributes enzymes), steeping won't actually extract the sugars. Is that right?
Should I be using these types of grains in combination with a pound or two of 2-row or something like that? Or, alternatively, should I be steeping these grains after adding some extract to the water?
This has worked fine with roast barley and black patent. I don't pretend to understand the sugar and enzyme issues; I simply know that I can clearly taste this stuff in my stout.
But when I read about Carapils and Crystal/Caramel malt, everything I see on the net suggests that I've been using them wrong: unless you mash these with pale malt (or something else that contributes enzymes), steeping won't actually extract the sugars. Is that right?
Should I be using these types of grains in combination with a pound or two of 2-row or something like that? Or, alternatively, should I be steeping these grains after adding some extract to the water?
