CARAFA® Special
Question Why does CARAFA® Special (de-husked) Chocolate Malt have a smoother flavor than does regular CARAFA®? Could you provide some detail on the Carafa® dehusked malts--methodology, how and why the dehusked barley is smoother in flavor. It is definitely evident while tasting the malt.
Answer Roasting germinated barley tends to scorch the grain's husks and give the finished malt a slightly, or even severely, burnt flavor. Some dark beers, however, taste much better -- at least according to some brewers and consumers -- without the bitterness that comes from scorched husks. We at Weyermann have found a way, therefore, to remove most -- though not all -- of the husks before sending the barley through the malting plant and into the roasting drum. The de-husking process is similar to commercial rice polishing. It is desirable, howver, to leave about 40% of the husk material intact, because the husks also protect the kernel from damage. The de-husked finished malt is our CARAFA® Special. Like our regular CARAFA® (the roasted malt with all the husks), we make CARAFA® Special available in three color variations: Type I with a color rating of approximately 300 - 340 °L, Type II with a color rating of approximately 375 - 450 °L, and Type III with a color rating of approximately 490 - 560 °L. .