Mashing and Modified Malts

[Jhedrick83]

I really like to brew Belgians and as I’ve been diving more into step mashes, I keep seeing it stated that step mashes are not required for the much more widespread “highly modified malts”. My question is how do you know if the malts you are employing are “highly modified”. You would think “check the website” would be sufficient but not always. For example, I try to use as much Dingemans in my Belgians as I can. You look up the Pilsen and it straight up tells you single infusion is fine:

However, you pull up Special B and it doesn’t give you any guidance:

 

[Elric]

Caramalized malts and most other speciality grains do not contribute much fermentable sugars that are extracted through mashing, the processes used to create them have either already yielded sugars (in the case of caramel malts) or they have been heated past the point where the starches can be broken down to that point (think chocolate malt or roasted barley). It's mainly your base malts that you want to look this information up for, though except for some heritage or craft malts you can really expect most of the base malts available today to be considered highly modified.

 

[jtratcliff]

@Elric beat me to it.... Damned murderous albino...

But, yeah, pretty much any base malt you buy is considered highly modified these days... Unless maybe 6-row?

Caramel/crystal and roasted malts you don't need to worry about anyway.

Step mashing for protein rest isn't really required. Doesn't mean you can't do step mashing for other purposes...

 

[Elric]

@Elric beat me to it.... Damned murderous albino...

it‘s not me, it’s the sword! I’m just misunderstood!!!!

 

[dmtaylor]

99% of all malts in the 21st century are highly modified. I've never used one that wasn't. I've searched far and wide to find one that is truly undermodified. Finally found one online but it's not available around here.

Assume your malt is highly modified, even if it's "floor malted" or whatever else. Most of these are marketing gimmicks but in reality, it's like a needle in a haystack to find a maltster actually willing to make real actual undermodified malt on purpose. They just... don't.

 

[Jhedrick83]

Gotcha. Thanks guys. I'll be sad to see my belgian step mashing go by the wayside and save an hour or more per brew day!