Build
Well-Known Member
What's your favorite/most used specialty grains and why? I know I left many out. If your choice is Other, which ones?
Poll: Favorite Most Used Specialty Grains
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Crystal/Caramel 20 provides some color/body and keeps California Ale yeast (001) from going below 1.008 on hoppy west coast style beers. I also find it does not oxidize as badly as 40L and up, cannot stand that raisin malty bite from oxidized crystal malts.
tennesseean_87
Well-Known Member
Wheat, Vienna, and Munich aren't specialty malts, but I love them.
Since you listed Vienna, Munich and Wheat which are not technically specialty malts, I will list all my favorites.
I use 2 row, what ever is cheap the most. It is the base for most of my beers.
I really like Maris Otter as my base malt. It has more depth than plain 2 row.
I use a lot of chocolate, brown and roasted barley for my darker beers.
I use crystal malts for color and a little maltiness. I don't have a favorite among them.
I have been making a fair amount of smoked beers. My favorite among those malts is Cherrywood.
So really nothing to vote for... I use what is appropriate for the upcoming brew.
I use 2 row, what ever is cheap the most. It is the base for most of my beers.
I really like Maris Otter as my base malt. It has more depth than plain 2 row.
I use a lot of chocolate, brown and roasted barley for my darker beers.
I use crystal malts for color and a little maltiness. I don't have a favorite among them.
I have been making a fair amount of smoked beers. My favorite among those malts is Cherrywood.
So really nothing to vote for... I use what is appropriate for the upcoming brew.
Brown malt not listed. Love what it does to a Porter or Stout
jwalk4
Well-Known Member
Interesting. I have not heard raisin as an off flavor of oxidized crystal malt. I do get it in dark crystal, like C120. But I don't think its an off flavor there.
victory is one i use often ... that or other biscuit malts ...
Build
Well-Known Member
Maybe I should have a different title. I was just thinking of favorites beyond base malts. I lumped some together because the poll software allows only 10 choices.
Good information everyone.
Good information everyone.
BeardedBrews
Well-Known Member
I'm only up to 130 gallons, give or take, and I haven't settled on the "house" recipes yet...
If I wanted to be fastidious, I'd point out that Vienna is a base malt. We know what you mean, though.
For me it's a toss up of Victory or Honey Malt...
Slight edge to the Honey malt though.
Slight edge to the Honey malt though.
Victory is a great specialty malt. If you like that, try using Special Roast in its place sometime. It's a staple in my Pale Ales.
@Tiber: can I use it in the same amounts/ratio as I use Victory malt?
houndsbreath
Well-Known Member
I'll add another vote for Brown malt. Dark milds, stouts and porters really benfit from that deep toasty/roasty flavor. I had a beer epiphany the first time I tried Brown Malt in my standard stout recipe.
I use Special Roast at about 1-5% of the grist. I like it for its subtleties in the way it compliments the other malts and slight complexity to "wake up" a boring malt profile.
Favorite: Special Roast-it has a nice tangy flavor with bready aromas that are unique and wonderful in amber to brown ales.
Most used: C40-just a nice sweet note with a bit of caramel that nicely rounds out an awful lot of beers.
Munich/Vienna: I love these too but I use them as base malts and not specialty malts. 100% is not too much of either of these grains in my book.
Most used: C40-just a nice sweet note with a bit of caramel that nicely rounds out an awful lot of beers.
Munich/Vienna: I love these too but I use them as base malts and not specialty malts. 100% is not too much of either of these grains in my book.
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