Using an array of Crystal/Caramel Malts

[langsbre]

I have been meaning to test this theory and my buddy and I have been discussing this for a while now. He states that when using heavier lovebond crystal malts it hides the flavor profile of the lighter crystals. I believe that each has their own contribution. In a recipe with the same base malt, and mash time and temp, with same hop profile, and fermentation schedule and yeast; but different use of caramel malts to achieve the same color scheme, would they taste the same?

 

[rniles]

To me, they would taste differently and I use them differently to obtain different flavours.

 

[pondochris]

I don't think they would taste the same. Darker crystal malts are "cooked" more. I like to think toasted bread. Eating dark toast with light toast would not taste like medium toast.

 

[stpug]

Recipe 1:
0.5 lb 40L Crystal (fairly sweet, caramel, light toffee)
0.5 lb 120L Crystal (mellow burnt sugar, light roast, dark toffee)

Recipe 2:
1 lb 80L Crystal (raisin, toffee, light sweet)

They would taste very different from each other but should (effectively) be about the same color/darkness (although color hues would be different). Those are my flavor descriptors and they may be off a little but the gist is there

 

[billl]

How about..... it depends.

Something like half 20 and 60 compared to a 40? That is pretty subtle. If the beer had any significant hop character, I bet most people wouldn't pick those out.

Something like 20 and 120 compared to a 60? Now you are moving into a more of a profile difference.

On the extreme ends, mixing carapils with chocolate can get you the same color profile as some 60, but those are clearly different flavors.

Also, the overall percentage of the crystal is important. When you are talking about subtle taste differences, you probably won't notice them at all if they are 2% of the grainbill but they might be obvious at 15%.

 

[johngaltsmotor]

The different Lovibond Crystals will definitely have different flavors. But he's right (in my experience) that the darker roasts are stronger, so if you put in 1lb of C120 it will have a stronger (toffee) flavor than an identical batch but substitute 1lb of C40 (sweet caramel). That could just be because my pallet is more sensitive to the darker flavors.
I've made a "Christmas Caramel" that uses 5 different Crystal malts to produce a very broad range of sweet flavors. That has 16oz of C20L working down to 2oz of C160L.

 

[langsbre]

That was really my take on the matter. But in a beer where you would have five percent of some thing like Cara 60 and five more of Cara 80 would make a different profile than a beer with just the 80 and add more for color adjustment, right? The flavor would be more subtle but still different.