What malt produces a redish color

[THEUKRAINIAN]

All,

I'm looking to brew my next wheat variation and I would like to give it a reddish, semi-clear color. At this point I have in my working recipe,

Brewers malt 2 row, Dark wheat malt, Munich malt, biscuit malt, and caramel 80L. < assumed reddish color.

This was on an internet source described as to produce a reddish color and bittersweet flavor. Anyone with experience with caramel 80L?

Should I be using this? What noted characteristics does caramel 80L, other than what the website says, gives off?

Thanks!

 

[rklinck]

I use Caramel 80 in my brews. I think it will provide reddish color if used in a high enough quantity, but I tend not to use that much. For my irish red ale, I use a combination of Caramel 80 and Roasted Barley (4 ounces of each).

 

[Pappers_]

I've not used it but there is this http://www.bestmalz.de/en/malt/BEST_Red_X.htm malt from Best which is specifically designed to impart a red color.

I too have used roasted barley, adding it to the sparge (not mashing it) so I get color but not flavor.

 

[THEUKRAINIAN]

I use Caramel 80 in my brews. I think it will provide reddish color if used in a high enough quantity, but I tend not to use that much. For my irish red ale, I use a combination of Caramel 80 and Roasted Barley (4 ounces of each).

I think I if I use the caramel 80 at mash, to get the bittersweet flavor and add the barley at sparge I will get the desired flavor. Would this be acceptable?

 

[rklinck]

I think I if I use the caramel 80 at mash, to get the bittersweet flavor and add the barley at sparge I will get the desired flavor. Would this be acceptable?

Should be. It is always about balancing the flavor and color components. You will get flavor from the roasted barley even if you wait until you sparge -- in fact, I don't add any of my dark malts to my stouts until either the vorlauf or sparge. It will cut down on any astringency. That said, 4 ounces of roasted barley in a 5 gallon batch will not add too much roasted flavor.

 

[unionrdr]

Weyermann's melanoiden malt gives a red color & intensifies malt flavors according to what I read before ordering a pound to split between to batches of PM IPA's I have going now. I used a half pound in each. color looks like golden brown toast atm. Well see when I do a first FG test on the 1st one Sunday. I'll have a better idea then what a half pound does in a 5G batch.
Midwest says it's a 30L with a diastatic power of 33. One reviewer said it gives a garnet color & adds a lot of malt flavor.

 

[duboman]

I've not used it but there is this http://www.bestmalz.de/en/malt/BEST_Red_X.htm malt from Best which is specifically designed to impart a red color. I too have used roasted barley, adding it to the sparge (not mashing it) so I get color but not flavor.

+1
There is also Cara Red malt that definitely provides for a reddish hue

 

[ICWiener]

Rye will give you some red, too.

 

[kombat]

+1
There is also Cara Red malt that definitely provides for a reddish hue

Are you sure? Have you used it that way? I've used Carared, and it is only rated to provide around 20L of colour to beer. I'm actually planning to use it as a substitute for Crystal 20 in my house IPA. I haven't found much red colour imparted by Carared.

If I want red in my beers, I reach for 4-6 oz of roasted barley. If I want to minimize the flavour contribution, I'll use Carafa III Special dehusked and add it to the sparge instead of the mash.

 

[duboman]

Are you sure? Have you used it that way? I've used Carared, and it is only rated to provide around 20L of colour to beer. I'm actually planning to use it as a substitute for Crystal 20 in my house IPA. I haven't found much red colour imparted by Carared.

If I want red in my beers, I reach for 4-6 oz of roasted barley. If I want to minimize the flavour contribution, I'll use Carafa III Special dehusked and add it to the sparge instead of the mash.

I used cara red and a little dehusked carafa and got a nice reddish color in an amber I did while back but I have also used a little roasted and crystal as well and got good results as well. There are a few combinations of malts that work, I just through that out there as an option.

 

[matt08wrx]

Also small amounts of chocolate malt.

 

[kombat]

I'm thinking in both those cases, it was the roasted malt (or dehusked carafa, which is the same thing) which provided the colour, not the carared. Carared is actually quite light, in my experience/opinion.

 

[THEUKRAINIAN]

Thanks all!

I have went with .5 pound of roasted barley at mash flame out and that should, with the caramel 80L, the color I desire.

 

[ericbw]

Thanks all!

I have went with .5 pound of roasted barley at mash flame out and that should, with the caramel 80L, the color I desire.

That might be a pretty heavy amount of roast, depending on what you're going for. It might be pretty roasty like a stout or Irish red.

 

[THEUKRAINIAN]

That might be a pretty heavy amount of roast, depending on what you're going for. It might be pretty roasty like a stout or Irish red.

That is the thing, everyone has differing viewpoints on what is a better amount. I think it just goes to the experience in brewing I guess. What I'm going for is a nice really deep red, possibly clear wheat beer.

 

[Yooper]

That is the thing, everyone has differing viewpoints on what is a better amount. I think it just goes to the experience in brewing I guess. What I'm going for is a nice really deep red, possibly clear wheat beer.

But .5 pound of roasted barley is a LOT! A couple of ounces would do it.

I've found that some Munich malt in the mash gives a bit of "orange-ish" color, and a tad bit of carared with it gives a nice red color.

 

[BradleyBrew]

Are you sure? Have you used it that way? I've used Carared, and it is only rated to provide around 20L of colour to beer. I'm actually planning to use it as a substitute for Crystal 20 in my house IPA. I haven't found much red colour imparted by Carared.

If I want red in my beers, I reach for 4-6 oz of roasted barley. If I want to minimize the flavour contribution, I'll use Carafa III Special dehusked and add it to the sparge instead of the mash.

Ive used carared to make a red ale with great success.

 

[BradleyBrew]

Rye will give you some red, too.

How does rye at 4L provide a red hue?

 

[Yooper]

Ive used carared to make a red ale with great success.

Yes, me too. At first, I was reluctant, thinking it just another crystal 20L, but Denny (conn) kept encouraging me to try it, and it really did give a nice red color to the beers I used it in.

 

[THEUKRAINIAN]

Yes, me too. At first, I was reluctant, thinking it just another crystal 20L, but Denny (conn) kept encouraging me to try it, and it really did give a nice red color to the beers I used it in.

Can we compare what type of reds we are talking about? Does anyone have any pics?

I don't have any, but some what on the order of deep candy apple red

 

[Yooper]

Can we compare what type of reds we are talking about? Does anyone have any pics?

I don't have any, but some what on the order of deep candy apple red

"Deep candy apple" would be hard without something like food coloring.

I get some ambers that are red, but much lighter than that. Otherwise, when you get darker colors, they tend to be copper red rather than a bright red.

 

[ICWiener]

How does rye at 4L provide a red hue?

I said some red. It gives off a copper hue. Not a ton, but it's there.