Black Malts

[Morrey]

Schwarzbier 5.5G recipe calls for a very small amount (3oz) of Blackprinz so that makes up 1.75% of the bill. I only have Black Patent malt on hand so I would have to make a special order (or 2 hour drive) for the Blackprinz. I understand Blackprinz is dehusked and is very smooth adding no bitterness. Question is, in such small proportions, is Black Patent ok to use or will 3 ounces add in a detectable bitterness?

 

[Weezy]

Imho, yes. The simpler the beer, the more noticeable the bitterness. You really really want to use dehusked carafa or blackprintz or midnight wheat.

My Dark cream ale has one ounce of chocolate in a three gallon batch...you can tell.

 

[jodell]

Agreed. I made an IPA once that I put 2 oz of roasted barley to darken a bit...bad idea, had a toasty flavor that didn't go well with my hops

 

[Morrey]

I was afraid y'all would say this....LOL! Especially in a lager beer I have always been very careful to do everything right since there is no place for off flavors to hide. Any beer I make I want to do the best I can, so a bit of effort to get the right malt is definitely the way I want to roll. Thanks!!

 

[rhys333]

Black patent gets a bum rap. I find it relatively smooth, even in higher quantities. Chocolate malt is generally harsher that BP. I regularly use 1 - 2% BP for colour adjustment and it's pretty much undetectable. Higher and you will start picking up some dark fruity notes, but it shouldn't come across as harsh. I wouldn't use it in a beer that's supposed to be super clean tasting, but otherwise it should be fine.