Brown Malt substitute

[Handsaw]

Is there an acceptable substitute for brown malt. I need to brew a recipe that calls for it and I can't get any before Sunday when I intend to brew. Neither of the LHBS have it.

 

[Michael_K]

Some might say Special Roast, but it's not really the same thing... I would say you could roast your own brown malt (there are threads here on how-to), but they suggest letting your home-roasted grains age for a couple weeks before brewing with them...

What are you making?

 

[Handsaw]

I'm making a robust porter. The recipe is on Brew Toad and is called For Richer or for Porter. I've brewed it once before.

I thought I had seen or heard somewhere where there was a combination of two malts in a certain proportion that made a reasonable substitute.

 

[hanuswalrus]

I believe Crystal 60 would be an OK substitute for brown malt. From what I recall, it has a similar lovibond

 

[kh54s10]

I use this chart for substitutions: httphttp://www.brew.is/files/malt.html://

I would also say that the malts might be similar, but not the same thing. Usually when I substitute it is to use what I have or can get. The object is not to make the identical beer. If I wanted to do that I would make sure I had the right malts.

 

[kh54s10]

I believe Crystal 60 would be an OK substitute for brown malt. From what I recall, it has a similar lovibond

Lovibond is for determining color. You might have very different flavors with the same Lovibond. I'm not discounting it as a substitute, just noting that the flavors might be way different.

 

[hanuswalrus]

Lovibond is for determining color. You might have very different flavors with the same Lovibond. I'm not discounting it as a substitute, just noting that the flavors might be way different.

You're absolutely right. I believe brown malt would give a toastier note as opposed to just the caramelly sweetness that crystal 60 would give.

 

[chickypad]

Yeah C-60 and brown malt are not even close, that would be a bad choice. You won't really find a true sub but depending on the rest of the recipe you may want to add in some malts with similar roast/cocoa contribution. Maybe something like coffee malt or the palest chocolate you can find - but in lower quantities.

 

[Queequeg]

Dark Amber malt (

 

[chickypad]

Dark Amber malt (

Who makes that? I find regular amber malt to be a very dry kind of intense toasty/biscuity, not the more roasty/slight chocolate flavor of brown malt. Maybe this is something in between?

 

[Handsaw]

Thanks folks. You have convinced me to brew a different beer this weekend and order the brown malt for this recipe.

 

[Queequeg]

There is quite a bit of variety in Amber malts regarding the roast. Thomas Fawcett's amber can be 110 EBC.

 

[JKaranka]

Yeah, if you can't get brown malt the Fawcett amber is the next closest thing. You might want to up it slightly and adjust colour with patent malt.

 

[giraffe]

Kiln coffee (mfb?) or Special roast (briess) would be the closest, but neither are exceptionally close. You could use a mix of base malt and pale chocolate 50/50 if you cant get the above.