Dark malts: at the beginning or the end of the mash?

[Scooby_Brew]

Do you guys usually throw in your black or chocolate malts or roasted barley at the beginning of the mash, I mean like together with the base malt, or at the end of mash time / or sparge?

 

[duboman]

Do you guys usually throw in your black or chocolate malts or roasted barley at the beginning of the mash, I mean like together with the base malt, or at the end of mash time / or sparge?

I've done both but usually I mash everything. The importance really comes down to your ability to have the proper pH in the mash. If your pH is off and you mash the darker grains there is a greater chance of extracting tannins.

 

[CadillacAndy]

Depending on the style. For something like a stout I'll add it all together, but if I'm trying to keep the ashy or acrid flavors out, I add at sparge.

 

[Scooby_Brew]

I also use them differently depending on the style I'm brewing. Irish stout: together with base malts (and some gypsum), German bock: at the end.

 

[Xpertskir]

I also use them differently depending on the style I'm brewing. Irish stout: together with base malts (and some gypsum), German bock: at the end.

Gypsum generally shouldn't be the salt you should focus on for darker beers. It will do little to affect PH, and typically you are trying to bump up the Chloride and not the Sulfate in those styles.




I generally add my roast malts with everything else, at dough in. If I am looking for less malt bitterness I will add at 15 minutes left in the mash.


Times when I am would add the roast malt late is for beers that are not going to get extended aging, and beers that are going to finish on the dry side.

 

[Homercidal]

I always add it at the start of the mash as I just crush all of my grain together. However, I have thought about trying it in a steep just before boiling while I'm sparging. I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make.

 

[Calichusetts]

Usually the whole mash...especially if I want it to play an important role in the flavor profile.

 

[SpeedYellow]

IMHO if you find you need to add them at the end, then you likely have other problems, such as bad mash pH or simply the wrong grain. Even making a dark German lager, select the right grain (eg Carafa dehusked) and you can add it at the start.

I'm open to hearing the arguments for late additions, but for now I just don't get it.

 

[pjj2ba]

I add at the end of the mash. I've got a very good feel for adjusting the pH of my mash for my pale beers. So I figure why mess with that. I grind the dark malts separate and wait until conversion is complete to add the roasted malts - no pH worries.