Diff Between Cara-Whatevers And Light Crystals?

[HenryHill]

Are the cara malts done at high temps to be non fernentable, but to varying degrees of L? -pils -vienna, -munich, etc.

Is it just that crystals are kilned while still wet?

I don't get the diff between cara-whatevers and light crystals...malt descriptions on sites rarely differentiate-they just describe.

 

[maida7]

I've always been under the illusion that the cara malts provide more body and head. The crystal malts provide sweetness and various degrees of caramel flavors.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Caramel/Crystal are used interchangeably. The process involves roasting wet/green malt until the carbohydrates are mashed within and the crystalized within the husk.

A Cara-Munich, Cara-Vienne etc. is essentially the same process. The base malt is wetted and then roasted until the carbohydrates within are mashed in the husk and then crystalized.

That is how I understand it. I may be wrong.

 

[mkling]

Yep, the cara malts & crystals are the same except most crystals are made with US 2 row whereas the three cara malts you mentioned are all made with other base malts (Munich, Vienna, or Pilsener). They are also cooked for different amounts of time (cara-pils much shorter and thus paler). The caramunich & caravienne are more malty like their respective base malts.

 

[HenryHill]

http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Products/Carapils_Malts.htm

Carapils seems to be trademarked. Apparently the carmelization and dextrine conversion is done without coloring or flavoring the grain-as crystals do both.

http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Products/Caramel_Malts.htm#CaraVienne

This states that the flavor characteristics of V or M are accomplished, but I still don't get how caramunich (60) is not crystal 60.

 

[cuinrearview]

It's like the differences between M, V,and P as base malts. Subtle but there. To me caravienne=sweet bread, caramunich=sweet toast. And then again it could just be in our heads

 

[smakudwn]

This states that the flavor characteristics of V or M are accomplished, but I still don't get how caramunich (60) is not crystal 60.

Cara Munich is made with Munich Malt and Crystal 60 is made with 2 row.

I think that would change there taste characteristic.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Cara Munich is made with Munich Malt and Crystal 60 is made with 2 row.

I think that would change there taste characteristic.

They are both, unless specified otherwise, made from 2-Row Barley either domestic or imported.

 

[smakudwn]

I stand corrected, i always thought it was made with Munich.

 

[maida7]

I stand corrected, i always thought it was made with Munich.

Isn't Munich made with 2-row barley?

 

[smakudwn]

Isn't Munich made with 2-row barley?

Not sure to be honest, i thought it was its own classification.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I stand corrected, i always thought it was made with Munich.

Munich, IIUC, is just a descriptor to malsters on the degree of processing. While I would think that a German 2-row barley would be the authentic varietal there are Munich malts processed from plain old domestic 2 row barley.

For our use it is best to consider Munich as little more than a Diastastic (Base) Higher kilned malt where the Cara variety has had all the diastatic power processed out thus still imparting the essence of Munich but only requiring a steep rather than a mash and has limited fermentability due to the dextrinization of the crystallization/caramelization process.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Not sure to be honest, i thought it was its own classification.

There are only 3 basic types of malt. 2 Row, 4 Row, and 6 Row. varietal descriptor from there are merely patented hybrids of these base types.

2 Row and 6 Row are used in Brewing, Baking, and feed industries..

4 Row is typically used in distilling and is a derivation of 6 Row.

The names we are familiar describe regional characteristic that are becoming more and more blurred, and processsing techniques.

A large percentage of malt used for brewing is 2 Row barley processed in varied degrees of color, kiloning/roasting technique, diastatic power, or degree of crystalization.

 

[smakudwn]

So then there would be a difference between between a crystal 60 and a cara munich?

Ill be honest ive never tried eating then side by side.

Oh and thanks Gila for the info.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

So then there would be a difference between between a crystal 60 and a cara munich?

Ill be honest ive never tried eating then side by side.

Of course. You can mash Munich alone or with a small amount of adjuncts and control the fermentability and body.

Cara-Munich is a steeping grain. All the carbohydrates have been converted and crystalized. It's a Specialty effigy of Base Munich malt. the mashing is done for you. It imparts similar characteristics of the reference base grain but is no longer the actual base grain.

 

[bob1852]

Yes.

Raw barley kilned at ~450*F = roast barley

Raw barley malted, stewed at ~140-158*F, then kilned at 250-320 = crystal malts

Raw barely malted, dried at 140*F, kilned at high temp = chocolate, black, roast, brown

Raw barley malted, dried at 140*F, kilned at low temp = Pilsner, Pale, Vienna, Munich, specialty grains

*source - Daniels. "Designing Great Beers."

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Yes.

Raw barley kilned at ~450*F = roast barley

Raw barley malted, stewed at ~140-158*F, then kilned at 250-320 = crystal malts

Raw barely malted, dried at 140*F, kilned at high temp = chocolate, black, roast, brown

Raw barley malted, dried at 140*F, kilned at low temp = Pilsner, Pale, Vienna, Munich, specialty grains

*source - Daniels. "Designing Great Beers."

add Oats. - Noone

 

[HenryHill]

Of course. You can mash Munich alone or with a small amount of adjuncts and control the fermentability and body.

Cara-Munich is a steeping grain. All the carbohydrates have been converted and crystalized. It's a Specialty effigy of Base Munich malt. the mashing is done for you. It imparts similar characteristics of the reference base grain but is no longer the actual base grain.

This is immensely helpful and the 'effigy' thing made it click.