Extract Replacements

[Essential_Evil]

Hey all,

I'm located in Germany and it makes finding ingredients a bit hard due to Home brewing not being as big of an industry. I'm getting ready to do a Christmas brew and was looking around for recipes. I found a recipe I like but am running into an issue finding specific extracts and grains. The recipe calls for:

Light DME
Munich LME
Cara/crystal 20 and 60
Special Roast
Black Patent

I cannot find anything but the Light DME over here(which is currently sold out). I do not have a LHBS and all the websites are missing most or all of what I need. So using a link I found off of google (http://www.brew.is/files/malt.html) and hopefully anyone's input here, I have found/am debating the following replacements:

Light DME -> Light LME
Munich LME -> Munich malt (partial mash-www.homebrewing.org/Partial-Mash-Brewing_ep_43-1.html)
Cara/crystal 20 -> Carared
Cara/crystal 60 -> Caramünch II
Special Roast -> Carafa
Black Patent -> English Black Malt

I was forced to go with the Munich Malt as I cannot find a Munich extract that isn't an 8lb LME bottle (I don't brew often enough to use all of that). Any suggestions for a better replacement you can think of or if I'm completely off base with what I selected would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
-Jay

 

[ncbrewer]

Light LME can be used in place of light DME. It should be the same thing except in a different form. LME has lower ppg, so use a little more of the LME to get the target gravity points. You can get the amount needed by multiplying pound x ppg. On the average 1 lb DME = 1.25 lbs LME.

I haven't used Munich extract, but I looked up Millard Malts Munich LME. It has half pale ale malt and half Munich malt. I guess you could use these two malts if they are available. Keep in mind that the partial mash is different from steeping specialty malts - you'll be doing a mash, which complicates things just a little.

 

[Essential_Evil]

I'll keep that in mind. Do you have suggestions about the rest if the subs?

 

[ncbrewer]

I might steer you wrong. Maybe somebody can help with those.

 

[saltymirv]

I agree with your substitutions except carafa for special roast. Special roast is about 50L, its kind of like Victory/Biscuit except a little more intense. Carafa is something like 300-400L.

Why don't you post up the malts that are available to you and we can help you make substitutions

 

[Essential_Evil]

Ok so here are links to the specific ones:

Munich malt http://www.hobbybrauerversand.de/Munich-Malt-20-25-EBC-crushed?lang=eng
Carared http://www.hobbybrauerversand.de/CARAREDZ-about-40-50-EBC-crushed?lang=eng
Caramünch II http://www.hobbybrauerversand.de/CARAMUNICHZ-II-110-130-EBC-crushed?lang=eng
Carafa http://www.hobbybrauerversand.de/BIO-CarafaZ-1100-1200-EBC-crushed?lang=eng
English Black Malt http://www.hobbybrauerversand.de/Black-Malt-1220-1440-EBC-crushed

and here is one to the Malt section: http://www.hobbybrauerversand.de/Malt-Malt-Kit

 

[saltymirv]

Interesting that they don't have a victory/biscuit/brown malt - must be an American thing. Either way, Carafa isn't a good substitution for Special Roast. Its actually a better substitution for the black patent malt.

Chateau does have a biscuit/abbey (which isn't a bad sub) but the website says its "not available". One thing you could try is buying some maris otter and then toasting it yourself in the oven. It obviously won't be the same but it might give you that toasty effect

 

[HawleyFarms]

None of the maltsters in Germany have any type of home brewing supply outlet? Kind of surprised that ingredients would be hard to come by with a dozen or so malting facilities in Germany.

 

[Essential_Evil]

None of the maltsters in Germany have any type of home brewing supply outlet? Kind of surprised that ingredients would be hard to come by with a dozen or so malting facilities in Germany.

I'm doing my best with the translation and google searches. As best as I can find, no there aren't any big suppliers like Northern Brewer or Home Brew Supply.

I sometime order from the states but depending on the order that can be upwards of $60 just for shipping.

 

[DromJohn]

As far as I can tell, OP has a pretty large selection of malts available, but Briess Special Roast only has one continental substitute (MFB Kiln Amber), and two UK substitutes (Baird Brown and Fawcett Brown). In other words, none of the maltsters in Germany malt anything like Special Roast. The lack of those four is the dilemma.
If I was in this situation, I would either punt the recipe entirely or sub in with half Munich 10L and half CaraMunich. It won't be as biscuity, but would still be good.