So, I'm familiar with Special B, and I know it will give raisin and plum notes. However, I haven't used much crystal above C20 before. I vaguely remember reading once that other caramel malts provide some subtle fruit flavors as well - maybe between Caramel 80 and Caramel 120? Can anyone clarify which malts would add fruity complexity to a beer? If there was anything known to throw a cherry flavor, that would be ideal!
Fruit Flavors from Caramel Malts?
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Most of the dark crystals, 80L+ with throw various dark fruit flavors, with 120L more raisin-y than 80L which is more plum-y. The english dark crystals are especially fruity, in a fruitcake sort of way.
60L gives more toffee and caramel to me.
60L gives more toffee and caramel to me.
Crystal will not give you 'sharp' or 'fresh' fruit flavours. They will be more like prunes, overripe plums, raisins, fruitcake, etc. You can get some slightly fresher fruit flavours from darker invert syrups, specially around invert #2, which is known for having some honey, pear and ripe cooked apple flavours. Invert #3 and above move again into the plum / caramel territory, but in my opinion still more 'fruity' than Crystal Malt. Those darker crystals also start to give some gentle toast / roast flavours you don't get from invert sugar syrup, so the sugar is better.
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