German Melanoidin Malt: How much?

[treehouse]

I'm trying to dial in a beer of mine and would like to get some ruby red color to the brown. I know you can use Melanoidin Malt to achieve this but I have never used this stuff before and have no idea what kind of taste it is going to contribute or at what amounts for a subtle red coloring.

Why do I want red coloring? I dunno. I'm into beer color I guess. This recipe is not a strict interpretation and is going to be loosely based on a medium gravity Yorkshire style brown. Loosely. I like to experiment. Anybody use this stuff?

Oops. Forgot to give the SRM number. This Melanoidin malt is listed as SRM 30.

 

[Walker]

Melanoidins are chemical compounds that provide rich malty tastes. You can find them in higher concentrations in Munich malt than in regular old 2-row. In the speciality grain known as Melanoidin Malt, the levels of melanoidins are much higher.

If you just want the color and not the malty taste, try a VERY small amount of roasted barley.

I'm trying to dial in a beer of mine and would like to get some ruby red color to the brown. I know you can use Melanoidin Malt to achieve this but I have never used this stuff before and have no idea what kind of taste it is going to contribute or at what amounts for a subtle red coloring.

Why do I want red coloring? I dunno. I'm into beer color I guess. This recipe is not a strict interpretation and is going to be loosely based on a medium gravity Yorkshire style brown. Loosely. I like to experiment. Anybody use this stuff?

Oops. Forgot to give the SRM number. This Melanoidin malt is listed as SRM 30.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Agree with the mad scientist...I like melanoidin malt and use it in a brown ale with good results. It does yield some red color, but also lots of maltiness. I've seen as little as 4oz, and I use 2lbs in my recipe. 1/2-1oz of roasted barley will get you the color without much flavor.

 

[ayrton]

Melanoidins are chemical compounds that provide rich malty tastes. You can find them in higher concentrations in Munich malt than in regular old 2-row. In the speciality grain known as Melanoidin Malt, the levels of melanoidins are much higher.

If you just want the color and not the malty taste, try a VERY small amount of roasted barley.

I'll reiterate: BE CAREFUL using the roasted barley. I used 1/2 lb in a recipe (with 12 lbs. of other grain in there) and it made it look more like a stout. Try 2 oz.

 

[treehouse]

1/2-1oz of roasted barley will get you the color without much flavor.

Amazing that that small amount would make a difference in color. I think I will try that. Don't want to be adding additional flavors right now. Things are already getting too complicated...Thanks for the info.

 

[texasgeorge]

Agree with the roasted barley. How much grain is in the mash already? I'd use no more than 1 to 1.5 oz. Crystal 120L will give you redness too.


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[roggae]

i use melanoidin malt in my signature brew 1.5 lbs in a 12.5 lbs GB. i love it. actually i put trace amounts into all of my beers. does anyone have any more info on this malt? i'd love ot know 'more' about it.

 

[treehouse]

i use melanoidin malt in my signature brew 1.5 lbs in a 12.5 lbs GB. i love it. actually i put trace amounts into all of my beers. does anyone have any more info on this malt? i'd love ot know 'more' about it.

Is your signature beer an ale or a lager Roggae?

Well I've done some research and found some interesting things:

Two malts with high melanoidin levels are Vienna malt and Munich malt. Of the two, Munich malt has more, and in particular, the darker the grade of Munich malt, the stronger the higher the melanoidin content. These malts are made by slowly drying the malt as the temperature is raised, allowing the melanoidins to form as part of the kilning process. At the top end of the scale is a specialty material called melanoidin malt.

If you are an extract brewer, the easiest option is to buy Munich malt extract. You can use this just like the regular malt extract. In addition to getting a richer melanoidin flavor, you beer will be darker color and the final gravity will be a bit higher. A simple additional step to take is to buy a small amount of melanoidin malt and steep it like you normally would steep crystal malt. About half a pound per five-gallon batch works well.

So "Melanoidin Malt" is a bit of a misnomer. As I understand it, it only describes a malt super high in melanoidins which are present in most malts, but especially Vienna and Munich malt types. (It is also hard to spell...). From what I read, melanoidin malt is used primarily in German beers (lagers) and not so much with ales. Hmmmm...Would be fun to sneak some of this stuff into my ales. Sort of a concentrate of Munich or Vienna malt...

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Melanoidin malt is definitely different than Munich and Vienna (which both have more melanoidins than normal ol' 2-row).