Last minute Grain swap, thoughts?

[tnbrewer371]

Went to grind grain and found I didn’t have the carastan my recipe called for. Not wanting to drive to the LHBS I subbed melanoidan malt and moved on. Interested to here peoples thoughts on this swap?

 

[Steveruch]

What is the actual recipe?

 

[bracconiere]

Not wanting to drive to the LHBS

that's what we all say....

 

[tnbrewer371]

12.5# 2row
1.25# carapils
1.25# carastan (subbed melanoidan malt)
.5# rice hulls

 

[bracconiere]

What is the actual recipe?

i just go by color so, +1

 

[bracconiere]

i was trying to enter that into beersmith, but apparently it doesn't know what carastan even is.....

 

[bracconiere]

you people must like BIG beers....but that's what the color should be according to beersmith....

 

[McKnuckle]

Carastan is a medium Lovibond UK crystal malt (~37L). Melanoidin is a lightly kilned "super Munich" German grain with a rich malty flavor. They're not really that similar. I'd expect the Carastan to behave like a crystal malt - caramel flavor, some body and perhaps residual sweetness - and the Melanoidin to have more of a biscuit/dry malty flavor.

False equivalence aside, it should be a nice combo, just different from the original recipe.

 

[bracconiere]

and the Melanoidin to have more of a biscuit/dry malty flavor.

so for my personal taste it would be an improvment!

 

[tnbrewer371]

I guess I should have just used the crystal 60 I had on hand instead of the melanoidan. Oh well. It will still be drinkable.

 

[tnbrewer371]

View attachment 669396

you people must like BIG beers....but that's what the color should be according to beersmith....

It’s showing 1.071 at 75% eff for six gallons for me.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Crystal 40 or CaraMunich I or II would have been a closer substitution.
However, while it will be different than intended, it should still be pretty good, except that’s a really high percentage of melanoidin.
Could end up a little cloying if you don’t get really good fermentability and attenuation.

 

[McKnuckle]

Hey, it may be an improvement. As written the recipe contains 17.8% crystal malt, which is a lot. And I like crystal malt! Cutting it back to half that much is not necessarily a bad thing. And American 2-row is fairly bland, so some malty goodness may be a bonus.

 

[bracconiere]

Could end up a little cloying if you don’t get really good fermentability and attenuation.

sounds like he already brewed it, so it would be too late to mash low?

It’s showing 1.071 at 75% eff for six gallons for me.

ahh, 6 gallons...still pretty big though,

 

[Cavpilot2000]

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