Looking for "Toasty" flavor

[BennyN]

So I'm about to start work on a Sierra Nevada clone and I'm looking for something to add to my steeping grains that would give me that "Fat Tire" toasty flavor. My gut tells me that added toastyness would go well in a SN clone, I just don't know how to do it! Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[remilard]

The problem is that toasty flavor generally comes from toasted malts which need to be mashed (though some people steep them).

I would try a portion of munich extract. Maybe 20%

 

[Yooper]

What about some victory malt? I get "toasty" from that.

 

[permo]

biscuit and aromatic malts......, chocolate sparingly possibly.

 

[BennyN]

Awesome. I'm taking notes for my next trip to the home brew shop. Thanks.

 

[permo]

if you like fat tire, you need to go heavy on the light crystal and specialty malts.

crystal 20
crystal 40

small amounts of

special B (carefull, strong)
chocolate (carefull, strong)
aromatic
biscuit

I also think that munich malt really gives that nice malty, toasted bread kind of flavor too.

 

[remilard]

What about some victory malt? I get "toasty" from that.

It's not converted so I would put it in the "mash" category, but I know that some people steep unconverted malt.

 

[BennyN]

Can you steep unconverted malt "as-is" or would I have to prepare it for steeping somehow?

 

[jjones17]

My experience in steeping unconverted grain is that it does add a 'fresh' flavor to your beer without the gravity. Mind you, I am no expert. I just finished an IPA using some home toasted malts in the grain bill. SMELLS awesome! I was going for the same 'toasty flavors', and I used:

- Toasted malt
- Biscuit malt
- Munich Malt

Next time, I would increase the toasted malt % quite a bit.

 

[manticle]

Vienna and biscuit will give you what you want in terms of flavour. However, while steeping a base malt in water between 60 and 70 degrees celsius for at least 30 minutes will usually be enough to convert the starches, something like biscuit has no diastatic power and cannot convert itself without being mashed with another base malt with surplus diastatic power. Vienna is fine though - plenty of surplus in that. Weyermans is quite toasty.

 

[remilard]

Yeah, I wouldn't personally use biscuit/victory/special roast etc without a mini-mash which as manticle points out is about as simple as putting probably an equal amount by weight of vienna or a lighter base malt in the bag and being careful about holding the temp.

I would take it at least a step further and buy some tincture of iodine for $1 at Target and test for conversion.

 

[Yooper]

Can you steep unconverted malt "as-is" or would I have to prepare it for steeping somehow?

As was mentioned, if you take base malt along with the specialty malt, and you steep at 150-155 degrees for 45 minutes, you've basically mashed them. That's what I would do.

I have steeped victory malt in the past, with good results. A small amount in a steep doesn't seem to have caused any haze or other issues, and the beer had great flavor. But, adding a 1/2 pound of victory malt along with 1/2 pound of two-row (and/or more steeping grains) into 1.5 quarts of water per pound of grain and keeping in the 150s makes it a msh.

 

[manticle]

Presumably Benny doesn't equate 'as is' with 'uncracked'?

No extra prep required that's not already required with other grains besides singing softly to it in the bathroom when no-one's looking.

 

[smizak]

Half pound of Victory is my secret weapon with my recipes. I just love the bready, toastiness that it imparts.

But it will have to be mashed. You can just add a pound of 2-row to a pot with the Victory and hold it around 150F for 20 mins. or so. Strain and add to your extract boil. Then you're PMin.

 

[BennyN]

I can't wait to get started on this. Thanks for the help everyone!