Low Lovibond steeping grains for flavor?

[neldred]

I want to make an Imperial Pilsner, and being a newby I'm still trying to figure out the characteristics of steeping grains. The amber or darker grains seem really easy to pin down as far as what type of flavors and colors they will add, but the lighter steeping grains seems more ambigious and maybe only add more mouthfeel than anything (please correct me here if I'm off base). Which lighter color grains will add flavor and complexity to a recipe and still keep that light/golden color? Is it possible to use something like a Vienna in a small quantity? I'm still a little lost too on the quantity of grains that should be used and why (say, per gallon of final brew). Thanks in advance!

 

[Beehemel]

Vienna is a base malt and needs to be mashed for conversion, otherwise you may get starch haze in your finished product. What you want to use is probably some carapils/dextrine (probably the best choice) or maybe Crystal 10L to get some body without too much color. I think there are some more out there with low lovibond ratings that I can't think of right now.

 

[Dos_Locos_Brewery]

Agree with Beehemel - carapils/dextrine may be about the only choice. Although Imperial Pilsner is not exactly a classic style, as a riff off of Pilsner, it really shouldn't have any colored malts. When I brew a Pilsner, I use 100% pilsner malt. For extract brewing, that would translate to no steeping grains. But if I were doing it that way, I'd use carapils/dextrine.

 

[Yooper]

There are a couple of good resources for grains. One is the software program, Beersmith. It has a free trial, so you can download it and play with it to see if you like it. It's actually geared more to recipes, but it's way more useful than that. There is a list of "grains" and it tells you what they do, and if they need to be mashed. There is also the list of BJCP guidelines, so you can see that "irish red" has these qualities, grains, etc.

Another great resource is the midwest brewing website. http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdBySubCat.aspx?SubCat=11160&fd=1

sure, it's designed so you can buy the grains. But, they have them listed, what color they are, and what they do. That link was for crystal, but they have similar lists for adjuncts, basemalts, and specialty grains.

I also have a few good books that list the grains, and the basic characteristics of each.