Missing malt. Advice please

[Chris Grubb]

So I was brewing up the black pearl porter and realized I got 2 pounds of chocolate malt instead of 1 chocolate and 1 crystal 30.

I have some extra chocolate, some black patent, about .25 pound of cara-pils then some base malts.

Any idea as to what I can do? No local HB shops, called a local brewery and they don’t have any crystal.

 

[RM-MN]

Since you don't have anything in your inventory that substitutes for the Crystal 30 you have tow choices.

1. Wait to brew until you can get your hands on Crystal 30 (caramel 30 would be the same) so you get the exact recipe. Check with the local brewery to see if they have caramel 20 or 40 and make that small change. It wouldn't be exact but you may not notice unless you have one of each in your hands to compare.

2. Brew without the Crystal 30. Your beer will lack some of the sweetness and flavor that the Crystal 30 imparts and will lack some of the complexity but will be a drinkable beer.

 

[IslandLizard]

How did you end up with 2 pounds of chocolate malt and no crystal?

Were they possibly mixed together, milled and supplied in 2 separate bags?

As @RM-MN said, brew as is with one pound of chocolate, ask your brewery for Caramel 20 or 40 or a 50/50 mix, or hold off.
You could use the 1/4# of carapils, but has no flavor, just adds some body.

 

[bracconiere]

could always make your own crystal malt with the base malt....soak it, drain, put it in the oven and get the kernels up to 150f for 30min...then roast until desired color is achieved....not the best but it can work!

 

[IslandLizard]

could always make your own crystal malt with the base malt....soak it, drain, put it in the oven and get the kernels up to 150f for 30min...then roast until desired color is achieved....not the best but it can work!

Good idea!
But I think you have to soak, then "stew" them for an hour or so at 130-145F before toasting them. Crystal/Cara malts are "mashed" inside the kernel.

 

[bracconiere]

Good idea!
But I think you have to soak, then "stew" them for an hour or so at 130-145F before toasting them. Crystal/Cara malts are "mashed" inside the kernel.

that's what i said to do! lol... soak them to get them wet, drain them. then get the kernels up to 150f, for conversion....then roast to desired color...

i'd worry about 'stewing' extracting to much sugar that the goal is to caramelize with roasting....i know when i make my crystal, i just put wet malt in the oven till it hits 150f, turn off the oven. then dry and roast..But if your just doing a pound, i'd imagine roasting would be sufficient...

 

[IslandLizard]

that's what i said to do! lol... soak them to get them wet, drain them. then get the kernels up to 150f, for conversion....then roast to desired color...

i'd worry about 'stewing' extracting to much sugar that the goal is to caramelize with roasting....i know when i make my crystal, i just put wet malt in the oven till it hits 150f, turn off the oven. then dry and roast..But if your just doing a pound, i'd imagine roasting would be sufficient...

Yeah, sorry, I didn't get the essential "stewing" part from being in the oven for 30 minutes.

When stewing malt I'm thinking of thoroughly soaked wet grains in a temp controlled crock pot or so. Not a lot of extra water, just stewing/mashing in their own juices. I guess all the way up to 150-155F would still work fine.

 

[bracconiere]

Yeah, sorry, I didn't get the essential "stewing" part from being in the oven for 30 minutes.

When stewing malt I'm thinking of thoroughly soaked wet grains in a temp controlled crock pot or so. Not a lot of extra water, just stewing/mashing in their own juices. I guess all the way up to 150-155F would still work fine.

ahh, wet kernels without water...in a crock pot....probably work too! i usually just use a sealed container, and put them in the oven...i do like 10 lbs at a time though, and need to dry them before roasting for at least my best attempt at a consistent roast...

My last few batches i've just converted, then roasted long and slow...230f for 12 hours...

 

[IslandLizard]

My last few batches i've just converted, then roasted long and slow...230f for 12 hours...

That's a long time! How did they turn out? What commercial caramalt would you compare them to?

10 pounds at a time, you must be using a lot of "crystal" or doing big batches.

I make chicken strip treats for the puppy at that 230F temp on trays in a convection oven. That is after the initial "broil" to get rid of most juice and get them heated through quickly to food safe temps before the long drying/dehydration process. It also takes a few hours at 230F, and then leave them in while the oven slowly cools overnight. Perfect and crispy next morning!

 

[bracconiere]

i use about 1-2lbs a 10gal batch...it's hard enough keeping up on making base malt..i have to do 20lbs of that for ONE batch!

i'd say low and slow is working better then hot and fast being that i have no way to constantly stir the kernels in the oven. i was looking into some sort of rotisserie oven basket though...couldn't find one...

that's a beer i brewed with the low and slow...

the one on the left was hot and fast the one on the right low and slow, still very in-consistent...but makes a decent beer....

 

[IslandLizard]

Oh, yeah, you make your own malts. That alone is worth a commendation!

You know as well as I do that higher heat causes more darkening (toasting/roasting), more so than lower heat even at much longer temps, so it's no surprise to see the difference. Commercial malt "kilns" rotate, which helps in getting a more even product and repeatability. Now British crystal malts tend to be much more variegated in color, similar to yours, than say Briess.
For example, Muntons' Dark Crystal (~140-150L) looks more like a mixture of kernels that seem to range in color from C60-C160/C180. Must be the way it's processed.

I've seen pictures of home malting/kilning systems, complete with forced air heaters, where they use washing machine or dryer drums, with a screen on the inside to keep kernels from falling through.

Is that an olive skewer in your sample glass?

 

[bracconiere]

Is that an olive skewer in your sample glass?

no...lol, just no head...