Munich vs Crystal malt- What exactly is the difference ?

[Nhoro]

Hi All, I am fiddling around with some home malting. I have researched the process of making munich and making crystal malt. The process seems very similar in many ways. Munich seems to be held at 50 deg C and then at 60-70 degrees to modify sugars while crystal seems to go at 60-70 deg. Then both are finished at 95 deg,

Trying to get my head around what is happening in the seed- Am I correct in thinking Munich will end up beingsort of half way between pale malt and crystal ? I am seeing that munich is semi dried before being raised to 65 deg so will end up only half converting the sugars leaving some fermentable-half crystal ? Are there also flavour differences ?

 

[bracconiere]

my understanding is muinch is fully dried, before toasting, so it retains it's diastatic power, or most of it.....it's just sort of 'dark' pale malt......crystal malt is wet mashed in the kernel to produce carmelization of sugar during kilning.....

think roast barley, black patent......but on the lighter side......

the difference is if the grain is dry then the enzymes aren't mobile.....and won't denature, or convert the starch to sugar, until wet again......hmm, found this


edit, edit, edit: i've edit this so much i know it's bed time!

 

[Vale71]

Munich is a base malt. It is dried to less than 20% water content at low temperatures and then the temperature is raised to final kilning temperature and held there until moisture is <5%. No conversion takes place during kilning as by the time conversion temperature is reached the moisture content is too low for the amylase to work.

Crystal is raised to conversion temperature without drying (the air in the kiln is recirculated to keep it saturated with moisture), held there long enough to achieve full conversion and then it's raised to its final kilning temperature which varies according to the type of crystal malt one wants to produce.

Exact details vary by malthouse and are a trade secret.

 

[bracconiere]

Munich is a base malt. It is dried to less than 20% water content at low temperatures and then the temperature is raised to final kilning temperature and held there until moisture is <5%. No conversion takes place during kilning as by the time conversion temperature is reached the moisture content is too low for the amylase to work.

Crystal is raised to conversion temperature without drying (the air in the kiln is recirculated to keep it saturated with moisture), held there long enough to achieve full conversion and then it's raised to its final kilning temperature which varies according to the type of crystal malt one wants to produce.

Exact details vary by malthouse and are a trade secret.

that's what i meant to say! lol (and i still want to tip you a supporting membership! PM me a LOL, and i'll see if that will work.... )


edit: it was 2am, and i was up to 18 or so...

@Nhoro when vale says "base malt" he's refering to the fact it still has "diastatic power", meaning in a mash it will convert starch to sugar.....