Swaen Ale malt?

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CDS

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My LHBS is unfortunately closing down and liquidating his stock, so when I went in today, it was pretty slim pickings. I'm brewing my usual APA this weekend, which calls for 2-Row Brewer's Malt as 80% of the grain bill. He didn't have that, but he did have Swaen Ale malt, so I picked that as a substitute. When I substitute it in Brewfather, nothing changes but the SRM, which I expected, but after reading more about Swaen Ale the description has me second guessing my decision. It says:
"Swaen Ale is used to correct over-pale malts, to produce "golden" beer and to improve palate fullness. For this a steeping degree of 44 to 46% is used, the malt is normally modified and not overmodified, it is cured at 90-95°C and thereby a colour of 6 to 9 EBC is obtained. It’s not just a darker base malt but a unique part of your unique recipes."
When I read "correct over-pale malts", it makes me think it's supposed to be used as an addition but not as your primary base malt.

Anyway - long-winded way to ask:
1) Is any one familiar with Swaen Ale
2) Should I use it as my primary base?

Here's the regular grain bill of my recipe if that helps;
3.7 kg - Brewer's Malt, 2-Row, Premium 2 °L (80.3%)
470 g - Munich Malt 8.1 °L (10.2%)
190 g - Caramel Malt 20L 20 °L (4.1%)
130 g - Wheat Flaked 1.7 °L (2.8%)
120 g - Carapils/Carafoam 2 °L (2.6%)
 
The malt house says "up to 100%" usage and looking at the specs I think you'd be fine using it as your base malt. There'll be a somewhat darker outcome vs your 2°L base malt, but not majorly so...

Cheers!

Swaen-Ale.jpg
 
The malt house says "up to 100%" usage and looking at the specs I think you'd be fine using it as your base malt. There'll be a somewhat darker outcome vs your 2°L base malt, but not majorly so...

Cheers!

View attachment 818011
Ah excellent! I just grabbed the description from my LHBS website - didn't have all of this detail. Thanks for finding this!
 
I used it for 3 years or more. It might not be the best, but it was a good price and it made perfectly good beer. I don't use it since Brexit as it is now too complicated to import.
 
I used it for 3 years or more. It might not be the best, but it was a good price and it made perfectly good beer. I don't use it since Brexit as it is now too complicated to import.
Thanks for the reply! Good to know. Any more detail on what made it maybe not the best, in your opinion? I notice G_robertus alluded to same:
This might be a translation issue. I've used it before and it's just a pale ale malt. Not my favourite, but definitely not bad. You should be fine.
Just hoping to set my expectations. Cheers!🍻
 
If you want to make a specific beer that uses a particular and well respected ale, then this malt won't replicate that beer as perhaps using that particular brand would. It does have more protein and moisture content than better barleys have, but what I bought was perfectly good for me and better value than others at that time.
Since Brexit I can no longer obtain it, or if I did, it would no longer be best value, so no more Swaen at present. I mostly buy best value because there have been times when buying what was believed to be the best, was not.
 
If you want to make a specific beer that uses a particular and well respected ale, then this malt won't replicate that beer as perhaps using that particular brand would. It does have more protein and moisture content than better barleys have, but what I bought was perfectly good for me and better value than others at that time.
Since Brexit I can no longer obtain it, or if I did, it would no longer be best value, so no more Swaen at present. I mostly buy best value because there have been times when buying what was believed to be the best, was not.
Got you. Makes sense. Thanks again.
 
Thanks for the reply! Good to know. Any more detail on what made it maybe not the best, in your opinion? I notice G_robertus alluded to same:

Just hoping to set my expectations. Cheers!🍻
It is definitely something to check out yourself and decide whether you like the flavours of this (or any, really) particular malt. I like pale ale malt with a complex and malty profile, like Paul's Malt or Munton's Maris Otter. This particular malt just lacked some complexity that I do find in the two I mentioned earlier. I would probably choose it over other malts such as as Fawcett MO because I find the flavour is around the same level, but a lot cheaper. The others I would pay extra for. Again, this is what I've experienced myself, it could be that you or anyone else completely disagrees and likes a different brand/line much better.

Late edit: I forgot to mention it, but I feel like it's important to note that I mostly alternate between English (dark) styles and IPAs. I like malt character in both, albeit sometimes less in IPA (and I will cut or change base malts for that) so MO is my natural go to. I do get other base malts if I branch out a bit. I would use Swaen Ale malt in Belgian styles for example.
 
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