Types of grain

[Jag75]

What makes grain a base malt , crystal malt, acid malt ?

Trying to understand.
What is carafoam, cararoma and melanoidin.
Also what is honey considered ?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Carafoam is a very light colored caramel malt, somewhat similar to Carapils.
Caraaroma is a very deep (roughly 150L) colored caramel malt, somewhat similar to Dingemans Special B.
Melanoidin is a roughly 26L specialty malt with some loose affinity to dark or so called "Super Munich" malts.
Honey Malt is somewhat similar to Melanoidin Malt.

Base malts are sprouted grains which have been de-chitted and then very mildly kilned, and as such they are high in diastatic power. Lovibond color is at the lower end of the scale for these malts.
Caramel or Crystal Malts are effectively mashed within their husks, and have had their starches converted to sugars thereby. They have zero diastatic power.
Acid malt is base malt that has been sprayed with either Lactic Acid or Saurgut.

 

[Jag75]

Thank you for the break down silver

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Most homebrewing books will have a good explanation of base malts and the various speciality malts (crystal, caramel, roasted, ...). However, this may be one of those questions where the online version of How To Brew is a 'good enough' starting point.

 

[Jag75]

Thanks for the link kopperkat!