Weyerman CaraAmber=Biscuit? question/rant

[Zymurgrafi]

So I thought I have been using biscuit malt for some time now. My LHBS repacks bulk grains in 1 # packages. It is labeled biscuit. However I just noticed on their website they have it listed as CaraAmber (biscuit) under their Weyerman malts.

What gives? I looked around online, including Weyerman's website and cannot find a good answer. Many sites/forums claim it to also be a biscuit kilned/roasted type malt. Weyerman seems to suggest it is a caramel/crystal malt (thus the cara in the name) but rather vaguely. I wish maltsters would not use these misleading proprietary names for their malts. I personally feel they would sell more grain if they were forthcoming about what it is supposed to be. Frankly I tend to avoid malts if I cannot easily figure out what they are supposed to be. I want to know what I am using so I can repeat my results.

 

[Piotr]

So I thought I have been using biscuit malt for some time now. My LHBS repacks bulk grains in 1 # packages. It is labeled biscuit. However I just noticed on their website they have it listed as CaraAmber (biscuit) under their Weyerman malts.

What gives? I looked around online, including Weyerman's website and cannot find a good answer. Many sites/forums claim it to also be a biscuit kilned/roasted type malt. Weyerman seems to suggest it is a caramel/crystal malt (thus the cara in the name) but rather vaguely. I wish maltsters would not use these misleading proprietary names for their malts. I personally feel they would sell more grain if they were forthcoming about what it is supposed to be. Frankly I tend to avoid malts if I cannot easily figure out what they are supposed to be. I want to know what I am using so I can repeat my results.

No, I think it is just caramel malt, like Crystal 20-30.
They say the Cara*** malts have just a bit more pronounced taste than equivalent Crystal matls, whatever it means.
If you look for Biscuit sub, Melanoidin malt should be better

 

[TeleTwanger]

Yeah if it has 'Cara' in the name it's probably a crystal malt and not a toasted base malt (amber, aromatic, munich, biscuit, victory, etc) Huge difference when it comes to mashing/steeping.

 

[Zymurgrafi]

Kind of pissed off at my LHBS. Cannot figure out why they labeled it as such. Or why other places list it as such. Guess I better verify what all the malts they sell ACTUALLY are!

Just as pissed as I am at the marketing dept. of maltsters...

 

[Ølbart]

Weyermans's CaraAmber is just a trademark name for their version of biscuit malt. It's not a caramel malt, despite the name.

 

[Zymurgrafi]

Man, this isn't clearing anything up!

Well, when it doubt... taste it.

It does not taste like a crystal/caramel malt. Nor does it have the crystalline appearance inside so...

Ølbart,

What is your source for this info? That is what I was hoping was the case but there is so much other contrary opinion out there it makes it muddy.

Thanks for helping me sort this out.

Maybe I'll just toast my own...

 

[TeleTwanger]

Biscuit and Victory are both trademarked names for Amber malt.

 

[Ølbart]

Sorry, I have nothing more definite than having Googled a bit and found that's the general view. The description from sites like Northern Brewer seems to support it, though: "Intesifies the aroma and color of dark beers, particularly German altbiers, stouts, bocks and porters." Especially the aroma is what I get from Castle Malting's biscuit malt, and that's not something I expect from a crystal malt.

If you get a strong sweet malty aroma up front from the CaraAmber (in the finished beer, that is), then I think you've got the right stuff.

 

[fredthecat]

cant find any more relevant threads about caraamber, not sure if its obscure or what but my LHBS has it and i havent used it yet because im not sure if its really just like biscuit or if it will add sweetness or what..

what i read from the weyermann site though supports what Ølbart says, that it is equivalent to biscuit malt

 

[hollywoodbrew]

Culver City Brew Supply didn't have Victory, so I suggested I'll get biscuit and they said CaraAmber is closer to victory than biscuit.

I think all three are interchangeable toasted malts, contributing a bread-toast flavor.

Victory = CaraAmber = Biscuit

 

[denimglen]

I've always found caraamber to give some caramel and a bit of toastiness. Not the straight toastiness you get with something like amber malt. There are crystallised kernels in there, just not many of them.

This chart may help? (Or add to the confusion )

 

[camiller]

Some local homebrew shops are probably basing their labeling of CaraAmber as biscuit based on Crosby & Bakers (a homebrew wholesale supplier to homebrew shops) product catalog. Here is the unpriced public version of the wyermann page http://crosby-baker.com/index.php/whole-and-crushed-grains/weyermann-grain-malts.html

Note also that "Cara Foam" is dextrin malt and "Cara Hell" is light crystal (~10L)

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

IMO, the closest thing is Melanoidin. I've read that it's essentially Aromatic malt.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Culver City Brew Supply didn't have Victory, so I suggested I'll get biscuit and they said CaraAmber is closer to victory than biscuit.

I think all three are interchangeable toasted malts, contributing a bread-toast flavor.

Victory = CaraAmber = Biscuit

I disagree. Victory = Biscuit and they are toasted (as is Melanoidin) but neither are a caramel/crystal malt. Victory/Biscuit/Aromatic/Melanoidin all should have some diastatic power although usually not enough to convert themselves (Victory might have enough).