My Recipe Box
Barley malt is the main grain in any good beer recipe. Since this site is dedicated to the beginning brewer, we will be working with malt extract . The first step in commercial brewing is to convert the grain malt starches into sugar, a process known as mashing. The sweet liquid that is drawn off is called wort. Malt extract is simply wort that has been concentrated to a thick syrup, or in the case of dry extract , to a powder. The mashing process requires more equipment and lots of practice. Malt extract eliminates this step and allows us to brew great tasting beers in our own kitchen.
Malt extract is made by a large number of manufacturers. Three colors are usually available: pale, amber, and dark. Some manufacturers make special extracts for specific purposes, such as weizenbier extract, which is made using a high percentage of wheat malt intended for making Bavarian wheat beers.
Hopped malt extracts(also called beer kits) are ordinary malt extract blended with hop extract. I do not recommend hopped extracts. You will get a better hop flavor, and better control over the bitterness of your beer, if you add your own hops.
Malt extract syrup and dry extract powder both have certain advantages. Dry malt extract is relatively easy to weigh out and measure. This makes it easy to adjust proportions and quantities, but dry malt absorbs water from the air and will harden into lumps if it is stored under humid conditions. Malt extract syrup avoids this problem, but it is sticky and hard to measure.
Many grains are non fermentable and are used as flavoring and coloring agents. These grains are rated using a Lovibond measurement. The Lovibond (L) rating is an indicator of the ability the grain has to darken the wort. The higher the values have more darkening power. It is specified on a scale ranging from 2 to over 35. Usually, these grains are steeped in the brew kettle until the water begins to boil and then removed.
Here are some typical grain malts used during brewing:
| Chocolate Malt | A lightly roasted malt used when black patent malt is too much. Typically steeped. |
| Crystal Malt | Adds amber color and slightly caramel flavor. The most widely used malt. Steep this grain. |
| Black Patent Malt | Adds dark color and a roasted flavor to your wort. Typically found in stouts, porters, and dark ales |
| Roasted Barley | A common ingredient in Irish Stouts. This is unmalted. Dry and slightly nutty flavor. |
| Pale Malt | An excellent grain for light colored beers when on caramalized flavor is desired. Requires mashing. |
| Lager Malt | Common ingredient in all-grain lagers. Requires mashing. |