malt selection

[bt1]

Hello all,

I’ve read a few recent posts where grain bills are specified for UJSM’s and BWKO’s and is seems the discussion stops at about % grain types. What a dam pity!...there’s flavour going missing as a result.

A UJSM/BWKO is a great drink when done with care and run slowly through any manner of stills. The addition of grains provides a little flavour that finds it’s way to the final product and most ppl just focus on grain type and leave it at that.

Base malts are the grunt engines of starch to sugar conversion. 6 row malted barley is a stocked in near all HB shops. They play an important conversion role in AG washes but don’t serve as well in a grain/sugarhead. For grain/sugar heads we’re really not expecting much in the way of conversion and would be far better chasing some specialist malts for flavour.

Introducing Caramalts and Crystal malts. These malts are generally kiln/drum toasted to varying temps and time to produce a few very sort after characteristics for grain/sugarheads. Sugars are caramelised and in some cases near burnt producing a range of wonderful flavours. These are perfectly suited to grain/sugarheads.

To release some of these flavours/sugars a partial cook is best and the malts can simply be added to your sugar melt pot for a near/short boil.

I’ll borrow a few links from local SA supplier to assist here. Have a read of tasting notes on each…they’re pretty close to what you’ll get carrying through to your final product to varying degrees.

http://shop.beerbelly.com.au/ingredients/malted-grain/dingemans-special-b-300-ebc.html
A truly deep flavoured malt, med to coarse crack, cooked is best.

http://shop.beerbelly.com.au/ingredients/malted-grain/weyermannr-caraaromar-malt-370-ebc.html
A good flavoured replacement for standard base malt. Fine to Med crack, cooked is best.

http://shop.beerbelly.com.au/ingredients/malted-grain/weyermannr-carafa-specialr-ii-1200-ebc.html
Brilliant special effect, heavier flavoured malt used in very small amounts <50 - 150gm per 60lt fermenter.

Just to illustrate what two identical lager washes look like one with 100gm carafa added being the only change….

IMAG0035.jpg

Dried malt extracts and liquid malt extracts are also well worth a try. The DME not only adds flavour but also speeds up wash run times due to it’s a near complete yeast food /vitamin/ simple sugars.

So next time your calling the HB shop or grain specialist, look into caramalts, crystal malts or LME/DME… it's well worth the effort and opens up a whole new range of flavours.

Enjoy!
bt1

[Bushy]

Great information BT1. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Many thanks.

[ozybottler]

:clap: you have solved my thinking but the stuff in a can for beer you get from super market is it the same

[bt1]

Hello ozy,

Yes is the answer to your question. Some may argue quality/taste but it's essentially the same. The canned types would be what we'd term liquid malt extracts(LME's). Generally where the label refers to a specific beer style, pilsner, draught, ale etc it's has hops for beer making added and should be avoided.

What we're after is plain malts and they generally have names like golden, light, amber, dark etc. So just make sure it's not hopped for beer and your away.
Used Cooper's amber to great effect...

cheers bt1

[ozybottler]

unreal ill be doing that in the morning :dance:

[bt1]

ozy,

Look forward to hearing how it pans out.. Caution you might just find a wash you really like :handgestures-thumbupleft:

btw all malts have a sugar equivalent, you could simply take the extra few mls in yield or deduct some sugar. Liquids roughly .8 to 1kg sugar and dried upto 1.2 to1 (use 1:1 to be sure across all brands)


bt1

[ozybottler]

thanks bt1 so just a question if I want a 40l wash and used 1 can of liquid malt and I was thinking of using cornmeal about 4kg how much sugar to top up

[ozybottler]

also got some amylase enzyme coming from U.S which should be here today for my cornmeal

[1 2many]

Good post bt1 this is one of the ways i was looking at before trying the AG , Just to clarify when talking LME (Liquid malt extract) are you talking about unhopped LME or hopped LME .

Cheers :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bt1]

hello 12,

un hopped bloke is the go as you would know... but good just to clarify it for those new ppl wanting to try.

Generally where the label refers to a specific beer style, pilsner, draught, ale etc it's has hops for beer making added and should be avoided.

What we're after is plain malts and they generally have names like golden, light, amber, dark etc. So just make sure it's not hopped for beer and your away.
Used Cooper's amber to great effect...

cheers
bt1

[tipsy]

Introducing Caramalts and Crystal malts. These malts are generally kiln/drum toasted to varying temps and time to produce a few very sort after characteristics for grain/sugarheads. Sugars are caramelised and in some cases near burnt producing a range of wonderful flavours. These are perfectly suited to grain/sugarheads.

Good post bt1

I often wondered what an unhopped stout would be like through the still. (lots of roasted barley)

[bt1]

Tips,

You really have sparked the imagination here. Big creamy, malty, dark, caramelised, deep full flavoured robust beast of a wash....

One of us must do a Stout wash for a test ...Question is who will be first :handgestures-thumbupleft:

bt1

[Yummyrum]

bt1 .I've got several coopers beer kits Mostly draughts that are quite old and was thinking about using them this way .What does happen if you use these hoppsy malts

[adam89]

What does happen if you use these hoppsy malts

It hops away.

[crow]

Yeah my BIL uses 100% malted barely in his UJ now . He dries it with a Malley wood fire and the flavour is truly outstanding for a sugar head :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bt1]

Howdy,

Can't honestly say Yum, never done one. Take a punt and reckon it may be like beer washes.. some of the hops flavour may come through could be good or bad. Plenty ppl done beer washes reckon they are ok.

Geez crow there's another interesting twist to try...so little time and so many test washes to do :handgestures-thumbupleft:

bt1

[scarecrow]

Good post.

I especially like the caramalts to add a hint of toffee or raisins to the batch, and DME is always in my kit.
Mixing the grains up a bit gives a different profile, as does different sugars etc.
Why make a boring UJ when there is so much latitude to play with.

Been doing this for years. When I tried to explain it to others they just looked at me like I was a nut job. Their loss.

scarecrow

[greenguy]

How much dme ya reckon for a 200ltr uj guys
I'm keen to mix it up a little normally use 25kg kibbled maze and 25kg corn
I all so got 25kg bag of kibbled rye arrive at home today so think ill add some in my next wash may be take 10kg of corn out and replace with the rye
All so thinking i might boil corn and rye first hmmmmmm i need more fermenters

[bt1]

Howdy green,

I use a good quality DME at about .5lt per 27lt fill in 30lt fermenter. This ratio can and should be varied according to your taste prefs.

I prefer my spirit on the light side and that ratio reflects that. If you want a more robust flavoursome spirit try more....there lies the fun bits experimenting and discovery!

gee that's a fairly sizable grain bill for a 200lt UJ...your call and trust it pans out nicely.

scare

Been doing this for years. When I tried to explain it to others they just looked at me like I was a nut job. Their loss.

truly is a waste....took me a while to work out how to word the original post btw, given all the focus is on grain type mainly.

Anyway it's said now...and hopefully we'll soon here about lots of tasty new washes and resulting spirits..It's a good thing :handgestures-thumbupleft:
bt1

[greenguy]

Yea I use to make my uj in 30ltr fermenters so just x4 plus some to make it easyer just a full bag prob could go 20kg each
What u reckon about changing some of the corn for rye