Specialty Grains

Aromatic malt from Dingemans is a Belgian biscuit-type malt often used to add maltiness and toasted biscuit flavor and aroma to beer. It can also add a deep color to beers when used as a specialty malt. Aromatic malt is kilned but retains enough diastatic power to self-convert. While it can be used as up to 100% of the malt in a grain bill, it is low in excess diastatic power and is best (and most often) used as a specialty malt. Use Aromatic malt whenever a biscuit or victory malt would be used, in order to add maltiness to beer, as well as bready and toasted flavors and aromas.

Dingemans Debittered Black malt is made with an exclusive evaporative process that leaves the malt dark, rich and roasty like a standard black patent malt, but without the bitterness and astringency. As such, it can be used much in the same manner as black patent or other roasted malts. It can be used for color contributions and adding a certain amount of dryness in small amounts, or to add significant color and roasted character in larger amounts. However, due to the processing it undergoes, beers made with debittered black malt will not have the same bitterness. Try this in brown ales, porters, stouts and other styles calling for a deeply roasted malt.

Weyermann Carared is a unique caramel malt from Germany. It is equivalent to a caramel or crystal malt with a 20L rating. In addition to residual sweetness, Carared imparts a red hue to beers, and is used to great effect in red ales, Scottish ales, bock beers, brown ales, alts and amber beers. It improves body and malt aroma. A wonderful malt often called for in recipes, Great Fermentations is proud to bring this malt all the way from Germany to you!

Munton's Mild Ale Malt is the perfect base for bready, rich beers. Due to the kilning regime that this malt goes through, the wort produced is higher in dextrin content than pale malt, resulting in a slightly sweeter, more full-bodied finished beer. The flavor of Mild malt is often described as "nutty," and for this reason it is the perfect base malt for many rich British style ales. It is typically used in mild ales, brown ales, Belgian ales and barleywines. Because of the higher dextrine content, Mild malt will contribute more body and mouthfeel than standard pale base malts.

Weyermann's acid malt is an acidulated malt that contains a small percentage of lactic acid (usually around 1 to 2% by weight) on the husks. It is used to adjust mash pH in beer. Weyermann states on their web site that reducing mash pH can lead to a better mash, intensified fermentation, lighter color for Pilsners, improved flavor stability and a well-rounded beer flavor. Acid malt is usually used in small proportions to adjust pH. It has been noted that for every 1% of the grist comprised of acid malt, a 0.1 drop in pH can be expected. Usually used as 1 to 5% of the grist for pH adjustment, it can also be used at a rate of 8 to 10% of the grist for sour beers such as Berliner Weiss to bring out sour character. Many people also use a small percentage (around 3%) in classic dry Irish stouts to give a characteristic sour note on the finish.

Baird's Carastan is a light to medium crystal malt produced by Hugh Baird, a British malting company known for their excellent malts. Carastan is no exception to this. Toasted and lovely, Carastan is stewed before being roasted to develop crystal sugars and a toffee-like note that plays well in any beer calling for a light crystal malt. This includes English and American styles of all kinds, from bitters, pale ales and IPAs to ambers, browns and porters. The rich flavor and caramel character of Carastan can make most any beer complete!

Brown malt is back! Used traditionally in the U.K. as a base malt, today's brown malt is not the same as the traditional malt. However, it is not radically different either. Made from green malt, Crisp brown malt adds a robust roasty flavor and aroma character to beer that is reminiscent of coffee. It adds a brown color to beer as well, and can be used successfully in a number of darker beer styles, such as porters, brown ales, milds, stouts, and others. Its flavor, aroma and color contributions are slightly different from any other malt out on the market, and must be tried to be properly appreciated it. Add a small portion to your next dark beer!

Patagonia's Especial 140L malt is a dark crystal malt derived from certified European barley grown in the southern regions of Chile. Roasted in only 1,000 pound batches, Especial is made from Sebastian barley of French origin, and is very similar to the variety used by Belgian maltsters. Expect a deep, rich sweetness along with tons of dark fruit character.

Patagonia Caramel 90L malt is a kilned, medium caramel malt from Chile. Being grown and malted in the unique climate and geography of coastal South America, Patagonia malts are unlike any from other maltsters. Caramel 90L malt is a medium crystal malt from Patagonia that contributes caramel and toffee flavors, with toasted bread and a residual sweetness that comes through extremely well in finished beers. It can be used for up to 25% of a grain bill to add unique flavors, sweetness, body, head retention and foam stability in beers. Try this in your next recipe that calls for a medium crystal malt!

Rye is a traditional cereal grain that finds its way into many homebrewer's recipes. It has become a popular ingredient in IPAs, with homebrewer's using it to make fine Rye IPAs. It is also the main ingredient in the traditional Roggenbier, a beer made with rye as the base. Rye is known to have a spicy flavor that goes well in small amounts in many types of beer. It is fully modified and has a small kernel that can get quite sticky when used in large amounts. Rice hulls are recommended when using a large amount of rye in an all-grain recipe.

Dingeman's Cara 45 (Caramunich) is a wonderful Belgian crystal malt. It is highly prized as a rich, medium-amber crystal malt that can be used not only in Belgian Ales, but in any recipe calling for crystal malt. It has a caramel flavor with hints of honey and raisin, contributing an intense flavor and beautiful amber or garnet color to beer. Use this when you would use a medium crystal malt for surprising, delicious results!

Biscuit malt from Dingemans is the quintessential biscuit malt. It will contribute toasted biscuit and bready flavors and aromas to beer. It is often described as "warm," with its toasted bread flavors adding complexity to a range of different beer styles. A little can be used to round out flavors in lighter beers and add complexity, or a lot can be used to give brown ales and porters their signature nutty, rich flavors and enhance their aroma profiles. In larger amounts it will give beers a light to medium brown coloration. A wonderful malt all around!

From Munton's, one of the top malt producers in the U.K., comes this fine crystal 60 malt! Bursting with flavors of caramel, toffee and biscuit, Munton's crystal 60 has a medium amber-brown color contribution when used as a part of the grist. It will increase residual sweetness as well as improving foam stability, increasing body and adding wonderful aromatics to beer. It can be used whenever crystal malt is called for, and while it creates wonderful British style beers, it also works extremely well in just about any beer style. It is commonly used in pale ales, IPAs, bitter, milds, stouts, porters, and other styles as well. A highly recommended crystal malt with excellent flavor and aromatic qualities.

Roasted barley is the quintessential grain used in the production of classic dry Irish stouts. Made from unmalted barley that has been deeply roasted, Munton's roasted barley adds a deep roasted flavor and aroma to beers. In addition, it can add a drying quality and roasty bitterness to beers in which it is included as part of the grist. Most notably used in stouts, it can also be used in small proportions in other dark beers such as porters, stouts, milds, dunkelweizens, browns...the list goes on! It is also used to give Irish red ales their characteristic red color and dry finish. Try adding an ounce or two in lighter styles to add color and dryness, as well as depth of character.