which grain to hack with?????

[rje66]

Am going to do a few ipas in next few weeks and going to order a few grains to steep and add to kit, but no idea which ones suit . Any suggestions or guidance greatly appreciated .
Are there bog standards for say, ales, pilsners, bitters etc??

[LordEoin]

that depends on what you want to do to the beer.
Start qith some carapils or crystal, that'll add head retention, mouthfeel, freshness.
Some Amber is nice for a bit of colour, chocolate for colour and chocolatey roastiness.
have a read through this and the following pages
http://www.howtobrew.com/section2/chapter13.html

[rje66]

Thanks that's the kind of info I'm after. Typically then for a 23lt batch ,about200-300G OF crushed grain is ok ? And if using 2 grains the same?
Ta

[LordEoin]

The one I'd strongly warn about using sensibly is the chocolate. a little goes a long way and you'll easily overpower a beer with it.
the others are a lot more forgiving

[Oh Crap]

One of my old favourite kit hacks was using
Coopers heritage lager with carapils and chocolate malt, saaz hops and decent yeast of choice (I used S-23 but notty should work) turned into a beer that got the mates into honebrew drinking 🍻 not an ipa but will produce excellent hacking results

[LordEoin]

funny enough it's the subject of this month's beersmith newsletter

Steeping Grains for Extract Brewing
Steeped grains enhance the flavor and color of home brewed beer.  Award winning extract beers all use some kind of steeped grains.  Steeped grains add body, color, and fresh flavor to your homebrewed beer.

In our earlier series on beginner brewing, we covered the basic process for making extract beer at home.  This week we'll take a look at brewing extract beer with steeped grains.  Steeped grains add authentic flavor, body and color to your beer.

Steeping grains is a remarkably simple method.  The grains are added to 1.5 or 2 gallons of plain water before the extracts are added.  Heat the water to between 150 and 170 degrees F, and then add the grains.  The grains should be crushed to expose the sugars within the grain.  It is usually best to put the grains in a grain bag to make them easy to remove, however you can remove the grains by running the hot mixture through a strainer if necessary.

The grain bag will float at the top of the mixture.  Leave it in and attempt to hold a constant temperature for 20-30 minutes.  If you leave it in too long or steep at temperatures above 170F you will extract excessive tannins which will result in a dry astringent flavor in the finished beer.

Steeped grains will not add many fermentables to your beer (i.e. your original gravity will not increase much).  Steeping grains, unlike mashing, does not convert the complex starches in the sugar into fermentable sugars, so only a small percentage of the steeped grain (< 10%) will ferment.  However, since unfermentable proteins are added by steeping, the body of the beer will be increased.

Whenever possible, use freshly ground grains as crushed grains will slowly oxidize over time.  If you leave your crushed grain exposed to air for more than a few weeks you may add off flavors to your beer.  Storing your crushed grains in an airtight package in a refrigerator or freezer will help them to last longer, as hot temperature and moisture spoils the crushed grain more quickly.

Specialty grains are usually used for steeping.  Caramel malt is often used to add body and color. Darker malts such as chocolate and black patent are also commonly used primarily for flavor and color.  Other popular additions include carafoam and carapils for body and roasted barley for a deep coffee flavor.

Not all grains are appropriate for steeping however.  Pale malt, for example, adds very little flavor and should be mashed.  Flaked and torrified ingredients such as flaked barley, wheats, munich malt and oats also need to be mashed.  To get a complete list of grains that may be mashed, visit our grain listing.  Grains marked as "Must mash" should, in general, be mashed and not steeped.

Steeping these "must mash" ingredients will rarely produce the desired flavor or body and in some cases may generate off-flavors.  In order to properly use these ingredients, you need to switch to a partial mash or all-grain brewing method that will mash the ingredients to take full advantage of them.

To add freshness and complexity to your extract beer, try steeping some freshly crushed grains in your next batch of all extract beer.

You can get great extracts, grains and supplies from MoreBeer and also support the BeerSmith sites by using this link when you order:

   http://BeerSmith.com/MoreBeer

Have a great week!

Brad Smith
BeerSmith.com
Follow BeerSmith on Twitter and Facebook

[Martin]

Hi guys,

http://store.coopers.com.au/midnight-mosaic-amber-ale.html

As i couldn't find it in any irish online shop, I wonder what would be the equivalent to the above mentioned Midnight Wheat grain?  Chocolate possibly? Thanks in advance!

[Parky]

@Martin

Haven't come across Midnight Wheat before, but a quick search on the Google machine tells me it's dehusked roasted wheat used as a colour adjustment without adding flavour or bitterness. Chocolate will certainly impart some flavours that may dominate, and looking at the recipe it seems that the amber malt extract should be the driving malt flavour here. Various forums have suggested Carafa III as a good substitute for Midnight Wheat, so might be worth a try.

Like I say, haven't even heard of this one before, but good to be aware of it if it ever becomes available here. Some links below for you -

Characteristics -
http://store.homebrewheaven.com/midnight-wheat-briess-p2056.aspx

HomeBrewTalk discussion in this subject -
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/substitute-briess-midnight-wheat-333040/

Carafa III description -
https://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/carafa-special-type-iii-crushed-500g-weyermanns-p-613.html

[Bubbles]

I think amber malt is supposed to be mashed, but I guess in the amounts you'll be adding, probably no need to worry about it. Amber malt works nicely in malty beers.

I always thought CaraPils needed to be mashed too, but opinions seem to vary on it.

[Martin]

Thanks guys!

[LordEoin]

You can steep with amber alright. it'll give you some color, and flavor but no fermentables.
Carapils too, anything starting with 'cara' as far as i know.

[Bubbles]

Indeed, you're right!

From the Briess website:
http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Homebrewing/FAQs.htm

Q: Should Carapils® Malt be mashed or steeped?
A: While Briess Carapils® (Dextrine-style) Malt can be mashed, it can also be steeped. For best results steep at 150-170°F and "dunk" or somehow agitate the grain and water to improve the extraction for 30 minutes. The water may get a little cloudy, however this will disappear once the wort is boiled.

Dark roasted malts, Caramel (Crystal) Malts and Briess Carapils® Malt (which is neither) can be safely steeped. It is not recommended to steep Base Malts, Pale Ale Malt, Munich Malts, Dextine Malts with a mealy endosperm or other malts with a mealy endosperm because starch could be extracted which would interfere later in the brewing process. These malts need to be partial mashed or mashed, which activates the malt enzymes and converts the grain starches into fermentable sugars.