Preparing beer is all about working with wort fermentation and sugars. But the main source of these sugars is malt. Therefore, you need to choose the right base malt to prepare a particular brew for yourself.
The name Chit barley malt flakes or any wheat malt can tell you a lot about what type of beer you will get. However, the quantity of the malt also defines the flavour of a specific brew. It means that the quantity will help you define the colour and flavour of the beer. The quantity or number of malt flakes can be measured in degrees Lovibond. The basic range begins with 1 being pale straw (pilsners, lagers) and it goes up to 600 and more for ultra-dark brews for people who prefer the strong flavour.
Which Base Malt is the Best for General Beer Brewing?
The best base malt for beer brewing usually depends on the type of beer you want to make. There is nothing like general base malt, while you can brew different styles with Pilsen.
However, the results are not optimal for it. So, you have to decide what exactly you are focusing on and thus, consider buying additional malts.
For occasional brewers, they can consider purchasing several malts per kilogram. Or they can try finding some other brewer locally to split the cost, as well as grains.
How to Choose the Best Base Malt for Beer?
Here are a few important considerations to choose the best base malt for your beer:
Styles of Beers:
- Belgian styles – Mainly for pilsner, you may need wheat, etc.
- British styles (barley wines, bitters, Irish red, strong ales, etc) – Pale ale malt like Maris otter may be kilned to more than 5 EBC
- German lagers – Mainly pilsner, you require Münich or some other variety.
- Wheat beers – Pale wheat malt, you require barley or Munich.
- US beers – Depending on the given style, US 2 row are a staple, especially for pale brews, which are rich in non-malted grains. However, darker pale ale malts like Maris Otter are used.
Flavour
You also require the right type of Castle Malting beer malt for a specific flavor. It can help you divide malt into two major categories – the base malts that you have to mash and the specialty malts that don’t require mashing.
A few base malts, such as pilsner/lager malt, wheat malt and pale ale malt, are quite common. They also add sugars for fermenting the beer. Even a subcategory is preferred to offer you toasted base malts. Such malts include Amber malt, Vienna malt and more.
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The base malts that won’t require mashing are Caramel malts. These contain sugars that do not ferment and are often used for adding body and aroma to extracted beers. On the other hand, the mashed malts enable enzymes to break down the starch in grains into sugars. These further add flavor and aroma to the brew.
Storage
Finally, you have to check out the storage conditions of the base malts. For, the base malts are neither highly kilned nor stored for a long duration like specialty malts. With proper care and storage, the stored base malts may begin to lose their quality and even flavor after a few months.
If base malts begin to go bad, they will lose their enzymatic activity and become harder to grind. They can also add haze to the end product. The moisture found in the base malt is going to degrade its quality. Therefore, you need to store it in a dry, cool place for prolonging its life and quality.
Conclusion
If you are looking for the best base malt for your beer, you have to keep the mentioned points in mind. These factors will help you keep your malt in the best condition. So, you can prepare the best brew for yourself