• Welcome to New Brunswick Craft Brewers Association.

Crystal substitutions

Started by Chris Craig, March 08, 2012, 04:03:26 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Chris Craig

I'm sitting here looking at the Brewing Classic Styles book, and I've decided that I'm going to try and make a recipe from each style.  Right now I'm looking at making a Blonde Ale this weekend because it's the first style in the book that I have the ingredients for (sort of).

The recipe calls for .5 lbs of Crystal 15.  I don't have it, and I know I can't just use half as much Crystal 30 (left over from my NG days) and kick in .25 lbs extra base to make up the difference...or could I since the Crystal 15 is only about 5% of the grain bill.

I guess what I'm asking is what is the best way of mixing Crystal malts to achieve what a recipe calls for?

brew

I've wondered this also, since the Ed Wort's Haus Pale Ale calls for Crystal 10L, can we use Crystal 40 cut by 4?
NBCBA Treasurer
Planned: Drink beer later, Primary: Drink beer soon, Secondary: Drink beer shortly, Kegged: Drinking beer now

fakr

I'm assuming cutting the quantity of darker grain might achieve the same end result color of the beer, but I'd be concerned that smaller quantity would not achieve the malt flavor of the original recipe....

Here are a couple of malted grain charts to help you find a substitution for your crystal.

http://www.brewstock.com/brewstockbrewing.html
http://brew.is/files/malt.html
"If God had intended for us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs."

Richard

Got any Carahell or Carabelge? That'd sub for C10-15.

Problem is that you get flavours from compounds in the darker crystal that simply aren't there in the lighter stuff... and 5% of the recipe is a fair whack.

That said, it's likely not going to destroy the recipe outright if you sub for a blend.
Charter Member

Kegged: air.
Primary: air.
Bulk Aging: Silence of the Lambics (Pitched 13/05/2012).
Owed: JQ LSA x 1, Kyle Stout x 1 & IPA x 1.

Kyle

you could get away with half as much C30 and replace the balance with vienna since your style is blonde ale, that would probably work quite well.
Charter Member

On Tap: DIPA, Vienna SMaSH, Imp Stout
Planned: IPA
Fermenting: --