Crystal Rye Malt?

[John Sand]

I wanted a pound of Rye Malt. My only Local HBS had flaked rye and Simpson's Crystal Rye Malt. I bought both. I've used flaked rye before. Have any of you used Crystal Rye?

[Beer-lord]

I think I have but I'm not at home to check. I know I use chocolate rye in my black IPA lately but I think I used crystal rye once long ago.
I actually think flaked rye adds more flavor than rye, at least to my tongue.

[mashani]

I've used Fawcett Crystal Rye before.

It is very different then Flaked Rye.

The crystal I used gave a caramel/toffee like normal crystal malts, but also some anise (black licorice) like flavor in the background.

I've also used their Chocolate Rye, and that also has that anise flavor too - IE if you use it in a stout instead of regular Chocolate malt, you will notice that difference.

In both beers that anise flavor became more pronounced as the beer warmed up.

Where flaked rye is more of what you would think of as spicy rye flavor.

Flaked Rye is more of an appropriate substitute for rye malt, but it is slightly more potent flavor wise I think.

Crystal Rye is something else, I'd use it in place of a regular crystal malt in a beer that you want to make "a bit different" where you think that that anise flavor might be good.

Although maybe Simpsons doesn't have as much of that, I don't know.

[John Sand]

Thank you both. I'm going to taste it before I use it in anything. Caramel toffee anise might be good in a Christmas Ale. I think I have a recipe for a spiced Dubbel with anise. I will use it with restraint, and report results.
For the rye pa I think I'll use flaked rye and maybe rye flour in a cereal mash.

[Beer-lord]

In my ryepa's I use both rye malt and flaked rye.
When you can get rye malt again, give that try. If you like rye, you'll like the 2 together even more. Sometimes I do a mix of 50/50 depending on how much of a spicy-tingly taste I want.

[John Sand]

Thanks BL.
In the past I have mixed flaked and malted rye with good results.

[mashani]

I used the chocolate rye in my "Belgian Stout". It had the anise thing as it warmed up. But I used 12oz Cold Steeped in 3 gallons.

If you use it in very small amounts, you might not even notice that flavor. At least with the Chocolate rye.

[John Sand]

I am considering substituting it for crystal in a Red Rye.