BeerBorg

hey guys. I have two Brew Demon kits on the way. A "Ye olde nut brown ale" and a "Hellfire deep red ale". They are both "plus" kits in that they come with two cans of HME. Thinking about stepping up and trying a grain steep. I have red some threads on it but would like some opinions and advice on what kind and how much grain for these particular kits.

As I understand it, I would add the specified amount of cracked grain (in a bag) to water (1 gal?) at between 150-170 degrees for 20-30 min. Then remove, drain, possibly squeeze bag. Then add the HME to this steeped water and add to LBK as usual?

Please advise borg!

How much grain u going to use? 1/4lb of carapils for head/body retention is a good place to start for a 2 gallon batch. I try to go 1.5 qt per pound, but with this small of a grist bill I'd do 2 quarts myself. I do around 160 for 30 minutes. Use as small as a pot as you can to get as little headroom as possible as air robs heat. I wrap an old towel around the pot away from the heat source. I just did one with 2 gallons, no head space, towel around it. Started at 160 degrees, 30 minutes later is was at 158. I gently squeeze the water out of the grain. Then press on with pride. just my 2-cents worth

FIT describes almost exactly what I do and I agree that 1/4 to 1/2 pound of steeping grain is all you need for a 2/2.5 gallon batch.

I take a gallon of water and split it between to pots and heat them both up. Once the thermo says I'm at 155F I add the grain bag into the water, kill the heat and cover it for 30 min.

I keep the other pot heating until it boils, grab my 2 cups of water for the yeast rehydration out of the pot and store it in a sanitized mason jar until I'm ready for it. Then I also cover that pot, off heat and wait for the end of the steep.

Once steep is done, I remove the grain and place it in the second pot to rinse it as much as I can before hanging it from the light fixture with a hook to drain. As the grain bag drips dry, I add the contents of the first (steeping) pot into the contents of the second (rinsing) pot.

From there, I add DME to get the right gravity for the hops additions and off I go. Steeping is easy, fun and adds so much to your extract brews.

CaraPils is great for head and body but adds zero color or flavor. Try some Crystal 40 or 60 with an amber ale or some CaraVienna with an Oktoberfest....it makes a difference. I've not tried black malts or chocolate malts yet but I'm thinking about getting some next time I need to venture to the LHBS.

Thanks frozen one. Solid advice. I also found a thread with Screwy brewer's "step up" recipe as follows

"Here is my Next Step Brew recipe, or NSB for short, it's a great way to improve any beer recipe made from any type of extract, liquid or dry. Heat up a gallon of water and steep 1/2 pound of CaraPils for 30 minutes between 152-157F, you'll love the smell of this I guarantee.

Remove the grain bag containing the CaraPils from the steep and let it drain, but I don't squeeze the grains because of deeply rooted personal issues. Bring the steep to a boil for 30 minutes and then resume your regularly scheduled programming or directions that came with your recipe for adding in the extracts.

Why do this you may ask, it seems like extra work?

Well now that you've asked CaraPils is a specialty grain that adds body, foam and head retention to any beer without, and here's the punchline, changing the flavor or taste of the beer. Extracts are awesome to use and a real time saver but, extract brews can all use a little help in the body, foam and head retention area, if you know what I mean."

My question on this is why boil the steep for 30 min after the initial steeping time of 30 min? And also, are there other grains similar to CaraPils in regards to adding adds body, foam and head retention without changing the flavor or taste of the beer?

Thanks borg

Thanks wings-fan. We must have posted at the same exact time. Does the Crystal 40 or 60 add fermentable sugars and color/flavor where the CaraPils does not?

Boiling the steep helps eliminate tannins and any DMS precursor from the "tea" made from steeping the grains. Carafoam is another dextrin type specialty grain that performs the way carapils does. Actually, if I'm not mistaken, they're the same grain from different maltsters using different trademarks. You can also buy maltodextrin powder to add to the boil which will do the same thing. Crystal malts add mostly caramelly flavors and darker color to the beer, without adding much in the way of fermentables. Most sugars they do provide are unfermentable so they add body and mouthfeel to the beer, as well.

Any crystal malt will add body. But C-10 or > will also add sweetness and/or caramel and/or toffee flavors, where the carapils will not.

Philm00x and Mashani have it nailed.

I don't really consider what I do "boiling the steep" since I do hops additions in all my brews and I get the boil time in from doing the bittering hops.

Now that I think about it, if you're not adding any hops.......maybe you should boil the steep. I never did a steep without hops additions so never considered needing to do that.

Wings_Fan_In_KC wrote:Philm00x and Mashani have it nailed.

I don't really consider what I do "boiling the steep" since I do hops additions in all my brews and I get the boil time in from doing the bittering hops.

Now that I think about it, if you're not adding any hops.......maybe you should boil the steep. I never did a steep without hops additions so never considered needing to do that.

Grains are full of all sorts of beer infecting bugs. I'd boil anything that has grain in it for at least 15 minutes, even if it's just a small steep of crystal. Just to be safe.

I'll file that away so I can be sure that I don't steer anyone wrong in the future.

It's a good nugget to keep in the memory banks!

Thanks guys. I have some M&F Cara Pils (2row) British, and Reiss 40LV Crystal(2 row) Domestic waiting for me at my LHBS. Going to pick it up today!

Are you going to Hearts? Let me know if what they say about the place is true!

Ibasterd wrote:Thanks wings-fan. We must have posted at the same exact time. Does the Crystal 40 or 60 add fermentable sugars and color/flavor where the CaraPils does not?

some but in a steep mostly it's color and flavor

philm00x wrote:Are you going to Hearts? Let me know if what they say about the place is true!

Yeah, I ended up going there because it is so close and convenient. I ordered online and set my order to be ready by a certain time. It was pretty much like the soup nazi. I walked in, told him my name, he got my stuff and I paid. He did say have a nice weekend. Not the place to go for chatting or getting advice, but cheap and easy if you know what you want. Meh. I am excited to have actual grain in my possession though.

Maceo and I are ready!