BeerBorg

It is my month to do a presentation for the club meeting this month. It is on Wednesday of next week, 5/13.

My idea for this month is a profile presentation of different grains, more specifically specialty grains and what they can add to base malts. I am trying to figure out what grains at this point. I am looking at maybe 5-6 different grains so it doesn't get too crazy.

The most common grains people use are your crystals, chocolate, and roasted. I was thinking of doing 2 crystals, maybe 40 and 120 so there can be a difference really noticed.

I am not really sure on which other ones to use. Here are a few options:
Honey Malt - one of my favs
Acidulated Malt - so it can show the tartness that can add
Biscuit Malt - showcase the bready profile
Special B - club running joke
Toasted Malt
Carafa
Smoked Malt

Any thoughts on this list or any other suggestions?

Not necessarily a specialty malt and many use it as a base malt but I really like what a little Vienna and Munich can do to a simple beer.

Rye

Random things:

Honey malt is one you can mention is also called Brumalt (in Germany/Europe) and is used in very small amounts to accentuate the maltyness of beers - and not to make them sweet and honey like as when used in larger amounts like some folks do with it here. And I mean very small amounts. Like 3-4oz per 5 gallons at most if used in this manner. 2oz is probably even enough in a beer that has a bunch of Munich or Vienna, or some Munich derived specialty malt like Aromatic. It would generally be used with no other crystal malts, it's not about making your beer sweet when used like this.

Aromatic - I'd show it and then tell people a lot of times, you can just replace some of your base malt with Munich and achieve the same or better results.

Special B - I'd bring a bag of D-90 and D-180L and show both. Then suggest they use the special B in some dark non Belgian beer like a Baltic porter, and the D-90 and/or D-180L in anything that is actually supposed to taste authentically Belgian.

jimjohson wrote:Rye

Thought of that one after I hit submit. Will add this one definitely.

Keep them coming guys. Good stuff. Its why I come here!

6-ROW - a good choice as base malt when using a lot of specialty grains that could use the extra enzyme power.

TORRIFIED WHEAT - another alternative to carapils for adding body and head retention.

Flaked barley, flaked rye, flaked corn????

I agree with Beer-lord on the Vienna and/or Munich. A pound or so of either can really bring some life into a malt bill that is primarily 2 row.

Regarding the Acid Malt...you can also mention that it can be used to adjust mash pH levels slightly if needed. I'm just learning how to use it for that reason.

Not sure if you'll have any of the grains available during your presentation, but tasting a small amount of grains could help. Especially when talking about the biscuit, honey, smoked and even different crystal malts. If they can taste the grain while your explaining the flavor characteristics, it might help them understand each flavor profile a little better.

BlackDuck wrote:I agree with Beer-lord on the Vienna and/or Munich. A pound or so of either can really bring some life into a malt bill that is primarily 2 row.

I would agree with this too. I put munich in just about anything. I like Munich in my session IPAs to give them some malt backbone so I can pile on more hops. I've made 100% Vienna based IPAs in the past too, which were really tasty.

BlackDuck wrote:I agree with Beer-lord on the Vienna and/or Munich. A pound or so of either can really bring some life into a malt bill that is primarily 2 row.

Regarding the Acid Malt...you can also mention that it can be used to adjust mash pH levels slightly if needed. I'm just learning how to use it for that reason.

Not sure if you'll have any of the grains available during your presentation, but tasting a small amount of grains could help. Especially when talking about the biscuit, honey, smoked and even different crystal malts. If they can taste the grain while your explaining the flavor characteristics, it might help them understand each flavor profile a little better.

Yea, every grain that I am presenting on will have a sample of it for a comparison which is why I want to keep it around 5-6 grains to sample.

Thanks everyone for your input. Just finished my powerpoint presentation. I will give it a once over again over the weekend to see if I am ok with how I worded things and if I can add anything different. I ended up going with Crystal 40 and 120, Honey Malt, Biscuit, Cherry Wood Smoked Malt, Special B and Carafa.

It is a short presentation but it will get my point across I think and it is something different compared most of the presentations that we have done in the past.

Hope it goes well!

That's a good list of grains. I am sure your presentation will go great.