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Author Topic: Medium dark crystal?  (Read 2933 times)

Offline gspot

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Medium dark crystal?
« on: October 21, 2015, 05:27:12 am »
In this recipe:http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/alaskan-smoked-porter-clone/

Would you choose crystal 60, 80, or even higher for the specified medium dark crystal?

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2015, 05:45:13 am »
Personally, I'd go with 60L. It'll work fine.
Jon H.

Offline erockrph

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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2015, 06:20:39 am »
Personally, I'd go with 60L. It'll work fine.
+1 - I generally think of Dark crystal in the 80L range and Extra Dark in the 120L range. I've never really heard of crystal referred to as "Medium dark", but I think something in the 60L range sounds reasonable.
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Offline Frankenbrew

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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2015, 06:50:23 am »
I agree. Medium crystal is 55L and dark is 77, so medium dark would be 66?
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Online pete b

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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2015, 06:57:29 am »


Doh, I read the subject as medium, not medium dark.
« Last Edit: October 21, 2015, 07:29:53 am by pete b »
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Offline gspot

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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2015, 05:56:03 pm »
Thanks for the replies. I'll give the 60L a try then.

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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2015, 09:17:49 pm »
Medium dark crystal has always meant 40L crystal to me.

Offline a10t2

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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2015, 10:03:12 pm »
For my tastes, I'd say that means a 50-60L UK crystal as opposed to domestic. But that's just me.
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Online pete b

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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2015, 05:43:43 am »
Is using the descriptors" medium" "dark" etc rather than lovibond typical for English malts?
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2015, 05:57:51 am »
Is using the descriptors" medium" "dark" etc rather than lovibond typical for English malts?


It's pretty common for most maltsters over there. Medium is usually 60-ish, dark more like 80, and there's a darker one that's more 120-ish. Just have to read the fine print, because the maltsters aren't all on the same page with the name and lovibond rating combo.
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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2015, 09:52:22 am »
For my tastes, I'd say that means a 50-60L UK crystal as opposed to domestic. But that's just me.

+1, that's how I read it.  A lot of great flavor and IMO not as sweet as 60L.

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2015, 11:40:40 am »
I saw a list of malts the other day, one of them was "Scottish Crystal". I've never seen that before. Has anyone ever seen "Scottish Crystal" before? Or is that just a one off nickname someone on the interweb invented? If I recall, it was in a list of UK grains and I think it was 80L

Offline a10t2

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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2015, 12:01:14 pm »
Most of Bairds' operations are in Scotland, and their dark crystal is 70-80L. Just a guess.

http://www.bairds-malt.co.uk/Bairds-Malt/About/our-locations
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Medium dark crystal?
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2015, 12:40:35 pm »
Most of Bairds' operations are in Scotland, and their dark crystal is 70-80L. Just a guess.

http://www.bairds-malt.co.uk/Bairds-Malt/About/our-locations
I dug it back up. Its from an HBD info page way back in 1994. " Scottish Crystal - (Caramel Malt) 90 LWill lend a deep amber to red color and a full bodied, toasted/caramel like flavor to the finest Scottish and European ales."

Probably the term just never caught on...