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Author Topic: Tiny amount of roasted barley in a pale ale... taste?  (Read 1511 times)

Offline trapae

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Tiny amount of roasted barley in a pale ale... taste?
« on: March 22, 2019, 08:42:36 pm »
 I thought about putting just 1 ounce of roasted barley 600 into my APA for a tiny bit of color and slight bump in pH. 5 gallon batch, does anyone know if this will add any taste at all? And if so will it be disagreeable with APA style?
Thanks
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Offline Robert

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Re: Tiny amount of roasted barley in a pale ale... taste?
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2019, 05:34:09 am »
I've used 1 oz of black patent malt for just the same reasons in pale ales with no noticeable flavor added.   As roast barley is a more intense flavor than black patent, it might be more noticeable; I don't know.  It is a very small amount.
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Offline Slowbrew

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Re: Tiny amount of roasted barley in a pale ale... taste?
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2019, 05:34:43 am »
I'm fairly confident that you won't get any detectable flavor from 1 oz.

You will pick a little color.  I'm still trying to figure out water chemistry so I won't even guess on effects on pH.

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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Tiny amount of roasted barley in a pale ale... taste?
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2019, 06:25:29 am »
You could grind it to a fine powder and add it at the start of Vorlauf. I grind in a coffee grinder. The color will be there, minimal flavor.

Midnight Wheat is another roasted grain that can be used. It is huskless, so that helps minimize flavor additions.
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Offline Robert

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Re: Tiny amount of roasted barley in a pale ale... taste?
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2019, 06:30:58 am »
You could grind it to a fine powder and add it at the start of Vorlauf. I grind in a coffee grinder. The color will be there, minimal flavor.

Midnight Wheat is another roasted grain that can be used. It is huskless, so that helps minimize flavor additions.
But if the OP is trying to reduce mash pH it will go in the main mash, where I can attest it does have an effect along the lines of Bru'n Water's prediction.   For color alone without flavor the best trick I've found is cold steeping overnight and straining into the boil near the end -- long enough to sterilize if it makes you feel good. 
Rob Stein
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Tiny amount of roasted barley in a pale ale... taste?
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2019, 09:50:14 am »
You could grind it to a fine powder and add it at the start of Vorlauf. I grind in a coffee grinder. The color will be there, minimal flavor.

Midnight Wheat is another roasted grain that can be used. It is huskless, so that helps minimize flavor additions.
But if the OP is trying to reduce mash pH it will go in the main mash, where I can attest it does have an effect along the lines of Bru'n Water's prediction.   For color alone without flavor the best trick I've found is cold steeping overnight and straining into the boil near the end -- long enough to sterilize if it makes you feel good.

Ah, just skimmed.

1 oz. Not much, it might get lost in the noise, i.e. how accurate do you know your water, how accurate do you know the grist. That last part has caught me with malt I've never used.
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Offline trapae

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Re: Tiny amount of roasted barley in a pale ale... taste?
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2019, 10:10:09 am »
 Not perfected water chemistry yet. Try to couple times with bru’n but didn’t work out great. I’m using spring water. The grain bill is one I’ve used many times. Just wanted to experiment a little.
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Offline a10t2

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Re: Tiny amount of roasted barley in a pale ale... taste?
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2019, 02:22:53 pm »
I've used 1 oz of black patent malt for just the same reasons in pale ales with no noticeable flavor added.   As roast barley is a more intense flavor than black patent, it might be more noticeable; I don't know.  It is a very small amount.

Same here as far as the black malt; I've even used it at about that ratio (0.7%) for color in a Vienna lager without any flavor impact. I can't imagine roasted barley would be much different, but as was pointed out you have alternatives (I didn't see the dehusked Carafa malts mentioned yet).
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