The terms Crystal malt and Caramel malt are used interchangeably to describe a type of grain that undergoes a special stewing process during malting resulting in a crystalline sugar structure inside the grain's hull. These grains give a sweet, caramel flavor to the finished beer and can almost always be used as steeping grains by extract brewers.
The names "crystal" and "caramel" are interchangeable; one refers to the appearance of the grain, the other to its flavor.
The crystallization/caramelization process
To make crystal or caramel malt, maltsters take green malt and, instead of heating it in a dry kiln, stew it in an extremely damp or wet oven. In the presence of water, each kernel of grain essentially undergoes a mash in the hull, converting the grain's starch to sugar. However, since the grain is not crushed, the sugar does not go into solution and create wort. Instead, when the temperature is lowered, the sugar crystallizes in the hull, giving the grain the appearance of a crystal of sugar. The malt is then dried over heat, with the drying temperature and time determining the color and flavor characteristics of the finished product.
Brewing with crystal and caramel malt
Because the stewing process essentially mashes the grain, crystal and caramel malts are some of the few steeping grains that can be used in extract brewing without needing to be mashed, although some of the palest crystal malts may not be sufficiently converted and may leave haze in the finished beer. All-grain brewers may also simply add crystal malts to the mash as they would any other specialty malt.
Because their other options are limited, new brewers brewing extract batches often depend on crystal malts, sometimes to excess. While crystal malts in small amounts will give a sweet malt character to the finished beer, in excess it can create a cloying or artificial character.
Types of crystal and caramel malts
Crystal malts are often identified simply by color, usually in degrees Lovibond. While almost all crystal malts are sweet, the character of that sweetness varies by color, from a very light malty sweetness to a more caramel-like flavor in the middle range, to dark fruit, raisin, or burnt sugar notes in the darkest examples. However, there are other crystal and caramel malts known under trade names or traditional names.
While barley is the most commonly crystallized grain, caramel malts made from other grains, such as wheat and rye, are also available.
Pages in category "Crystal and caramel malt"
The following 8 pages are in this category, out of 8 total.
