Beer Making
Caramel malt have undergone a special stewing process during malting resulting in a crystalline sugar structure inside the grain's hull. These grains give a sweet, caramel flavour to the finished beer and can almost always be used as steeping grains by extract brewers.
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British Caramalt
from £1.65More information
This malt is mainly used to accentuate the malt flavour in lagers
Colour 30 EBC
United Kingdom
Maximum percentage 5 - 10%. -
Cara Red
from £1.70More information
Use this malt to add body and increase malt aroma in many beer styles. It provides a greater depth of colour and a reddish hue.
Colour 40 - 60 EBC;
Maximum percentage 10%
From Weyermann Maltings, Bamberg, Bavaria. -
Carahell
from £1.80More information
This malt is mainly used to accentuate the fullness of flavour in special German festival beers, although it is unsurpassed as a flavour booster in low alcohol lagers. Produced in the same way as Carapils but kilned off slightly hotter. Greatly increases head formation and retention.
Colour 30 EBC
Germany
Maximum percentage 40% (Higher percentage in low alcohol beers) -
Caramunch
from £1.80More informationA very special and rare malt only produced in Bamberg in northern Bavaria. It is made in a similar way to Munich Malt except that caramelisation is allowed to progress further and kilning is conducted at higher temperatures. Although only used in small quantities, it has a marked effect on the fullness of flavour and aroma in golden to brown lager beers and ales.
Colour 90 EBC
Germany
Maximum percentage 10% -
Carapils
from £1.80More information
Produced from Bavarian spring barley, this malt is created by loading the modified grains into a sealed kiln while the moisture content is still around 50%. The grains are then heated to between 65C and 80C, which enables them to mash themselves and caramelises the resulting sugars. The final killing is at around 110C for just long enough to dry the grain without undue darkening. When used in lager beers, Carapils promotes head formation and retention and gives the beer a fuller rounder flavour.
As the starches have already been converted in this process this malt is ideal for use by extract brewers.
Germany
Colour 3-5 EBC Maximum Percentage 10% -
Crystal Malt
from £1.50More information
Taking undried (green) high nitrogen malted barley direct from the malting process, just before kilning, raising it to mash temperature and then holding this until conversion is complete makes Crystal malt, a British invention.
It is then kilned at about 250C which caramelises the malt as it dries leaving it a golden red colour. This imparts a distinctive coppery hue, and a nutty caramel flavour. Crystal malt contains a high proportion of dextrins. This gives both body and a degree of sweetness that will perfectly balance the high hop levels traditionally found in British beers.
They contain no enzymes.
United Kingdom
Colour 80-140 EBC Maximum Percentage 20% -
Crystal Malt Dark
from £1.65More information
This grain provides a complex bitter/sweet caramel flavour and aroma to beers. Used in small quantities it adds colour and slight sweetness whilst higher concentrations are well suited to strong beers such as Strong Ales and Barley Wines. It can be used up to a maximum of 10% of the grist.
Colour 200-400 EBC -
Crystal Malt Light
from £1.65More information
This light version of the British classic is ideal for increasing body and fullness while preserving a pale colour. Unsurpassed in Bitter beers and Pale Ales for adding subtle sweetness to balance the customary high hop rate. Crystal malt is produced in much the same manner as Carapils except that kilning is prolonged until the desired colour is reached.
Colour 60 EBC
Maximum percentage 20% -
Special B
from £1.95More information
Special B is produced in the same way as other Belgian caramel malts except that it undergoes a second roasting. Its profile is that of a cross between dark caramel malt and light roasted malt. The resultant distinctive flavour and aroma enhances many Belgian classics, but could also add interesting flavours to British ales, especially milds, brown ales etc. An interesting usage is to blend Bavarian Smoked Malt, (Rauchmalz), with Special B (60/40) to emulate the flavour of the now unavailable English brown malt, traditionally kilned over open fires.
Colour 250 EBC
Germany
Maximum percentage 10%
