Malts

Question 1

Name 6 Base Malts

Answer 1

American 2-Row, English Pale, Maris Otter, Munich, Dark Munich (or Munich II), Pilsner

Question 2

Name 12 Specialty Malts

Answer 2

Aromatic, Biscuit, Black Patent, Cara-pils, Chocolate, Crystal or Caramel, Pale Wheat, Roasted Barley, Smoked, Special B, Victory, Vienna

Question 3

American 2-Row

Answer 3

Base Malt.
These tiny pale malts pack a lot of sugar that is easily converted to alcohol. “Two-row” is a standard term that refers to a specific cultivar of barley that has two rows of seeds on the stem. It’s considered better for most beer styles than the “6-row” barley, which has more protein.

Question 4

English Pale

Answer 4

Base Malt.
This is the English version of basic “two-row” malt, which is just a bit more sweet and malty than the American style because it’s usually kilned at a higher temperature. It provides a light amber color and a slightly nutty flavor.

Question 5

Maris Otter

Answer 5

Base Malt.
Kilned just a touch longer than most base malts, this barley cultivar, which was developed at Cambridge in the 60s, forms the familiar malty, nutty backbone to many British pale ales and mild ales. Golden Promise is a Scottish malt that is similar, with a slightly sweeter flavor.

Question 6

Munich

Answer 6

Base Malt.
In small amounts, this German-style malt adds a golden amber color and a slightly malty flavor. When used as the majority of the grain, it produces a darker color and more pronounced maltiness found in German-style bocks or Oktoberfests. Dark Munich or Munich II, has been kilned longer and is better for darker beers.

Question 7

Pilsner

Answer 7

Base Malt.
This efficient malt is one of the lightest and most commonly used for pale German, Belgian, and Eastern European lagers and ales.

Question 8

Aromatic

Answer 8

Specialty Malt.

In small amounts, this adds outsized doses of malty flavor and aroma, as well as an orange to copper color.

Question 9

Biscuit

Answer 9

Specialty Malt.
There is a moment when you are done baking bread or pastries in the oven just before they are done when that toasted aroma fills the room. This lightly roasted malt re-creates those notes in beer, but it needs a solid base malt to work with; it’s not terribly efficient on its own.

Question 10

Black Patent

Answer 10

Specialty Malt.
Just a tiny amount of these dark malts - the darkest of all the malts - will add coffee-like, roasted notes to porters and stouts.

Question 11

Cara-pils

Answer 11

Specialty Malt.
This is malt that’s been kilned in a special way so that it adds a nice fluffy head on the finished beer and adds body without affecting flavor or aroma.

Question 12

Chocolate

Answer 12

Specialty Malt.
These malts get their name from their dark brown color, but the flavor isn’t that far off from chocolate. Think more raw cocoa than candy bars, though - roasted, earthy tones with just a touch of bitterness.

Question 13

Crystal or Caramel

Answer 13

Specialty Malt.
These add sweet notes of honey and caramel as well as color ranging from golden to dark brown. They are available on a sliding scale of roastiness from light (10) to dark (120).

Question 14

Pale Wheat

Answer 14

Specialty Malt.
A handful of these malted grains will help with obtaining a fluffy white head without changing the flavor or aroma of the beer, but when used as a larger percentage of the recipe, these form the hazy, bready core of wheat beers. Torrified wheat (wheat grains that have been heated quickly to puff them up) is used in small doses to help with head retention as well.

Question 15

Roasted Barley

Answer 15

Specialty Malt.
Because these super-dark grains are not malted, they don’t add a lot of fermentable sugar but do leave a deep color and almost a burnt-toast flavor that can be terrific in porters and stouts.

Question 16

Smoked

& 3 examples and their characteristics

Answer 16

Specialty Malt.
Instead of being cooked in an oven, smoked malts are dried over burning wood, creating a smokiness not unlike the one that clings to your clothes after sitting by a campfire. The smoked grains capture the character of the wood:
1) Peat gives the earthy and diesel notes in scotch;
2) beechwood lends a more intense, drier smoke aroma;
3) and cherry wood gives a smooth and sweet character.

Question 17

Special B

Answer 17

Specialty Malt.
The key ingredient to many a Belgian dubbel, this dark caramel-type malt leaves a deep color, a baked-toffee aroma, and some raisiny sweetness.

Question 18

Victory®

Answer 18

Specialty Malt.
American maltster Briess makes this grain that adds warming nutty and biscuit aromas and full-bodied flavor without much sweetness.

Question 19

Vienna

Answer 19

Typical to German-style lagers, this malt adds a golden color and rich, malty flavor.