Hydration:
Start with whole, pale malt, add 38% of the malt mass of cold tap water (ie.1000 g malt + 380 g water).1 kg pale malt
yields about 1.1 kg of dry crystal malt. (You add water molecules to starch during mashing).Don't use more water, you
will wash away enzymes. I guess you could pre-boil but I don't bother since malt is contaminated anyway. Pour water
over malt, cover with clingwrap and leave in the fridge overnight mix after a few hours.
Keeping it cold is important to eliminate growth of bacteria found on the malt.Next day, all the water should be
absorbed by the grains.
Mashing:
Put the moist grains into plastic bags, flatten bag to 1-2 cm thick, suck the air out and tie a water-tight knot.
Zip-lock bags will also work if they are water-tight. Almost fill a large pot, bucket, fermentor or whatever with water at
68 to 70 degrees C .Put the bags of damp malt in and mix around a bit, you can adjust temp back
up after 15 min or so. Leave for 1 to 2 hours for the whole grains to mash themselves.
Baking:
(Here you dry, then bake the now mashed whole grains to the desired colour and flavour).Preheat the kitchen oven to
200 deg. C. Line a large baking tray with tin-foil, shiny side up (important because the tray can be very difficult to
clean). Pour your damp, mashed whole grains into the baking tray to a depth of 2 to 3 cm and put into the middle of the
oven. The inside of the grain will be sweet and mushy at this stage - have a taste. After 20 minutes or so, turn gently with
a spoon or egg lifter. The grains will be steaming and starting to dry out. A fan oven will be faster, I don't have one. Stir
every 15 to 20 minutes or so to speed drying. Once the grains are dry they will start darkening, you can take a few out
and check on the colour inside and taste. Once caramelisation starts happening, the grains start crackling (like rice
crispies do when you add milk). That's normal, reach for another home-brew to steady your nerves. Take the grain out
and cool when you are happy with the colour and taste. When cool, store in a dry container as you do with your other
brewing grains.
Types of crystal (caramel) malts you can make:
Carapils - just dry the mashed grain in a warm place (be sure its dry before storage or it will go off).I find this tends to
give too much body and little to no residual sweetness.
CaraVienne - Dry and bake at about 160 deg and stop baking at a very light brown colour.
English crystal malts:
20 L Crystal - Dry and bake at 200 deg. stop at light brown, sweet toffee taste.
60 L Crystal - Dry and bake at 200 deg. stop at darkish reddish brown, sweet toasty dark toffee taste.
120 L Crystal - continue above to dark bitter coffee, sweet toffee taste. -
Pete's Multi-grade Crystal:
Don't stir too often while roasting and get the whole range of colours, all in the same pan even a little blackening here
and there.Great stuff, all the tastes mixed together! My last batch of English Bitter got good reviews at the Worthogs
tasting, I made it with this. 220 g of PMG special + 3.8 kg pale malt gives the right colour, huge body
and a good creamy head.
you with beer." - Homer Simpson