homebrewandbeer.com

Hi everyone
can anyone advise the use of carapils or cara-pilsner grains? I've done a google on it and have gotten confusing information. Some sites mentions that it is a dextrine malt, used for head retention and mouth-feel, does not add color or flavour. Other sites mentions that it DOES add color and a caramel flavour. Yet another mentions that you need to mash it with other grains as it does not contain enzymes by itself. I'm looking for a steeping specialty grain that adds flavour and very little color, don't care much for head retention or mouth-feel (using all-malt anyway). Would this be the right grain to use?

Yeh,

I have heard that it needs to be done with a pale malt with the right enzymes to make it go. It does add to head and colour although I thought it was a paler colour that it added.

Remember though if you are using a liquid malt extract it comes with an enzyme added to it in order to chew away on those starches and break them into fermentables (at least it does here?).

So maybe heat the water to say 110 F, toss in the grains and malt extract, hold at 150 for a bit then bring temp to 170 F, get rid of the spent grains and drive on.

No matter what you do, use some Irish Moss in the boil to prevent the chill haze, especially as this will be a relatively light coloured beer.

Dogger

thanks for the info DD, but I thought the liquid malt extracts are boiled to kill off any nasties, before they are canned?

The canned ones are perhaps. I would argue that the water activity is low so you couldn't get a microbial infection going anyway. The stuff I get comes in a 45 gallon drum so it has been cooled prior to packaging and I am assuming they add it at that point.

Of course, it is just the manufacturer making the claim. Maybe they are full of shite to.

Dogger