Brown Malt "Type" for pH purposes??

[Megary]

Apologies if this has been asked and answered. I couldn't find anything in a search.

What does Brewer's Friend classify Brown Malt as, for Mash pH purposes?
Base Malt
Crystal Malt
Roasted Malt

I ask because it appears this classification has a fairly decent size impact on Mash pH. I think BF is treating it as a Base Malt (based on a recipe that I'm working on using Crisp Brown 65L), but that doesn't seem appropriate.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Pricelessbrewing]

It shouldn't be a base malt, I've edited that ingredient in the BF catalog, depending on how your recipe and inventory is set up that may or may not have updated as well.

IMO it would make the most sense for a roasted malt, but I will defer to @Yooper if she says otherwise.

 

[Megary]

It shouldn't be a base malt, I've edited that ingredient in the BF catalog, depending on how your recipe and inventory is set up that may or may not have updated as well.

IMO it would make the most sense for a roasted malt, but I will defer to @Yooper if she says otherwise.

Thank you. And I apologize, because I learned something else today. I’m far easier to confuse than I had given myself credit for.

I believe BF IS NOT treating it as a base malt. This explains why, when comparing my pH for this recipe at BF against another on-line calculator, I’m getting a much lower reading here than I am there. And I *believe* it’s the other place that is treating it as a base malt. I occasionally like to compare, just to see what I can see. This was the only time my pH was off by any appreciable amount and I’m pretty sure I can pinpoint the difference to the way the Brown malt is being classified.

 

[Yooper]

Thank you. And I apologize, because I learned something else today. I’m far easier to confuse than I had given myself credit for.

I believe BF IS NOT treating it as a base malt. This explains why, when comparing my pH for this recipe at BF against another on-line calculator, I’m getting a much lower reading here than I am there. And I *believe* it’s the other place that is treating it as a base malt. I occasionally like to compare, just to see what I can see. This was the only time my pH was off by any appreciable amount and I’m pretty sure I can pinpoint the difference to the way the Brown malt is being classified.

It's actually weird, because some of the brown malts do have enough diastatic power to self-convert and are an integral part of the old brown porters. In the "old days", the grain bill of a porter was 100% brown malt- so in that way of thinking it's a base malt.

It's roasted, but nearly as much as the really dark roasted malts of course. That makes it really tricking to use in the pH estimation of the water calculator as a result.

So, I'd consider it a "specialty malt", and use it as a base malt in those calculations for the best accuracy. It's definitely not going to have the same impact on the mash pH as roasted barley or crystal malt. @Pricelessbrewing

I hope that helps.

 

[Megary]

I hope that helps.

@Pricelessbrewing suggests Roasted Malt
@Yooper suggests Specialty Malt
One on line calculator suggests Base Malt

I'm going to throw all my Brown Malt in the garbage.

I wonder if Crisp will answer this question for me. I'll send them an e-mail and let you know if they respond.

 

[Donoroto]

I'm going to throw all my Brown Malt in the garbage.

Ha! Just brew it all instead!

 

[Yooper]

@Pricelessbrewing suggests Roasted Malt
@Yooper suggests Specialty Malt
One on line calculator suggests Base Malt

I'm going to throw all my Brown Malt in the garbage.

I wonder if Crisp will answer this question for me. I'll send them an e-mail and let you know if they respond.

Oh, it can be a base malt. Weirdly, we have all sorts of base malts a specialty malts in our catalog- like Munich malt. So, technically I guess, while it's a base malt we think it's "special" I guess. I argued that one for a long time, but gave up finally.

But you can class it as 'base malt' OR specialty malt, and the calculator treats it the same, that's why it doesn't matter all that much. It's definitely NOT going to work in the calculator as a "roasted" malt since it's a specialty malt................

 

[Pricelessbrewing]

Thanks @Yooper, I'm going back into the ingredients admin and changing all brown malts to specialty.