In the world of brewing, specialty grains and adjuncts are commonly found in many different beer styles and contribute to many aspects of the finished beer, from colour adjustments, to flavours and aromas, as well as haze, mouthfeel, and foaming properties. In this paper, we’ll go over the different options and their characteristics, as well as an experimental series, with the use of a single base malt, and 1 specialty grain or adjunct in each batch, documenting their effect on multiple aspects, including colour, flavour, aroma, haze, mouthfeel/body, foaming properties, and fermentability. Whilst many articles have already covered these properties quite extensively, they’re written in focus to regular beer production, and not particularly to NAB/LAB production, whilst these properties are transferrable to this method of brewing, we look to focus in on just how big an impact each component has with lower malt quantities typically seen with the High temp/Low gravity method, and to assist brewers in designing their own recipes, or altering their existing beers to achieve great results, with less hassle.
The role of adjuncts, which have been used in beer since it was first brewed, is to enhance one or another characteristic that the four essential contribute to beer.
Some increase the original amount of sugar in the wort. Other adjuncts are used to add a unique flavour or aroma to beer. Certain adjuncts are even used to alter the way that beer ferments. Many styles of beer rely on adjuncts (1).
Below is a list of some of the more popular specialty grains and adjuncts you will come across when brewing. The list of available grains keeps getting bigger and we challenge you to try them out in your next home brew creation. The table below lists the malt/adjunct type, its flavour profile and suggest usage amount in a “standard” grain bill (2). With NAB/LAB brewing, these suggested amounts can be greatly increased to improve the overall flavour, aroma, colour, mouthfeel/body, and foaming properties.
Specialty Malt | Uses |
Acidulated Malt | Traditionally made by spraying sour wort on base malt to encourage lactic acid bacteria growth. This adds a sharp, tart flavour that can accentuate the underlying maltiness. Every 1% of acidulated malt (by weight) of the total grain bill reduces the mash-pH by 0.1 point. Flavours: Sharp, tart and accentuates maltiness. |
Amber Malt (Aromatic) | Malt roasted at a low temperature to provide a rich maltiness and sharp bready flavour. Used traditionally in English ales. Flavours: Sharp bready flavour. |
Biscuit Malt (Biscuit, Dark Amber, Munich 30L, Victory, Honey) | Like amber malt but roasted at higher temperatures. The colour is typically a golden orange 20 to 40°L. Flavours: Biscuit, nutty, bread crust. |
Black Malt (Black Patent) | Malt roasted at a very high (combustion) temperature, which leads to dry, burnt, and bitter flavours. The malt is at risk of catching on fire and is quenched with water during the roasting process. Flavours: Dry, burnt, bitter. |
Brown Malt (Coffee, Porter, Special Roast) | Often roasted at low temperatures for an extended period of time until colour reaches around a milk chocolate brown of 100°L. Flavours: Coffee and nutty. |
Caramel Malt (Crystal, Cara, Caramalt, Caramel) | Caramel refers to the dominant flavour of these malts. Often called crystal in reference to the crystallized sugar inside. Sweet and in a wide range of colours and flavours. Flavours: Sweet, caramel. |
Chocolate Malt (Pale/Dark Chocolate, Carafa, Wheat Chocolate) | Comes in a variety of colours and flavours. Malt is roasted and the flavours created most often are similar to coffee and dark chocolate. Flavours: Coffee, dark chocolate. |
Dextrin Malt (Carapils, Carafoam, Melanoidin, Dextrapils) | A low-colour kilned malt, similar to a base malt, but with no enzymatic power and glassy inside. Dextrin gets its name from the type of sugar inside. It contributes a very pale-yellow colour to beer and is often lighter than 2-row and 6-row base malt. Enhances foam and body. Flavours: Enhances foam and body. |
Hybrid Malt (Carabrown, Special B) | No malt is called hybrid. This just describes the dual use of caramelizing in a roaster and then further roasting at higher temperatures. Almost always described by a unique product name. Flavours: Caramel, complex. |
Roasted Barley (Black Roasted, Roast/Black) | Not technically malt, it is an important specialty ingredient. Barley is added “green” (unmalted) to the roaster, which lends itself a milder burnt flavour profile than black malt. Flavours: Milder burnt flavour than black malt. |
Smoked Malt (Smoked, Smoked Wheat, Rauch, Peated Malt) | Typically, a base malt that has had smoke flavour added to it (making it a specialty malt). This malt has an intense smokiness and is typically used in restrained quantities. Flavours: Smoky |
Specialty (Chocolate Wheat, Caramel Rye, Caracrystal Wheat) | Any malted grain can be used to make the specialty products described above. Barley is the most popular grain used for brewing, but numerous wheat, rye, and oat specialty products exist as well. |
Adjuncts | Uses |
Flaked Barley | Suitable for use when beers require increased body, mouthfeel, head retention and/or subtle grain flavours, without lowering the final gravity Flavours: Subtle grain, enhances foam and body. |
Flaked Wheat | Flaked Wheat offers the benefits of unmalted wheat in a convenient flaked form. Unmalted wheat has a strong grain flavour and a very light straw colour. It is used in many styles to add flavour and cloudiness and improve head retention. Unlike raw, whole grains, the starch in flaked wheat is pre-gelatinized, so a separate cereal mash is usually unnecessary. Flavours: Grainy flavour, light straw colour, high protein levels attributing to foam positive properties. |
Torrefied Wheat | Much the same as flaked wheat, it is used in many styles to add flavour and cloudiness and improve head retention the starch in flaked wheat is pre-gelatinized, so a separate cereal mash is usually unnecessary. Flavours: Smooth, Bready. |
Rolled/Flaked Oats | Flaked oats are a common adjunct for stouts and porters. Contributes silky, smooth mouthfeel and creaminess to your beer. Must be mashed with barley malt for conversion. Flavours: Creamy, silky, enhances body. |
Flaked Rice | Crisp Flaked Torrefied Rice lightens wort colour, provides more fermentables without increasing body and flavour, reduces protein levels, and imparts a characteristic dryness to finished beers. Flavours: Neutral |
Puffed Rice | Puffed Jasmine is pre-gelatinized in the puffing process, so the starches are readily hydrated and easily incorporated into the mash. Milling is highly recommended so that the gelatinized starches in these products will be exposed to the diastatic enzymes in the base malt that are responsible for conversion from starch to sugar Flavours: Light floral aroma and is perfectly dry and refreshing, popcorn. |
Flaked Maize/Corn | Maize/Corn flakes are a common adjunct in Light Lagers, British Bitters, and Cream Ales. Contributes alcohol, subtle sweetness, but little flavour. It also imparts a roundness, sparkle, and golden quality. As well as being pregelatinized, not requiring a cereal mash. Flavours: Light, subtle sweetness. |
Flaked Rye | Imparts a dry, crisp character and strong rye flavour. Use up to 40% as a cereal adjunct in the total grist to create rye Beer, it also helps prevent stuck sparges. Flavours: Very clean, distinctive rye flavour. |
Corn Syrup/Maltodextrin Powder | Maltodextrin is a (mostly) non-fermentable sugar used to enhance body, mouthfeel, and head retention. These changes can affect the perceived taste of beer, but maltodextrin itself does not contribute any significant sweetness. Flavours: Neutral flavour, increases mouthfeel, body, and head retention. |
Rice Syrup | Used to lighten beer and add body, rice flavour, and fermentable sugars, used typically in American Light lagers Flavours: Neutral |
Lactose | Lactose is a non-fermentable milk sugar that adds sweetness and body to drier beers, such as stouts. Can also be used to add body to brown ales, stouts, and other styles Flavours: Sweet, neutral. |
Sugars (Honey, Maple Syrup, Corn Sugar/Dextrose, White Sugar, Brown Sugar, Belgian Candy, Fruit, Molasses) | Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose, these can be found in the likes of fruits, honey, syrups, and refined sugars. Typically, these sugars are 100% fermentable. Leaving behind flavours and colours typical of the adjunct. Flavours: Varying from neutral to fruity, woody, nutty, earthy, caramel. |
Sorghum LME | A gluten free, 100% concentrated wort made from the unmalted grain, not the cane, of the white sorghum plant. Flavours: Neutral, Mild “grain-like” flavour. Usage: 100% |
Unfermentable Flavour Adjuncts (Coffee, Tea, Cacao, Coconut, Vanilla Bean, Herbs, Spices) | Many different flavourings can be added to the brewers beer, mainly seen in Stouts and Porters, with strong chocolate, vanilla and coffee notes being the most prominent, to lighter brown ales and pumpkin spiced beers. Some adjuncts can have high fats/oil contents, some can be quite astringent, so trial and error to suit individual tastes is recommended. Flavours: From neutral, to coffee, chocolaty, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, coconut, spiced. Usage: Suited to individual taste and adjunct. |
Hopefully the use of this paper can help brewers in selecting specialty grains and adjuncts to assist in the role of brewing NAB/LABs to create better beer, with an ever-evolving industry, product changes and availability may vary from region to region, so choosing a suitable substitute may be necessary. To follow up on the usages and effect of these specialty grains and adjuncts, another paper documenting a trial series will be completed with the most commonly used varieties and their attribution in improving quality, flavour, and foaming properties in the production of low gravity brewing of non-alcoholic beer.
