NOT SO FAST!! C40 is a pretty low lovebond. Keep it if you want and still add your sugar. I don’t see 3% being too much at all. It will add some color, offset a little bitterness, and add body.
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Ah I see. Thanks
Actually when I added C40 it put my SRM right at the perfect point. When I subbed it out and added Munich, I’m not out of the SRM profile for that style beer. It was too low.
Style guidelines are only needed for competition. I still try to adhere to them, albeit loosely, as they are great starting points. I like a little Crystal Malt in my PA/IPA. I’ll even go as low as C15-C20. Cuts that “bitterness” edge a bit.
Autocorrect changed that to lovebond… It’s lovibond.
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Oh ok cool. Very good info about using Crystal malts. Thanks
I like to use crystal/caramel sparingly in my IPA’s as I can taste some off flavors I can’t put a finger on… Even if you have a big guy’s IPA that is darker in color, the hops and then that strange back ground flavor… Keep the C-malt lower, but I rather add much more munich/M.O. malt to help the base malt bring up the full body of flavor… Sneezles61
What % crystal do you use in your IPA/PA ? I use around 4-8%. German beers and Belgians I don’t use any.
@brew_cat I agree that crystal malt needs to be limited. I hear people say they go as high as 15%. I NEVER go more than 5% in my PA/IPA. Even with lower lovibond.
Bah…go as high as you need to to get the flavor you want! 15-20% isn’t out of line in some of my beers. The key is to balance it with hops, sugar, mash temp…whatever it takes. I guess my point is to never say never.
What beer do you go 20% ?
For some of my IPAs. I’d have to dig up the exact recipes. 15-18% is more usual, but it all depends on what I feel like when I put it together. For some other styles, even higher.
I get tha @denny but I could also balance it by reducing bitterness rather than throwing more crystal malt at it. 
HOLY COW, but then everybody’s palate is different. For 5 gallon brew, 10 of pale, 2 harris otter or munich, 6 oz crystal 90, and some times add wheat… and 10-12 oz. hops…. simple is good. MY ABV gits 6.4%. Now fer me, I’m happy… Sneezles61
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Similar to my recipe but use 1/2 lb c/c60. Never used Harris otter though. Instead of the wheat the last batch used a pound of Quaker Oats. Havnt tasted it yet. That’s a lot more hops than I use
I’m not sure I get what you;re saying…or maybe I’m not being clear. What I’m saying is that you if want to get a big flavor from crystal, then use more hops to balance the crystal. It sounds like you’re saying don’t use the crystal and use less hops? If that’s the case, then you won’t get the crystal flavor.
I’ve always been afraid of crystal malts since I like my beer dry. Maybe I should rethink that and try adding more to my ales. I don’t use any in my saisons pilsners or bocks.
And get the sulfate levels up. That lends dryness.
Same here, I like to dry out IPA and IIPA as much as possible, and at that point the background flavor of crystal malt gets kind of unpleasant. I used to use 8 oz or so of C20 through C60, which is fine when it’s fresh, but as soon as the hops begin to fade, out jumps that flavor. So to Denny’s point, the flavor I’m trying to get in IPA/IIPA is just the base malt and hops, and that calls for zero crystal malt because I just don’t like it. If you do like the flavor, by all means, brew the beer you want to drink. There’s nothing wrong with not using crystal malt in this kind of beer, though. Just as there’s nothing wrong with using over 10%, if you like the way it tastes.
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I absolutely agree! The reason we homebrew is to make what we want to drink. My only point was to not “artificially” limit yourself. Learn how to use your ingredients and use whatever you like.
Denny we were referring to 2 different balances/flavors. You’re talking about getting a big crystal flavor and using hops to balance. I’m talking about getting big flavor from hops and using a little crystal to cut that a bitterness a bit.
