Honey Malt. Can I steep it?

Northern Brewer General
1

I am interested in using Gambrinus Honey Malt in my next batch and was wondering if I may steep it as a specialty grain in an extract recipe or if I would need to mash it first? Thanks!

2

You can steep it. It is technically a caramel/crystal style malt, so the starches are already converted to sugars, so it does not need to be mashed.

3

Thanks!

4

Here is a handy malt chart.

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5

I would add that you should go easy with it, a little goes a long way.

6

a LONG LONG way.

I think I am done ever using that malt again. I just don’t care for it at all.

7

I love Honey Malt, but yes a little goes a very long way.

8

Thanks folks. I noticed that Ithica uses it in their delicious Flower Power IPA. Not sure if I want to risk making an IPA too sweet rather than hoppy. However I may steep a bit (8 oz) in an American wheat to add something different in addition to a bit of lavender at flameout.

9

[quote=“DUNNGOOD”]Here is a handy malt chart.

   <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Malts_Chart">http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Malts_Chart</a><!-- m -->[/quote]

+1 Nice chart to have on hand, yet another thing to add to my resources.

10

I agree…I use it quite a bit, but rarely more than an ounce or two at a time for a 5gal formula.
I should add that I always include it in the mash, since I was always told that it needed to be.

Apparently, opinions seem to vary on that. Do whatever works, I suppose.

But either way…too much of it can definitely be cloying (although it may be desirable in higher concentrations for some brews, especially ones made with significant amounts of adjuncts).

11

[quote=“The Professor”]I should add that I always include it in the mash, since I was always told that it needed to be.
[/quote]The chart at HBT says it needs to be mashed but NB has it listed with their crystal malts at 20-30L. I can’t say that I ever used it back when I brewed extract, I’ve always mashed it. Being 20-30L I would think that the starch would have been converted during kilning so you ought to be able to steep it.