Understanding Grains

I was wondering what everyone has done to understand the various grains used for making recipes. I plan on going all grain soon and would like to better understand all the grains and when you would want to use them. Is there some book out there that is a must have?

This is a great reference

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Malts_Chart

Thanks ipa! I haven’t seen that before that’s really useful for us newbs.

Check out the ingredients tab in EZ Brew 1.6, it contains the PPG, SRM, and flavor profile/notes on 106 malts and 29 adjuncts.
It also has attenuattion, temperature range, flocculation characteristics, alcohol tolerance, flavor, reccomended styles, and orgin brewery for 167 yeast strains.
The hop tab contains typical AA%, flavor profile, possible substitutions, orgin and history/notes for 129 different hops and hop blends.

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=107231&hilit=brew

I just referenced this in another post, but you should definately check out Ray Daniels’ book Designing Great Beers. It does not have all the answers, but it is the best book for teaching you how to build your own recipes. Which malts to use for which styles, and in what proportion.

I also got some great advice from Drew Beechum on avoiding “muddy” beer. When you start reading about all your the awesome grains available out there it’s easy to go overboard adding “a little of this and a little of that”. Start fairly simple with recipes that have 3 or fewer types of grain. Excellent beers can be made with a single type of grain. Many overzealous home brewers go overboard in their quest for something unique and end up with no dissernable malt character. Too many ingredients just combine so you really can’t taste any of them. Avoid recipes with long grain bills and a wide array of different grains. Even if one of these recipes is good it will do little to teach you about what grain imparts what flavor.
Pick a style you like and brew it twice changing only one variable. For example, you could make an IPA with American 2-row and the same recipe with Marris Otter. I think this is the most enjoyable way to learn!

I’d really like to come up with a series of basic recipes, maybe approaching a SMaSH level of simplicity, to brew for the sake of getting a tour of the different kinds of ingredients and yeasts out there.

Or maybe a few series - one for getting to know malt, one for getting to know hops, and one for getting to know yeast.

[quote=“bunderbunder”]I’d really like to come up with a series of basic recipes, maybe approaching a SMaSH level of simplicity, to brew for the sake of getting a tour of the different kinds of ingredients and yeasts out there.

Or maybe a few series - one for getting to know malt, one for getting to know hops, and one for getting to know yeast.[/quote]
That would be pretty cool. Also thank you everyone for posting so much so quickly. I really like this hobby and i can’t wait to say to be able to say that this great beer is my recipe.

[quote=“gregscsu”]Check out the ingredients tab in EZ Brew 1.6, it contains the PPG, SRM, and flavor profile/notes on 106 malts and 29 adjuncts.
It also has attenuattion, temperature range, flocculation characteristics, alcohol tolerance, flavor, reccomended styles, and orgin brewery for 167 yeast strains.
The hop tab contains typical AA%, flavor profile, possible substitutions, orgin and history/notes for 129 different hops and hop blends.

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=107231&hilit=brew
[/quote]+1 to this. The first thing I thought about. I am glad you added this and the hops sheet. I just used it again last night. It is a very good reference sheet and handy to access.

+1 ^^

Also, you can’t go wrong starting out with tried and true recipes, like those provided in Brewing Classic Styles. Brew them “as is” the first time, then tweak from there if you are looking for a bit more or less of something.

I brewed a 10 gallon batch of basic pale ale and and fermented 5 gallons with Wy. Northwest ale and 5 with Belgian Ardennes. You’d never guess they even used the same grain, let alone the same actual batch. These types of experiments are an awesome way to learn first hand how different variables change the flavor of your brews. The quality and variety of grains available today is truly awesome. But nothing trumps good sanitary techniques, proper yeast handling and fermentation temperatures. You get those variables down then tinkering with the grain bill is like the icing on the cake!