I've just bought 2kg of whole roast barley from H&G, and 1kg black malt. The EBC colour rating on both packs is 1160, The black malt is nearly black as you'd expect, however the roast barley is the colour of chocolate malt. How come the packs are labelled with the same EBC rating??
Has anybody else notice paler roast barley? Last autumn I bought some from Farnborough HBS, and it too was same shade as the stuff I've just bought. On brewing a stout with 450g in 5 gallons - Guinness levels - it was noticeably less roasty that you'd expect. I remember when roast barley and black malt were virtually the same shade.
Are they just roasting it lighter now?
Colour of Roast Barley
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Graham
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SteveD
Exactly, Graham, that's why I posted. It's definitely lighter - more like chocolate malt. I'll open up the bag and taste it - it's possible they packed chocolate malt in error. The thing that makes me think that it's a lighter roasted barley is that I had the same situation last autumn and two exact same cockups in a row from different suppliers would be unlikely. It's a bit of a pain in the arse as you can't get the proper roast flavours into your beers. I'll email John and Patsy at H&G and see what they say - and post the findings.Graham wrote:Fawcett give roast barley as 1000 - 1400, so 1200 typically, and black malt as 1200 - 1400, so 1300 typically.
You shouldn't be able to notice ha'porth of difference.
I might roast it darker myself.
Note - colour stated as being the same
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Graham
You might want to infuse equal quantities (tiny quantities) with equal amounts of hot water in two cups for a few minutes, filter them with a tea-strainer into a couple of identical narrow tumblers or test-tubes if you have any, and compare colours. If they are markedly different they can't both be 1160 EBC.
It does look like chocolate to me. Looks like a cock-up - wrong stuff.
It does look like chocolate to me. Looks like a cock-up - wrong stuff.