E.B.C to SRM or Lovibond

[delboy]

I see people routinely posting recipes with either of the three colour measurement units or sometimes even a combination of them.
I really want to nail down a good newkie brown/ hobgoblin clone.
I've had one attempt so far that has what i would estimate to be 12-14 SRM as apposed to the recommended 24ish. This recipe was from the clone brews book and i followed it religiously . It called for a certain amount of chocolate malt etc which i duely added. Looking at the back of the book it quotes 450-500 SRM for chocolate malt, where as the choc malt i have from H&G is 500 E.B.C which is some of the formulas are to be believed comes out at about 160ish SRM, why the big difference.

Also orfy posted a recipe for hobgoblin and he quotes 450 SRM for chocolate malt but by my reckoning i would have to be using roast barley to come close to those SRM numbers.

Somebody put me out of my misery and tell me where i am going wrong ?? Or are people quoting E.B.C units but calling them SRM, im confused

[Dirty Davey]

sounds to me like people are getting their SRMs and EBCs mixed up. I always work in SRM and use 400 SRM for chocolate when working out colour.

[steve_flack]

Yeah, chocolate is around 400-450SRM which fits with what the Hop Shop quotes for their UK Chocolate malt - 900-1200 EBC.

[mysterio]

The chocolate malt H&G supply is pale chocolate malt which is different from regular chocolate malt. Because it's not kilned as highly it will have less of a roasty edge to it.

The EBC/SRM(Lovibond) conversions can be tricky when you're formulating recipes, that's why i like using software like Beersmith for calculating all this stuff. For example you'd be forgiven for looking at a recipe which specifies 'Crystal 120L', looking at a British homebrew shop website and seeing Crystal 120 EBC and getting them mixed up when in reality they're completely different (120 EBC is more akin to 60L).

[delboy]

The chocolate malt H&G supply is pale chocolate malt which is different from regular chocolate malt. Because it's not kilned as highly it will have less of a roasty edge to it.

The EBC/SRM(Lovibond) conversions can be tricky when you're formulating recipes, that's why i like using software like Beersmith for calculating all this stuff. For example you'd be forgiven for looking at a recipe which specifies 'Crystal 120L', looking at a British homebrew shop website and seeing Crystal 120 EBC and getting them mixed up when in reality they're completely different (120 EBC is more akin to 60L).

Im going to have to get myself beersmith, i don't begrudge paying the money for it but i never really used it when i got a free trial so i don't really know what is has to offer.
So the 500 E.B.C comes out where on the SRM values and should i be substituing H&G chocolate malt for H&G black malt (1100 E.B.C). Im still confused

[BigEd]

There is a formula for conversion but I can't remember it or find it. However, EBC is roughly twice Lovibond in raw numbers.


Found it: To convert EBC to SRM: Multiple EBC by .375 and add .46

[delboy]

There is a formula for conversion but I can't remember it or find it. However, EBC is roughly twice Lovibond in raw numbers.


Found it: To convert EBC to SRM: Multiple EBC by .375 and add .46

thanks BigEd, i saw that formula somewhere else and have been using it as a rule of thumb, but i think also i read somewhere that its really only good for pale coloured malts (up to 20L or such like) and that the relationship between the dark malts goes some what awry.
I kind of think this may be the case when i see the small correction factor ie add .46 this will make no discernible difference to dark malt calculations.

Anyway i've planned on taking a day of work sometime this week to have a go at brown ale MK II and i'll probably be pestering peolple between now and then with silly questions about malts etc, either that or Beersmith .

silly questions

Q1 If i purchase beersmith do they give me a key-code ie can i put it on several machines or do you have to buy a licence for each computer?

Q2 Should i substitute my pale chocolate malt with H&G black malt (1160 E.B.C or according to the above formula 435 SRM) or should i just up the amount of pale chocolate malt to compensate for the lower kilning? or will either of these ideas give me an incorrectly flavoured out of balance brew?

Thanks in advance

[steve_flack]

Dark malts aren't just about colour. They taste rather different too so you won't get an exact match.

Black is 1400EBC
Chocolate 900-1200EBC
Pale Chocolate is usually 500-600EBC

My thoughts are the best match for the pale chocolate would be a blend of very dark crystal (200-400EBC) and touch of regular chocolate but as to the amounts I'm not sure.

[mysterio]

Delboy, I would just use the pale chocolate in place of the chocolate malt without altering amounts. There's really not a world of difference. The taste is slightly different but it's not going to make or break it. I always use the pale stuff myself whenever a recipe calls for chocolate malt.