Special B

[micmacmoc]

This thread has tingled a dormant interest in making something dark n different! The Kalamazoo stout sounds interesting....when do you add the liquorice stick?
Special B malt is on my next malt order. Thanks dudes.
moc
x

[gibbiem]

I used some in a Stone Arrogant Bastard clone. Turned out spot on!

[seymour]

...when do you add the liquorice stick?

During the boil. That particular technique is historically English.

[IPA]

Hi IPA, any chance you could publish the recipe for Pelforth Brune? I love that beer!

Here you go. It took me a long time to get it right but am am pleased with the result. Let me know what you think. Good or bad.


Here's the recipe and a good yeast to use is the one cultured from a bottle of Chimay Rouge

25 litres (Efficiency 78%)
OG 1.070
FG 1.012
5000 gr Pale malt
715 gr Special B malt
620 gr Wheat malt
725 gr light soft brown sugar

Hops
31 gr Northern Brewer (90 mins)
11 gr Styrian Goldings ( last 15 mins)
Bitterness 30 EBU
7.6% ABV

It really is good
Ian

[beerlion]

Cheers Ian,

My brew schedule is full for the next few months, so it'll be next year before I get round to it!

[far9410]

Great recipe , love pelforth

[Ren]

I love it too, but only in very particular cases.

You can use it in any Belgian ale with colour, or any other brown ale recipe you want to adapt, making it instantly recognizeable as Belgian. Special-B is one of the most unique and complex malts you'll ever find, but it DOES NOT HIDE: toffee, molasses, plums, raisins, sour cherries, red wine grapeskins, tree nut tannins, burnt toast. No, it's not a substitute for Black Malt, unless you specifically want to introduce all those special layers.

It goes great in Robust Porters, but will no longer taste authentically English, if that matters to you.

So are you saying if I want to introduce some dark fruit notes i should go with the black malt istead of special b? I thought it's other way around. I am going to make a plum porter so was thinkong to use both actually but cant decide what ratios:)

[seymour]

I love it too, but only in very particular cases.

You can use it in any Belgian ale with colour, or any other brown ale recipe you want to adapt, making it instantly recognizeable as Belgian. Special-B is one of the most unique and complex malts you'll ever find, but it DOES NOT HIDE: toffee, molasses, plums, raisins, sour cherries, red wine grapeskins, tree nut tannins, burnt toast. No, it's not a substitute for Black Malt, unless you specifically want to introduce all those special layers.

It goes great in Robust Porters, but will no longer taste authentically English, if that matters to you.

So are you saying if I want to introduce some dark fruit notes i should go with the black malt istead of special b? I thought it's other way around. I am going to make a plum porter so was thinkong to use both actually but cant decide what ratios:)

You're right. I was listing the traits which Special B produces in high levels, meaning Special B doesn't hide, you always know when it's in a recipe. I wasn't as clear as I could've been. Black Malt produces some dark fruit notes too, but not nearly to the same extent, and Special B isn't nearly as roasty.

[rlemkin]

[quote="gibbiem"]I used some in a Stone Arrogant Bastard clone. Turned out spot on![/quote]

Me too, about 10%. Still in the FV though..

Special B smells delicious. There's a new 'Double Roasted Crystal' on the way that's supposed to be similar.

[seymour]

I used some in a Stone Arrogant Bastard clone. Turned out spot on!

Me too, about 10%. Still in the FV though..

Special B smells delicious. There's a new 'Double Roasted Crystal' on the way that's supposed to be similar.

I'm sure it is delicious, but just for the record, real Arrogant Bastard doesn't contain Special-B Malt.

[gibbiem]

Was a beersmith recipe I used. I've heard that Stone keep it a big secret?

[seymour]

Was a beersmith recipe I used. I've heard that Stone keep it a big secret?

Yeah, because it's so simple and easily copied. You ready for it?

all Munich Malt plus all Chinook hops

[gibbiem]

Wow ha ha. Munich as the Base Malt?

[seymour]

Wow ha ha. Munich as the Base Malt?

Yep. Bewilderingly simple, that's why they keep it a secret. They have no trouble sharing the complicated ones which are trickier to clone.

[gibbiem]

It's like a double bluff. No wonder they called it Arrogant Bastard ha ha. Do you know a recipe for their sublimely black IPA? Also wondered if anyone on here has a recipe for Jackhammer by Brewdog?