Brewing Malt Comparison Chart
There are so many types of brewing malt available to us homebrewers that making a unique recipe actually isn't that hard despite there being over 4,000 breweries in the United States alone. The table below is a list of each arranged by Lovibond (color). Show the Base Malts only Show the Steeping malts only Grains Arranged By Lovibond Value Name Potential SRM Mash Required? Max Grain Bill % Flavors & Characteristics Substitutes CaraFoam 0 1 No 5 % Boosts body and head retention Carapils UK Pilsner 2 Row 1.036 1 Yes 100 % Very light flavor contribution Pilsen , Bohemian Pilsner Pilsen 1.036 1 Yes 100 % Sweet, Malty UK Pilsner 2 Row Flaked Oats 1.035 1 Yes 30 % Boosts body and head retention, Creamy Additive free quick oats from the grocery store Malted Oats 1.037 1 Yes 10 % Boosts body and head retention Flaked Oats Flaked Corn 1.037 1 Yes 40 % Boosts ABV, low flavor Grits (cook before mashing) 2 Row Malt 1.036 2 Yes 100 % Very light flavor contribution Pale Ale , UK Pilsner 2 Row Flaked Barley 1.032 2 Yes 20 % Very light flavor contribution Flaked Oats , CaraFoam 6 Row Malt 1.035 2 Yes 100 % Very light flavor contribution 2 Row Malt Golden Promise 1.038 2 Yes 100 % Sweet Malt UK Pilsner 2 Row Bohemian Pilsner 1.037 2 Yes 100 % Use for Authentic Bohemian Pilsners UK Pilsner 2 Row , Pilsen Irish Stout Malt 1.038 2 Yes 100 % Plump Kernals with low protien and high extract. Golden Promise German Wheat 1.039 2 Yes 60 % Malty White Wheat , White Wheat 1.040 2 Yes 50 % Malty Red Wheat , German Wheat Wheat Malt 1.040 2 Yes 50 % Malty, Sweet, Creamy White Wheat , Red Wheat Carapils 1.040 2 No 10 % Boosts body CaraFoam Flaked Rye 1.036 2 Yes 10 % Spicy, Adds Body Rye Malt Rye Malt 1.033 3 Yes 15 % Adds body, Spicy rye flavor Flaked Rye Acidulated Malt 1.027 3 Yes 10 % Helps lower mash pH 2 Row Malt with a lactic acid addition to mash Red Wheat 1.040 3 Yes 50 % Malty White Wheat , Wheat Malt Oak Smoked Wheat 1.040 3 Yes 80 % Light and subtle smoke flavor. Up to 100% for Grodziskie Beechwood Smoked Malt Maris Otter 1.038 3 Yes 100 % Malty, Nutty Golden Promise , Pale Ale Kolsch Malt 1.036 4 Yes 100 % Use for an authentic Kolsch UK Pilsner 2 Row , 2 Row Malt Pale Ale 1.037 4 Yes 100 % Malty Maris Otter , 2 Row Malt Vienna Malt 1.036 4 Yes 100 % Malty, Aromatic Light Munich Malt Cherrywood Beechwood Smoked Malt 1.034 5 Yes 60 % Light to heavy smoke flavor based on usage Oak Smoked Wheat , Beechwood Smoked Malt Light Munich Malt 1.037 6 Yes 100 % Malty Munich Malt Golden Naked Oats 1.037 7 Yes 10 % Sweet, Malty, Creamy Flaked Oats Munich Malt 1.037 9 Yes 100 % Malty, Sweet Light Munich Malt Munich 10 (Dark Munich) 1.035 10 Yes 20 % Malty, Sweet Munich Malt Red X 1.036 12 Yes 100 % Adds Red Color CaraRed , Crystal 20 Abbey Malt 1.035 17 Yes 50 % Malty, Honey, Chocolate CaraBelge Beechwood Smoked Malt 1.037 9 No 15 % Smoke flavor - light Oak Smoked Wheat Crystal 10 1.035 10 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Sweet, Caramel Crystal 15-20 CaraHell 1.037 11 Yes 50 % Rich Maltiness, boosts color Vienna Malt CaraBelge 1.034 16 Yes 30 % Subtle Caramel, Raisin, Bready Abbey Malt Crystal 20 1.035 20 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Sweet, Caramel Crystal 15-30 , CaraRed CaraRed 1.035 20 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Modifies Color Red X , Crystal 15-30 Melanoidin Malt 1.037 20 No 10 % Malty, Aromatic Aromatic Malt Amber Malt 1.035 22 Yes 5-10 % Buscuit, Coffee Biscuit Malt CaraVienna Malt 1.034 22 No 10 % Malty CaraMunich I , Crystal 20 Biscuit Malt 1.036 23 No 15 % Aromatic , Biscuit Aromatic Malt Honey Malt 1.037 25 Yes 20 % Malty, Sweet Crystal 20-30 Aromatic Malt 1.036 25 Yes 10 % Aromatic, Malty Melanoidin Malt Victory Malt 1.034 26 Yes 15 % Aromatic, Biscuit, Nutty, Toasty Aromatic Malt , Biscuit Malt Crystal 40 1.035 40 No 10 % Boosts head and Body, Sweet, Caramel Crystal 30-60 CaraMunich I 1.033 49 No 10 % Caramel CaraMunich I Special Roast 1.033 50 No 10 % Aromatic, Biscuit, Toasted Biscuit Malt , Crystal 40-60 CaraMunich I 1.033 56 No 10 % Caramel CaraMunich II Crystal 60 1.033 60 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Sweet, Caramel Crystal 40-75 Brown Malt 1.032 65 Yes 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Sweet, Caramel Victory Malt , Special Roast Crystal 80 1.033 80 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Sweet, Caramel Crystal 75-90 Crystal 120 1.033 120 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Sweet, Caramel Special B Extra Special 1.035 130 No 15 % Coffee, Marshmallow, Prune Special B , Crystal 120 CaraAroma 1.035 130 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Malty, Caramel Crystal 120 Special B 1.030 180 No 10 % Aromatic, Caramel Crystal 120 , Extra Special Chocolate Rye 1.031 250 No 5 % Roasty, Adds deep color Chocolate Wheat Roasted Barley 1.025 300 No 5 % Roasty, Burnt, Coffee, Nutty Chocolate Malt , Pale Chocolate Carafa 1 1.032 337 No 5 % Aromatic Carafa II , Roasted Barley Pale Chocolate 1.034 350 No 10 % Roasty, Adds deep color, Coffee, Roasted Chocolate Malt Chocolate Malt 1.034 350 No 10 % Roasty, Adds deep color, Coffee, Roasted Pale Chocolate , Roasted Barley Chocolate Wheat 1.033 400 No 5 % Aromatic, Adds deep color Chocolate Rye Carafa II 1.032 412 No 5 % Aromatic Carafa 1 Dark Chocolate Malt 1.034 420 No 10 % Roasty, Adds deep color, Coffee, Roasted Roasted Barley , Chocolate Wheat Black Patent 1.025 500 No 5 % Burnt, Roasted Black Malt Black Malt 1.025 500 No 7 % Burnt, Roasted Black Patent Chart of Base Malt Just looking for base malts for your next brewing session? Use the chart below to find the best one for you. There are more options than you may have previously thought. Many of them provide unique flavors to the finished beer, or hail from a specific region with a signature style. View Full Table Name Potential SRM Mash Required? Max Grain Bill % Flavors & Characteristics Substitutes UK Pilsner 2 Row 1.036 1 Yes 100 % Very light flavor contribution Pilsen , Bohemian Pilsner Pilsen 1.036 1 Yes 100 % Sweet, Malty UK Pilsner 2 Row 2 Row Malt 1.036 2 Yes 100 % Very light flavor contribution Pale Ale , UK Pilsner 2 Row 6 Row Malt 1.035 2 Yes 100 % Very light flavor contribution 2 Row Malt Golden Promise 1.038 2 Yes 100 % Sweet Malt UK Pilsner 2 Row Bohemian Pilsner 1.037 2 Yes 100 % Use for Authentic Bohemian Pilsners UK Pilsner 2 Row , Pilsen Irish Stout Malt 1.038 2 Yes 100 % Plump Kernals with low protien and high extract. Golden Promise Maris Otter 1.038 3 Yes 100 % Malty, Nutty Golden Promise , Pale Ale Kolsch Malt 1.036 4 Yes 100 % Use for an authentic Kolsch UK Pilsner 2 Row , 2 Row Malt Pale Ale 1.037 4 Yes 100 % Malty Maris Otter , 2 Row Malt Vienna Malt 1.036 4 Yes 100 % Malty, Aromatic Light Munich Malt Light Munich Malt 1.037 6 Yes 100 % Malty Munich Malt Munich Malt 1.037 9 Yes 100 % Malty, Sweet Light Munich Malt Red X 1.036 12 Yes 100 % Adds Red Color CaraRed , Crystal 20 Chart of Steeping Grains Below are just the grains that do not need to be mashed. Extract brewers looking to spice up their next batch should refer to this. There are some grains that aren't base malts that still need to be mashed. Refer to the first table to view those. Name Potential SRM Mash Required? Max Grain Bill % Flavors & Characteristics Substitutes CaraFoam 0 1 No 5 % Boosts body and head retention Carapils Carapils 1.040 2 No 10 % Boosts body CaraFoam Beechwood Smoked Malt 1.037 9 No 15 % Smoke flavor - light Oak Smoked Wheat Crystal 10 1.035 10 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Sweet, Caramel Crystal 15-20 Crystal 20 1.035 20 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Sweet, Caramel Crystal 15-30 , CaraRed CaraRed 1.035 20 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Modifies Color Red X , Crystal 15-30 Melanoidin Malt 1.037 20 No 10 % Malty, Aromatic Aromatic Malt CaraVienna Malt 1.034 22 No 10 % Malty CaraMunich I , Crystal 20 Biscuit Malt 1.036 23 No 15 % Aromatic , Biscuit Aromatic Malt Crystal 40 1.035 40 No 10 % Boosts head and Body, Sweet, Caramel Crystal 30-60 CaraMunich I 1.033 49 No 10 % Caramel CaraMunich I Special Roast 1.033 50 No 10 % Aromatic, Biscuit, Toasted Biscuit Malt , Crystal 40-60 CaraMunich I 1.033 56 No 10 % Caramel CaraMunich II Crystal 60 1.033 60 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Sweet, Caramel Crystal 40-75 Crystal 80 1.033 80 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Sweet, Caramel Crystal 75-90 Crystal 120 1.033 120 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Sweet, Caramel Special B Extra Special 1.035 130 No 15 % Coffee, Marshmallow, Prune Special B , Crystal 120 CaraAroma 1.035 130 No 10 % Boosts body and head retention, Malty, Caramel Crystal 120 Special B 1.030 180 No 10 % Aromatic, Caramel Crystal 120 , Extra Special Chocolate Rye 1.031 250 No 5 % Roasty, Adds deep color Chocolate Wheat Roasted Barley 1.025 300 No 5 % Roasty, Burnt, Coffee, Nutty Chocolate Malt , Pale Chocolate Carafa 1 1.032 337 No 5 % Aromatic Carafa II , Roasted Barley Pale Chocolate 1.034 350 No 10 % Roasty, Adds deep color, Coffee, Roasted Chocolate Malt Chocolate Malt 1.034 350 No 10 % Roasty, Adds deep color, Coffee, Roasted Pale Chocolate , Roasted Barley Chocolate Wheat 1.033 400 No 5 % Aromatic, Adds deep color Chocolate Rye Carafa II 1.032 412 No 5 % Aromatic Carafa 1 Dark Chocolate Malt 1.034 420 No 10 % Roasty, Adds deep color, Coffee, Roasted Roasted Barley , Chocolate Wheat Black Patent 1.025 500 No 5 % Burnt, Roasted Black Malt Black Malt 1.025 500 No 7 % Burnt, Roasted Black Patent