Belgian aromatic question.

[Clint]

Hello all,
My Christmas stout recipe has Belgian Aromatic as one of the ingredients but...I don't have any! I do have some melanoidin but...not much and it might be all needed for the Leffe/Belgian type I'm planning. I do have some Special B and plenty of Munich.
What should I sub with if I need to?
Thanks.

 

[Sadfield]

Melanoidin would be the one to go with. Otherwise a higher percentage of munich. Saying that Special B is a dark double roasted crystal so wouldn't be out of place in a Stout. It all depends on what else is in the grist.

 

[YeastFace]

Assuming you don't have enough melanoidin, then a 50/50 mix of Munich and Melanoidin might work.

I love Special B. Works great in any dark beer for me. Lovely dried fruit character.

 

[chthon]

Belgian aromatic is a high dried malt of 50 EBC.Like said above, you can probably substitute it with three times its amount of Munich malt, and remove some of the base malt in the recipe.

The advantage of the Special B is that it helps colouring your stout. Dingemans recommends it as a replacement of black and patent malt to have less bitterness.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Special B all the way for a stout you’d be wasting Aromatic on it. Dark Crystal will also do the job but Special B would be my choice.

 

[Pennine]

I also get a tart sweetness from Belgian aromatic that I don't get from Munich, Munich is good in everything so use liberally in place of aromatic.

 

[Clint]

Interesting advice from those in the know! Without getting my notes for exact amounts the recipe has about 300g of dark crystal already.

 

[Sadfield]

Munich is good in everything

You're not wrong. Lovely stuff.

 

[Clint]

So..I sub the rolled oats for the naked golden and either special B or Munich instead of aromatic. But I treble the amount of subbed Munich and delete the difference from the base?

 

[Pennine]

So..I sub the rolled oats for the naked golden and either special B or Munich instead of aromatic. But I treble the amount of subbed Munich and delete the difference from the base?

Yes that's what I would do.

 

[Clint]

That's that sorted! Hopefully I'll get this going on my next day's off.
Thanks all!