Spray Malt - First Time Use

[periolus]

Hi!

After I brew a couple of kits I got for xmas, I am going to try an EDME stout and want to use spray malt instead of sugar, as recommended by someone on the forum.

I noticed you can get light, 'medium', dark and extra dark spray malt and I assume that these would reflect roughly the colour of the beer that you are aiming to produce and correspond to sugar types too. Is this right?

So my assumptions are- for lager, the light is best; medium for bitter; dark for ales / stouts and extra dark for porters and stouts.

Is this right? Also - should I be ditching sugar in favour of spray malt as a permanent step towards brewing enlightenment?! Advice gratefully received.

Right - off to get bacon sandwiches and then I am getting a Wherry kit started. Horray!

 

[aneray]

Hi there periolus.

I think that you have just about answered your own questions there :thumb: .

The addition of spraymalt makes a great difference to the outcome of your finished beer, but there is a big difference in the price compared to using 'normal' sugar.

Go for it, you won't be dissapointed. Once you are happy with your brew, maybe try adding a little black treacle to your stouts when you start your next one.

If you do use dark or even extra dark spraymalt expect a really deep flavour.

Coopers are a great kit to tinker around with, especially when you short brew them and make them a little stronger.

 

[Aleman]

Personally for kits I tend to stick with extra ligt spray malt, as most of the kits have been forumlated to provide the correct colour and maltimness using sugar, so anything darker / less ferementable will throw the kits balance out . . . also important to remember that spray malt is not completely fermentable (unlike sugar) so the gravity will finish higher than the kits instructions suggest.

For lagers, I recomend using sugar or a 25/75 mix of EL sparymalt and sugar as I find that using spray malt (even extra light) really does throw the kits colour and balance out.

One time stout kits (EDME especially) and extra dark Sparymalt is wourth trying though :thumb:

 

[periolus]

Thanks for the replies guys! When I clear my current kits, I will order some and let you know how I get on!!

 

[YogiB]

Hi All, I've been wondering how to use Spray Malt too.

In relation to Coopers European lager, the yeast in the kit can ferment at 13 degrees c, and, it is advised on several threads here to fernment lager at cooler temperatures (according to the characteristics of the yeast used). The instructions in the kit advise dissolving fermentables in hot water before adding to the FV whilst the instructions on my 500g packet of light spray malt state it can simply be added to the FV. With this in mind:

[1] Is it ok to dissolve the spray malt in hot water along with the sugar before adding to the FV?

[2] Will the dissolved spray malt have a different affect on the resulting lager compared with just adding the powdered spray malt directly to the FV, and if so what affect?

YogiBeer

 

[Aleman]

[1] Yes - but it's much easier to mix it with cold water as it doesn't ball up like it does in hot
[2] No effect whatsoever . . . but it would be easier to add it to the FV before pitching the yeast.

What I would do is to add the spray malt to 5L of cold water in the FV, then make up the kit with boiling water as directed . . . and add that to the FV, then top up with cold water to 23L.

Of course it goes without saying that the water used should have been treated to remove chlorine

 

[YogiB]

Thanks Aleman :thumb:

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