Acid malt

[WilliamGladstone99]

I have some Challenger hops which I am planning to use with malt extract and fermentables. Looks like I could have ago at following the GW recipe for Adnams Broadside, one of my favourite beers. However, this also calls for Acid malt.
What precisely is Acid malt?

 

[markmark]

Acid malt has lactic acid added to it and can be used as an alternative to water treatments to lower mash pH.
I don't know that much about it to be honest other than small amounts are used in some dry stouts.

 

[brewtim]

I've used it in a wheat beer before I managed to get my hands on some lactic acid. It's Pilsner malt sprayed with lactic acid and is used to reduce alkalinity in light beers (eg ones that use Pilsner malt) without adding Chloride & Sulphate which AMS/CRS will. It should have a downwards affect on pH also.

I'm not sure why lactic acid is used for these styles of beers and I don't know if other acids such as phosphoric acid can be used also, or what the differences are.

 

[rpt]

Acidulated malt is a way of lowering the mash pH without breaking the Reinheitsgebot. If you're not German you can use lactic or phosphoric acids too.

 

[zgoda]

The exact amount varies. It depends on initial mash pH, mash buffering potential, grist composition and many other factors that have to be anticipated. Acids are much easier to use, just measure pH with a strip, add acid, make correction if necessary.

 

[WilliamGladstone99]

Hello I am thinking of doing the GW recipe for Adnams Broadside.
The recipe in the book does not give a partial extract method; is there a reason for this i.e. it will not work? I am aware that some recipes such as wheat beer might not work with 2 cans of Coopers but some of the extract omissions seem to be there for no particular reason.

 

[Ceejay]

If you can type out what the AG recipe is, one of us can convert it for you. You can do most ales as partial mashes very easily. No idea why they would have omitted it.

I would omit the acidulated malt. As the others have said, it's for mash/beer pH adjustment so entirely depends on your source water and grist.

 

[WilliamGladstone99]

Graham Wheeler recipe calls for:
4180g Pale Malt
335g Acid Malt
240g sugar
78g Black Malt which I am omitting
42g Challenger hops at start of boil
9g Fuggles hops for last ten minutes
I will probably try
3000g Amber liquid malt extract from Coopers
500g Crystal grain
About 35g Challenger hops at start of boil; planning to omit the Fuggles hops.
I also have about 50g of Liberty hops. Not sure when to add them or in what quantities. They have been sitting in my fridge for about a month and the edges have acquired a slight brownish tinge. Suppose it’s safe to use them?
But most important question is: will above partial method work?

 

[Ceejay]

Ok, so it's easy enough to convert that recipe to partial mash or Extract with steeping grains.

My question to you is "what are you looking to get out of this brew?". You're omitting the black malt and fuggles, adding a large charge of crystal malt and liberty hops. I'm sure you're aware that this is going to change the beer a fair amount, so it probably won't taste anything like Adnams Broadside.

Having asked that question, your recipe will definitely work. If it were me, I'd be looking to add 25g of Liberty at flameout and 25g in dry-hop to get some decent aroma out of them. Re: the quality of the hops - rub and smell them - if they don't smell great, don't use them.

 

[graysalchemy]

Well with those alterations Its not going to taste like Broadside to be fair, it is just too different, you have omitted the Fuggles which will give the brew its hoppy aroma, you have added crystal which wasn't there before and in proportions which are way too high and omitted the black malt. :wha: :wha:

Personally I would have replaced the pale malt with 3 KG of amber LME and used the sugar (or increased the LME to 3.3KG). Black malt is only a colour adjustment so you could use it. I have no experience of acid malt but from what people have said I would omit it. If you used the liberty hops you would end up with a hybrid of broadside and explorer, so really you need the fuggles.

Hope that helps

:thumb:

 

[rpt]

I think the acid malt in Broadside is for more than just pH adjustment but is key to its special flavour.

 

[zgoda]

It adds lactic type sourness (think sauerkraut) in larger quantities. Over 300 gms in 23 ltr brew might be that but I never had original beer and can't say if this is the purpose.

 

[Dr Mike]

I think the acid malt in Broadside is for more than just pH adjustment but is key to its special flavour.

After drinking a pint of Broadside the other day I looked for a recipe online and someone on Jim's had posted a picture of the ingredients board from Adnams brewery itself. Only listed ingredients for Broadside were Pale malt, First Gold Hops and Caramel colourant.

Adnam's yeast is quite distinctive though...

 

[WilliamGladstone99]

Would acid Malt be more likely to kill germs and hence prevent contamination?

 

[Dr Mike]

At any quantity you'd want to use, probably not. If you piled loads in then there might be some residual anti-bacterial affect, but the beer would taste pretty sour.

There's no real substitute for good cleanliness & sanitisation to keep the bacteria at bay.