Today's Brew - My Black Beer [General]

2007 Jun 23
10 kg Weyermann Pils Matz (Bamberg)
1/2 lb Weyermann Carafa I Spezial (Bamberg)

Carafa is a dark German Malz, and Carafa Spezial is a dehusked version of the same malt. There is Carafa I for a more lightly toasted dark colour - about 350 SRM in darkness. Then Carafa II at about 450 and Carafa III at about 550 SRM, all of which also have a dehusked "Spezial" version. Often in North America when one says "Carafa" they usually mean "Carafa Spezial".

Getting rid of the husk on a dark malt rids the beer of a tannic bitterness which some folks prefer to do without. I personally find you can get a much smoother dark colour such that with your eyes closed you wouldn't even guess it was dark.

The small percentage (2.2%) of the grist of Carafa I Spezial will also help lower the mash pH to just the right level - Ottawa's water pH is actually raised quite a bit by the city Water Works Dept to help keep lead from leaching into tap water in older homes like mine. I paid to have our lead mains replaced in 2003 or something like that when they had the street torn up in front of my house!

Not sure yet what I'm going to hop it with but I have a couple of hours to decide that any way. I'll post again when I figure it out. Now I'm just resting it at 152F to convert all the starches into sugars. I normally mash 90 minutes but I'm thinking of going 2.5 hours on this one just because I'm lazy :-)