Arrogant Bastard Clone. . . Sort of

I’m curious to know how to brew with a pound of Special B and produce a beer that doesn’t taste like raisin. Short mash? Short steep? Magic?

Originally posted by Quasimodo
I’m curious to know how to brew with a pound of Special B and produce a beer that doesn’t taste like raisin. Short mash? Short steep? Magic?

Originally posted by tronraner

Originally posted by Quasimodo
I’m curious to know how to brew with a pound of Special B and produce a beer that doesn’t taste like raisin. Short mash? Short steep? Magic?

Cover it up with hops.

OK, I was wrong. The actual recipe was printed in BYO magazine some time back.

Originally posted by Cobra
OK, I was wrong. The actual recipe was printed in BYO magazine some time back.

Originally posted by Quasimodo
I’m curious to know how to brew with a pound of Special B and produce a beer that doesn’t taste like raisin. Short mash? Short steep? Magic?

Special b is a fully glassy caramel/crystal malt with low fermentability. You simply can’t make a normal beer with it as it’s not even close to a base malt. It’s already converted during the malting process (the stewing step during caramel malt production) so the lack of any enzymes isn’t really the issue, but you’d get a very thick, sticky mash that probably wouldn’t even lauter, and a crazy-sweet, dark, nasty tasting wort that would only ferment a couple of points.

If you still want to give it a shot, I’m open to hearing how close my prediction comes.

Originally posted by Quasimodo
I’m curious to know how to brew with a pound of Special B and produce a beer that doesn’t taste like raisin. Short mash? Short steep? Magic?

ISO: SMASH Special B/Chinook homebrew. First bottled delivered to me that doesn’t make me vomit gets 100 bucks.