When it comes to crafting the perfect brew, the choice of malt can make all the difference. Whether you’re aiming to add depth, richness, or that perfect roasted touch to your beer, the malt you choose sets the stage for everything else. Among the myriad options available, Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat stands out as a truly unique and versatile ingredient.
The unique advantage of Chocolate Wheat
What sets Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat apart from other malts is its base: wheat. While most of our Black Swaen range is crafted from barley malt, which undergoes a precise process of steeping, germination, kilning, and then roasting, Chocolate Wheat offers a unique twist.
With our Probat drum roaster, we can roast from very light to very dark, and while some brewers prefer dehusked Chocolate Barley to avoid the astringency that husks can introduce, we believe our husked Chocolate Barley malt isn’t astringent at all. This is thanks to our advanced roasting techniques and the use of our Probat drum roaster, which allows us to produce smooth, non-astringent malts – even with the husk intact.
However, for those who insist on a dehusked version, we offer a natural alternative: Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat. Since wheat is naturally huskless, it inherently eliminates the need for dehusking while still delivering the rich, roasted flavours that brewers seek in chocolate malts. Why dehusk barley when wheat can provide the same – if not better – results, with a naturally smoother finish?
This inherent characteristic means brewers can achieve the desired chocolatey depth without risking the harshness or bitterness that can come from other malts. It’s as if nature itself designed wheat for this purpose, offering pure chocolate happiness without any of the wheat flavour.
Flavour and aroma: a perfect match for dark beers
Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat is not just about smoothness, it’s about flavour. This roasted malt delivers a rich profile that includes notes of coffee and chocolate. The malty, nutty undertones further complement these flavours, making this malt an excellent choice for dark beers.
The malt’s colour impact is just as impressive. With an EBC of 800-1000 (or Lovibond 300-375), Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat can dramatically intensify the colour of any beer, from dark wheat beers to Porters and Stouts. It’s particularly well-suited for brews where colour and flavour complexity are essential.
Versatility in brewing
While this malt shines in traditional dark beers like Schwarzbier, Stout, and Porter, its potential doesn’t stop there. Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat can be used to add colour and a hint of roastiness to almost any beer style. Even lighter ales can benefit from a small percentage of this malt, achieving a richer hue and a subtle depth of flavour that sets your brew apart from the rest.
How to use Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat
In brewing, a little goes a long way. We recommend using up to 5% of Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat in your malt bill to get the best results. This small addition is enough to impart a significant impact on both colour and flavour without overwhelming the beer. The flexibility of this malt allows you to experiment, tailoring your brew to achieve the exact profile you’re aiming for.
Conclusion
Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat is more than just a malt – it’s a brewer’s ally in creating distinctive, high-quality beers. Whether you’re looking to craft a robust Stout, a rich Porter, or even just to deepen the character of your lighter ales, this malt offers an unmatched combination of smoothness, flavour, and colour. By harnessing the power of wheat, you can achieve the complex, roasted characteristics of darker malts without the drawbacks of bitterness or astringency. It’s a natural choice for brewers who demand the best.
So why dehusk when you can simply choose wheat? Make Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat your secret ingredient and let your beers shine.