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 many options available, Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat malt stands out as a unique and versatile ingredient.
The unique advantage of Chocolate Wheat
What sets Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat apart from other malts is its base: wheat. Most of our Black Swaen range is crafted from barley malt. This undergoes a precise process of steeping, germination, kilning, and roasting. Chocolate Wheat, however, offers a unique twist.
With our Probat drum roaster, we can roast from very light to very dark. Some brewers prefer dehusked Chocolate Barley to avoid the astringency that husks can introduce. However, we believe our husked Chocolate Barley malt isn’t astringent at all. This is thanks to our advanced roasting techniques and our Probat drum roaster. These allow us to produce smooth, non-astringent malts – even with the husk intact.
For those who insist on a dehusked version, we offer a natural alternative: Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat malt. Since wheat is naturally huskless, it eliminates the need for dehusking. At the same time, it still delivers the rich, roasted flavours that brewers seek in chocolate malts. Why dehusk barley when wheat can provide the same – if not better – results? It offers a naturally smoother finish.
This characteristic allows brewers to achieve the desired chocolatey depth without risking the harshness or bitterness that other malts can bring. It’s as if nature itself designed wheat for this purpose, offering pure chocolate happiness without any 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 enhance these flavours, making this malt an excellent choice for dark beers.
The malt’s colour impact is equally impressive. With an EBC of 800-1000 (or Lovibond 300-375), Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat intensifies the colour of any beer. From dark wheat beers to Porters and Stouts, it enhances both appearance and flavour. It’s particularly well-suited for brews where colour and complexity are essential.
Versatility in brewing
While this malt shines in traditional dark beers like Schwarzbier, Stout, and Porter, its potential goes further. Black Swaen Chocolate Wheat adds colour and a hint of roastiness to almost any beer style. Even lighter ales benefit from a small percentage of this malt. It gives a richer hue and a subtle depth of flavour, setting your brew apart.
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. This small addition significantly impacts both colour and flavour without overwhelming the beer. The flexibility of this malt allows you to experiment and tailor your brew to achieve the exact profile you want.
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 want to craft a robust Stout, a rich Porter, or enhance the character of your lighter ales, this malt offers an unmatched combination of smoothness, flavour, and colour. By harnessing the power of wheat, you achieve the complex, roasted characteristics of darker malts without 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 malt your secret ingredient and let your beers shine.
