Malt
Carafa (dehusked roasted malt)
Roasted malt with the husk removed, giving deep colour and smooth roast without the acrid edge.
What it does
Roasted malt or grain. Taken to high temperature in a roasting drum for coffee, chocolate and burnt character. No enzyme activity; used in small proportions.
The husk is removed before roasting. Since most of the harsh, tannic and acrid compounds live in the husk, the result gives colour and roast flavour with markedly less astringency.
Specification
| Colour | 300–550°L |
|---|---|
| Grain | barley |
| Enzyme activity | none — needs a base malt to convert it. |
| Fermentability | low |
| Typical share of grist | 1–8% |
| Flavour | smooth roast, cocoa, mild coffee |
Commercial examples
Weyermann Carafa Special I, Weyermann Carafa Special II, Weyermann Carafa Special III.
Listed as examples rather than equivalents. Colour, kilning regime and flavour differ measurably between maltsters, and two products sold under the same name can be several degrees apart.
Substitutes
- Chocolate malt — Similar colour with more roast bite.
- Black malt — Much sharper for the same colour.
Used in
- Munich Dunkel
Deep brown Bavarian lager led by rich Munich malt — bready and gently chocolatey, without real roast bitterness.
- Schwarzbier
Nearly black but remarkably light on the palate: smooth roast, clean lager finish and none of the heaviness the colour suggests.
- Czech dark lager
A dark Bohemian lager richer and sweeter than its German counterparts, with caramel and light roast over a soft body.
- International dark lager
A commercially-produced dark lager, light in body and gently sweet, with colour contributing more than flavour.
- Black IPA
An IPA with dark malt for colour and a light roast edge, keeping full citrus and pine hop character.
- Baltic porter
A strong dark lager descended from exported English porter: deep roast and dark fruit, remarkably smooth for its strength.
- Dunkelweizen
A dark Bavarian wheat beer where banana and clove meet bread crust and light caramel from Munich malt.