Simpsons Malt

[gitchegumee]

I'll be using Simpsons malt for the first time soon. Could someone please provide opinions on their various offerings. Specifically, I've a never used an Imperial, Amber, or Brown malt before. Where are these used and in what percentages for what effect? As always, thanks so much to the shared knowledge on this board!

[jwalts]

This may be tangential, but doing searches for amber and brown malts on this website should give you some insight on how they were used in historic British beers:

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/

Knowing how the malts were used before they fell out of favor could give you a unique perspective.

Joe

[Ted Briggs]

Never heard of 'Imperial malt'
Simpsons Amber if a dark toasted/biscuit malt. Think of the flavor of dark toast. Gives these flavors and aromas and a impression of maltyness. Over 5% it can be quite intense. Ive used it in fest beer and IPA for malty aromatics.
Brown is a must for brown ales. Again dark toast, but a bit milder and maltyier than Simpson Amber. I use 8.5% in my brown for a very brown ale.
Ive wondered about "golden naked oats' myself...

[Natrat]

What do you normally use? It's easier to compare Simpsons to other malts...for instance, I find that the Simpsons Amber is far darker than similar products from Baird's, with a more pronounced biscuit flavor. If I were substituting it for Baird's, I'd probably use about 75% of usual.

I find their brown milder than most...

Nat

[gitchegumee]

Natrat, my problem is unfamiliarity with English malts in general. I've used many, but not exclusively. Descriptions of Caramel vs. Crystal, Brown malt, Imperial malt and the aforementioned Golden Naked Oats confuse me. Be that as it may, I think I've got is sussed now. I've ordered enough of everything so that over the next six months I should be able to experiment a bit with these malts. Next problem is picking yeast for Golden Promise, Premium English Caramalt (40-50EBC) hopped with Fuggles in a traditional UK style session pale ale. Thinking about Wyeast London III #1318 or ESB #1968 yeasts. Either one a strong diacetyl producer? Any other ideas?? Thanks again for the great help!

[HinduKush]

WLP007 English Dry. Not really dry, tolerates higher alcohol, ferments like 001,1056, no diacetyl

[lagunabrewdude]

I have been using the 1318 for both a pale and a stout with great success. Low diacetyl production with proper rest but it does finish slightly sweet I have found. Good luck!

[South County]

1381 is a great and so is the 1968, however I switched and tried the 1028 for an ESB and was very pleased. The 1028 is recommend for high gravity and darker English beers because of its high attenuation. I felt this yeast really rings the beer out leaving it very crisp, light balance sweetness and attenuated but not overly dry on the pallet, this in conjunction with about 5.5% of the fermentables as invert sugar. No diacetyl really, definitely some sulfur kick during primary but subsides quickly and is gone when attenuation is reached. Don't know the Imperial malt but ditto on what Briggs stated.

[Natrat]

...so I ordered a bag of the Simpsons Imperial Malt. Just to play with.

Nat

[gitchegumee]

Imperial struck me (from its description) as perhaps something similar to melanoidin malt. You didn't pick up the malted crystal rye or golden naked oats? Really looking forward to seeing what these do.

[kai]

Agreed that Imperial is slightly similar to melanoidin. I've used it a couple times, and would say that it leans to a plummier / raisiny side of melanoidin.