Adjusting Grain for different SRM?

Hello:

I use Roasted Barley in my recipes, but I have a different SRM/Lovibond value than what is listed in BeerSmith. Mine is 700-800 SRM, whereas the one in BeerSmith is 300 SRM.

First, does it matter in recipe calculations?

Second, if it does, can I change the SRM rating on a grain to reflect what I have actually purchased?

Thanks,
Glenn

Sure, you can change it. You can change it inside the recipe by double-clicking on it. Or you can change it in your grain inventory then add it to a new recipe.


It makes the picture of the beer glass change colors I think and the slider for the beer style changes as well.

gboysko said:

I use Roasted Barley in my recipes, but I have a different SRM/Lovibond value than what is listed in BeerSmith. Mine is 700-800 SRM, whereas the one in BeerSmith is 300 SRM.

First, does it matter in recipe calculations?

Second, if it does, can I change the SRM rating on a grain to reflect what I have actually purchased?

Click to expand...

Adding the grain as a new item is probably the best way to keep track of it now and in future recipes.

Does it matter for recipes? For color, not really. It'll take a bit less to get to 30 SRM, but once you are that dark, black is black.

For flavor and consistency: YES! It certainly does matter. Different roasts can go from chocolaty and coffee-like to harsh, charred and burnt, in a hurry. I wouldn't consider a 500 lovibond Roast barley to be interchangeable with one at 750.

The US made roast barleys tend to be a bit lighter (300-400 SRM) than their English cousins (500-600 SRM). I don't have any roast or black malts darker than 650 SRM in my database, so I can't say what the flavor is like when it's that dark.

When thinking about malts for a recipe, I balance the need for flavor (use more of it) with the need for just color (use less of something darker). For instance, I have a Porter that needs a little char flavor, but at the point it has the right color, the flavor is harsh. So, I back it off and add Carafe malt to deepen the color. OTOH, I have a red ale that uses just the slightest bit of Carafe (<1%) to gain a deep red color instead of orange from dark caramel malt.

Excellent. Thanks for all of the great advice. I guess I'm just wondering how to fill in the rest of the required fields for this new grain. I don't know that the label has these properties. Maybe some online grain database?

gboysko said:

I don't know that the label has these properties. Maybe some online grain database?

Click to expand...

http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Assets/PDFs/Briess_PISB_SmokedMalt.pdf

yes, each maltster has a site with details, and there are a few distributors/importer sites that point to lots of the maltster sites.  I just used this page to enter this malt y-day.