Warning Regarding Black Swaen Malt

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by scottakelly, Oct 14, 2017.

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  1. scottakelly

    scottakelly Maven (1,487) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    Because of some positive feedback regarding Swaen malts in a recent thread ( https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/pilsner-malt.527332/page-2 ) I decided to purchase a sack of Swaen Light Munich a few months ago. This thread is being done as a warning to others thinking of buying the product. I will shortly be emailing the retailer and LC Carlson.

    So, sack of grain is labeled as intended...

    [​IMG]

    I first used this malt on August 30 in a beer intended to be a fest beer. 80% pils and 20% light munich. The color of the grain immediately grabbed my attention.

    [​IMG]

    I knew immediately this was not light munich. I wondered if it was their dark munich, but the grain is very dark, even for a dark munich. I proceeded with brew day, expecting to now get a marzen instead of a fest bier. The wort color confirmed my suspicion.

    Now that the beer is ready, I am highly unhappy. This is not dark munich. No dark toast flavors. It has a dark fruit aspect to it similar to a dark crystal or special b. The color is an orange-red too, which I would not expect from a dark munich. It's a drinkable beer, if blindfolded I would call it an amber ale or lager, but nowhere close to the oktoberfest I was expecting.

    [​IMG]

    Sadly, I used this malt for another brew before knowing the results. I'll be drinking amber lager for awhile, crossing my fingers for some satisfaction for my wasted money and efforts.

    I also bought a sack of Swaen Pilsner when I purchased the light munich, which I have not got into yet. Hopefully I will not be burned twice.

    Tagging @plaztikjezuz who has had good success with some of their malts.
     
    #1 scottakelly, Oct 14, 2017
    SFACRKnight likes this.
  2. scottakelly

    scottakelly Maven (1,487) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    For some reason I was thinking the malster was Black Swaen before posting and not just Swaen. Apologies before someone points it out.
     
    #2 scottakelly, Oct 14, 2017
  3. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Did you taste the malt? Is it glassy?
     
    #3 VikeMan, Oct 14, 2017
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  4. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    This appears to be a caramel malt...not a base malt
    http://theswaen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/TheSwaen_GOLDSWAEN_MUNICH_LIGHT_specs_2016.pdf

    I've been on their site before...it sucks and so does their linguistics expert/website developer...hopefully their products are better than their choice of names for a caramel malt :grimacing:
     
    #4 GreenKrusty101, Oct 14, 2017
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  5. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    Wow! I'm surprised we haven't heard about this already. This has the potential to burn a lot of homebrewers. Every retailer selling it as a Munich malt, widely accepted as a base malt, needs to know this.
     
    #5 pweis909, Oct 14, 2017
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  6. Hanglow

    Hanglow Pooh-Bah (2,051) Feb 18, 2012 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    yeah that will mess up a lot of brews . Still, at least you didn't do a 100% one....
     
    #6 Hanglow, Oct 14, 2017
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  7. frozyn

    frozyn Maven (1,435) May 16, 2015 New York
    Trader

    Sorry to hear about this, certainly a very disappointing situation. The heads up is very much appreciated -- thanks for looking out for the rest of us.
     
    #7 frozyn, Oct 14, 2017
  8. csurowiec

    csurowiec Initiate (0) Mar 7, 2010 Maryland

    Thanks for the warnings about their Munich malt. I've used their Ale Malt many times and been very happy with it but never tried anything else from that company.
     
    #8 csurowiec, Oct 15, 2017
  9. HerbMeowing

    HerbMeowing Maven (1,295) Nov 10, 2010 Virginia
    Trader

    #9 HerbMeowing, Oct 15, 2017
  10. scottakelly

    scottakelly Maven (1,487) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    I have not tasted the malt. It's not glassy.
     
    #10 scottakelly, Oct 15, 2017
  11. scottakelly

    scottakelly Maven (1,487) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    Asked and answered. Obviously no indication on the retail website that this was a caramel malt and not a base malt.
     
    #11 scottakelly, Oct 15, 2017
  12. utahbeerdude

    utahbeerdude Maven (1,374) May 2, 2006 Utah

    Not all caramel malts are glassy. Typically, those produced in a kiln, rather than a roaster, are not glassy, even though they have essentially the same properties as a glassy crystal malt.

    Definitely a poor naming choice.

    Cheers!
     
    #12 utahbeerdude, Oct 15, 2017
  13. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    What every homebrewer needs...55 lbs. of crystal malt
    I anticipate a Crystal Malt Police no knock warrant :astonished:
     
    #13 GreenKrusty101, Oct 15, 2017
  14. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,635) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    #14 hopfenunmaltz, Oct 15, 2017
    GreenKrusty101 likes this.
  15. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    Hopefully you have some local homebrewers or club that you can share the info and the malt with - it would take me a long time to get through the better part of a sack of caramunich-like malt,
     
    #15 pweis909, Oct 15, 2017
  16. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    What's your point? They could have called it Cara Chrystal (and sort of did) or CrystaMunich.
    I think their problem was dividing their types of grain/malt by mostly color initially...all their "GoldSwaen" products are caramel malts...kinda forces consumers to use their terminology.

    Could be an EU patent/trademark/copyright thing
     
    #16 GreenKrusty101, Oct 15, 2017
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2017
  17. scottakelly

    scottakelly Maven (1,487) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    It might end up as donated chicken feed. Unfortunately few homebrewers in this area.
     
    #17 scottakelly, Oct 15, 2017
  18. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,635) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    Yes on the EU part, as Weyermann has the trademarks for CaraMunich.
    They, Swaen, didn’t come up with a good name, at least for the US market.

    Weyermann markets CaraPils in the EU. In the US the call it CaraFoam, as Briess has the US trademark for CaraPils.
     
    #18 hopfenunmaltz, Oct 15, 2017
  19. secondbase

    secondbase Initiate (0) Jun 3, 2015 Tennessee

    The GoldSwaen line is all crystal malts. I hope you can find a use for this. I can't imagine going through a whole sack of crystal malt though....
     
    #19 secondbase, Oct 16, 2017
  20. Hanglow

    Hanglow Pooh-Bah (2,051) Feb 18, 2012 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    vac pack it into 500g amounts maybe? chuck some in the freezer, some in the fridge etc. In ten years time you might have used it up :0
     
    #20 Hanglow, Oct 18, 2017
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