3Morley asked a similar question and Kjyost answered a bit. I do extract brewing with specialty grains steeped. I understand that the grains add flavors. I am wondering what the different grains add in terms of flavors. I see caramels, roasted, malts, etc. Does the color mean anything in terms of flavor? I'm thinking of making up my own recipe (for some reason) and am deciding what to add to the Liquid LME base based on what each grain does.
There are various grain charts out there. Poke around the web. Here's one... http://www.onebeer.net/grainchart.html
Generally the darker the grain the stronger the roast flavor. If you have a homebrew store nearby you can go in and they'll usually let you taste the grains. It's like a kid in a candy store, but better. If you go in with a recipe, they have to weigh each of the grains separately. This is usually the best time to ask, "What's that one taste like?"
