Malt Selector & Comparison Chart
Malt Selector & Comparison Chart
Compare our crushed malts by colour (EBC), type (base/crystal/roasted/speciality), and typical use. Search, filter, sort, and add straight to your basket.
Maris Otter®
from £2.19
Full spec sheet
Type: Base malt
Colour: ~5–7 EBC (typical)
Diastatic power: High — converts its own starch plus some adjuncts
Flavour: Rich, biscuity, full malt character
Typical use: Up to 100% of grist
Best for: British bitters, pale ales, ESBs
Golden Promise
from £2.19
Full spec sheet
Type: Base malt
Colour: ~4–6 EBC (typical)
Diastatic power: High
Flavour: Sweet, clean, malty
Typical use: Up to 100% of grist
Best for: Scottish ales, IPAs, malt-forward beers
Lager (Pilsner) Malt
from £2.19
Full spec sheet
Type: Base malt
Colour: ~3–4 EBC (typical)
Diastatic power: High
Flavour: Crisp, neutral
Typical use: Up to 100% of grist
Best for: Pilsners, helles, other lager styles
Pearl Pale Ale Malt
from £2.19
Full spec sheet
Type: Base malt
Colour: ~5–6 EBC (typical)
Diastatic power: High
Flavour: Balanced, versatile
Typical use: Up to 100% of grist
Best for: General-purpose pale ales
Pale Caramalt
from £1.49
Full spec sheet
Type: Crystal/caramel malt (pre-converted, steep only)
Colour: ~20–30 EBC (typical)
Flavour: Light golden sweetness, subtle caramel
How to use: Steep 65–70°C for 30 min, no mashing required
Typical rate: 200–400g per 23L batch
Best for: Pale ales, golden ales
Caramalt
from £1.49
Full spec sheet
Type: Crystal/caramel malt (pre-converted, steep only)
Colour: ~40–60 EBC (typical)
Flavour: Caramel sweetness
How to use: Steep 65–70°C for 30 min, no mashing required
Typical rate: 200–400g per 23L batch
Best for: Amber and bitter-style ales
Pale Crystal
from £1.49
Full spec sheet
Type: Crystal/caramel malt (pre-converted, steep only)
Colour: ~50–70 EBC (typical)
Flavour: Light caramel
How to use: Steep 65–70°C for 30 min, no mashing required
Typical rate: 200–400g per 23L batch
Best for: Pale ales, bitters
Crystal Malt (Medium)
from £1.49
Full spec sheet
Type: Crystal/caramel malt (pre-converted, steep only)
Colour: ~130–150 EBC (typical)
Flavour: Full caramel, copper colour, body
How to use: Steep 65–70°C for 30 min, no mashing required
Typical rate: 200–400g per 23L batch
Best for: Bitters, milds, amber ales
Dark Crystal
from £1.49
Full spec sheet
Type: Crystal/caramel malt (pre-converted, steep only)
Colour: ~220–250 EBC (typical)
Flavour: Toffee, raisin, dark fruit
How to use: Steep 65–70°C for 30 min, no mashing required
Typical rate: 200–400g per 23L batch
Best for: Bitters, milds, porters
Amber Malt
from £1.49
Full spec sheet
Type: Roasted malt (kilned, not mashed alone)
Colour: ~60–80 EBC (typical)
Flavour: Biscuity, nutty
Typical rate: 5–10% of grist
Best for: Bitters, milds
Brown Malt
from £1.49
Full spec sheet
Type: Roasted malt
Colour: ~130–150 EBC (typical)
Flavour: Dry, roasty
Typical rate: 5–10% of grist
Best for: Porters, brown ales
Pale Chocolate Malt
from £1.49
Full spec sheet
Type: Roasted malt
Colour: ~450–550 EBC (typical)
Flavour: Soft coffee, chocolate
Typical rate: 2–5% of grist
Best for: Milds, brown ales, lighter stouts
Chocolate Malt
from £1.49
Full spec sheet
Type: Roasted malt
Colour: ~800–900 EBC (typical)
Flavour: Rich chocolate, coffee
Typical rate: 3–8% of grist
Best for: Stouts, porters
Black Malt
from £1.49
Full spec sheet
Type: Roasted malt
Colour: ~1300–1500 EBC (typical)
Flavour: Intense bitter coffee
Typical rate: 1–3% of grist
Best for: Stouts, colour adjustment in dark beers
Peated Malt
from £2.99
Full spec sheet
Type: Speciality base malt (supplied uncrushed — mill before use)
Flavour: Smoky, peaty
Typical rate: 5–100% depending on smoke intensity desired
Best for: Scotch ales, smoked beers, rauchbier
Torrefied Wheat
from £2.99
Full spec sheet
Type: Adjunct (no enzymes — needs base malt to convert)
Colour: ~3–5 EBC (typical)
Adds: Head retention, no added haze
Typical rate: 5–10% of grist
Best for: Most ale recipes wanting better head
Flaked Barley
from £2.99
Full spec sheet
Type: Adjunct (no enzymes — needs base malt to convert)
Colour: ~2–3 EBC (typical)
Adds: Body, dry roasty mouthfeel
Typical rate: 5–20% of grist
Best for: Irish stouts
Flaked Maize
from £2.99
Full spec sheet
Type: Adjunct (no enzymes — needs base malt to convert)
Colour: ~1–2 EBC (typical)
Adds: Lighter body and colour
Typical rate: 10–20% of grist
Best for: American lagers, cream ales
Weyermann® Beech Smoked Barley Malt
£4.00
Full spec sheet
Type: Speciality base malt
Colour: 4.0–8.0 EBC (2.0–3.5°L)
Flavour: Beech smoke, malty-sweet, vanilla, honey
Typical rate: 5–10% for aroma complexity; higher for strong smoke
Diastatic power: High — usable up to 100%
Best for: Rauchbier, märzen, kellerbier, bock, smoked porter, dark wheat
Flaked Oats
£2.19
Full spec sheet
Type: Adjunct (no enzymes — needs base malt to convert)
Adds: Creamy texture, body, long-lasting head
Flavour: Mild, nutty, lightly grainy
Typical rate: 5–20% of grist
Best for: Oatmeal stouts, porters, mild ales, hazy/NEIPAs
Note: High in beta-glucans — watch your lauter to avoid a stuck sparge
Weyermann® Acidulated Malt
£2.00
Full spec sheet
Type: Speciality/acidifying malt
Colour: 2.0–5.0 EBC (1.2–2.3°L)
How to use: ~1% lowers mash pH by around 0.1; up to 10% in sour beers
Benefit: Optimises enzyme activity through ideal mash pH
Best for: pH correction in any style; sour beers at higher rates
Quick Picks
- Classic English bitter: Maris Otter, Crystal Malt, Fuggles/Goldings hops
- Stout/porter: Maris Otter, Chocolate Malt, Black Malt, Flaked Barley or Flaked Oats
- Pilsner/lager: Lager (Pilsner) Malt only, or with a touch of Acidulated Malt for pH
- Hazy IPA/NEIPA: Golden Promise or Pale Ale malt, Flaked Oats, Torrefied Wheat
- Smoked beer: Weyermann Beech Smoked Barley Malt, Peated Malt
Why EBC (Colour) Matters
EBC (European Brewery Convention) is the standard UK/European unit for malt and beer colour — the higher the number, the darker the malt. Base malts sit at the low end (under 10 EBC) and contribute most of your fermentable sugar. Crystal and roasted malts climb steeply from there, contributing colour, body, and flavour in much smaller proportions of the grist. As a rough guide: under 10 EBC is base malt pale, 20–150 EBC is crystal/caramel territory, and 400+ EBC is roasted/chocolate/black malt territory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a base malt and a speciality malt?
Base malts (like Maris Otter, Golden Promise, and Lager Malt) have enough enzyme activity (diastatic power) to convert their own starch into fermentable sugar during the mash, and can make up 100% of a grist. Speciality and crystal malts either have little or no enzyme activity of their own and rely on a base malt to supply the enzymes, or in the case of crystal malts, have already been converted during production and just need steeping.
Do I need to mash crystal malts?
No. Crystal and caramel malts are saccharified during kilning, so their sugars are already available. Steep them in hot water (65–70°C for 30 minutes) and add the liquid to your brew — no mashing or base malt required.
What is diastatic power?
A measure of a malt's enzyme content — specifically its ability to convert starch into fermentable sugar during mashing. Base malts have high diastatic power; adjuncts like flaked oats, flaked maize, and flaked barley have none and rely on a base malt in the same mash to supply the enzymes needed for conversion.
Can I substitute one crystal malt for another?
Yes, as long as you're aiming for a similar colour and flavour intensity. A darker crystal malt used in place of a lighter one will add more colour and a stronger caramel/dark-fruit character than intended, so scale down the quantity if substituting up in colour.