So what’s CARAFA Special II, other than “Now available at Barley’s”? Allow me to explain.

What’s CARAFA?:

CARAFA is a proprietary name that Weyermann, a German maltster, gives to their chocolate roasted malt.

What makes it Special?:

The CARAFA Special line is made from dehusked barley. This is also known as “debittered”. By removing the husk, they eliminate most of the bitter tannins, normally associated with roasted malt. That’s why this type of malt is often used in Black IPAs (Cascadian Darks), Schwarzbier (Black Lagers), and Dunkelweizen (Dark wheat beers). You can achieve that dark colour without much of that bitter, roasted flavour.

What makes it type II?:

The higher the “type” the higher the Lovibond value, i.e., the level to which it is roasted and, therefore, the darker it is.

Type I: 300-375 L
Type II: 413-430 L
Type III: 488-563 L