PureMalt Ingredients Guide: Matching Our Malt Extracts to Beer Styles
Summary
The best malt extract for a beer depends on the flavour, colour, and mouthfeel you want to achieve. Light caramel malt extracts such as CB30/65 are ideal for premium lagers and golden ales, while darker crystal and roasted malt extracts such as CB400/65 and RB Smooth are better suited to porters and stouts. Brewers can use specialty malt extracts to improve colour consistency, enhance body, build malt complexity, and create specific flavour profiles without major process changes.
We offer a diverse range of malt concentrates designed for everything from crisp premium lagers to rich stouts and specialty ales.
In this guide, we'll match popular ingredients with the beer styles where they perform best and explain what they contribute to the finished beer.
|
Beer Style |
Recommended Malt Extract |
Main Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Lager | CB30/65 | Body and subtle malt sweetness |
|
Golden Ale |
CB30/65 |
Colour and drinkability |
|
Amber Ale |
CB120/65 |
Caramel flavour and amber colour |
|
Doppelbock |
CB220/65 |
Rich malt complexity |
|
Porter |
CB400/65 |
Dark caramel character |
|
Red Ale |
RUBY |
Distinctive red colour |
|
Stout |
RB Smooth |
Chocolate and coffee notes |
|
Alcohol-Free Beer |
ZEBRA / ZAB/65 |
Mouthfeel and foam stability |
1. CB30/65 → Premium Lager & Golden Ale
What it is:
A 100% caramalt concentrate that delivers light caramel sweetness, improved body, and enhanced colour.
Best beer styles:
- Premium Lager
- Golden Ale
- Summer Ale
- Low/No Alcohol Lager
Why it works:
CB30/65 adds subtle malt richness without overpowering delicate hop character. In premium lagers, it helps create a fuller mouthfeel and a more premium drinking experience. For golden ales, it contributes a gentle honey-like sweetness and attractive golden colour.
Brewer's tip:
Use when your beer needs a little more body and malt character but you want to maintain a bright, highly drinkable profile.
2. CB120/65 → Amber Ale & Traditional Bock
What it is:
A cara/crystal malt blend that provides sweet crystal malt flavour and deeper amber colour.
Best beer styles:
- Amber Ale
- Vienna-style Lager
- Traditional Bock
- Märzen
Why it works:
Amber beers thrive on balanced caramel flavours. CB120/65 contributes the sweet toffee and light caramel notes that define many amber and malt-forward lager styles while creating an appealing reddish-amber hue.
Brewer's tip:
Excellent for building malt complexity while keeping the beer approachable and sessionable.
3. CB220/65 → Doppelbock & Strong Amber Lager
What it is:
A bolder cara/crystal malt blend designed for beers requiring more intense malt character and colour.
Best beer styles:
- Doppelbock
- Strong Amber Lager
- Scottish Ale
- Malt-forward Winter Ale
Why it works:
The richer crystal profile of CB220/65 delivers deeper caramelised flavours and supports the robust malt backbone expected in stronger European-inspired beers.
Brewer's tip:
Pair with noble hops to let the malt complexity shine.
4. CB400/65 → Porter
What it is:
A dark crystal malt concentrate that provides intense crystal malt flavour and rich copper-red coloration.
Best beer styles:
- English Porter
- Robust Porter
- Dark Mild
- Dark Bock
Why it works:
Porters rely on layers of caramel, biscuit, and dark sugar flavours. CB400/65 provides those characteristics while helping achieve the classic deep copper-to-brown appearance associated with the style.
Brewer's tip:
Combine with roast malt extracts for additional complexity in stronger porters.
5. RB3/65 → Brown or Red Ale
What it is:
A roasted malt extract with toasted, nutty flavors and amber-brown colour contribution.
Best beer styles:
- Brown Ale
- Irish Red Ale
Why it works:
RB3/65 provides the classic roasted grain characteristics that give red/brown ales their signature depth. The roasted and slightly nutty notes complement dark malts while maintaining balance.
Brewer's tip:
A little goes a long way. Small additions can add depth and complexity without creating excessive roast bitterness.
6. RUBY → Red Ale
What it is:
A caramelised roast malt extract known for its distinctive dark copper-red colour.
Best beer styles:
- Irish Red Ale
- American Red Ale
- Red Lager
- Red Bock
Why it works:
RUBY delivers the striking visual appeal consumers expect from red ales while providing supporting caramel malt flavours.
Brewer's tip:
Ideal when colour consistency is critical across multiple production batches.
7. RB Smooth → Stout & Porter
What it is:
A smooth roast malt extract featuring mocha and chocolate notes.
Best beer styles:
- Sweet Stout
- Milk Stout
- Chocolate Porter
- Specialty Dark Ale
Why it works:
RB Smooth provides smooth roast chocolate and coffee character that supports the character of stouts and porters.
Brewer's tip:
An excellent choice for smooth stout and porters.
8. ZEBRA & ZAB/65 → Low and Non-Alcoholic Beer
What they are:
Clean-tasting pale malt extracts developed specifically for reduced, low, and no-alcohol applications.
Best beer styles:
- Alcohol-Free Pilsner
- Low-Alcohol Lager
- Alcohol-Free Pale Ale
- Malt Beverages
Why they work:
One of the biggest challenges in no-alcohol brewing is maintaining body and mouthfeel. ZEBRA and ZAB/65 provide clean malt flavor, foam stability, and fullness that can otherwise be lost during alcohol reduction.
Brewer's tip:
Use as a foundation when developing premium non-alcoholic beer programs.
Conclusion - How to Choose the Right Malt Extract for Your Beer Style
When selecting a malt extract, consider the flavour profile, colour target, and mouthfeel requirements of your finished beer.
- Use CB30/65 for lighter lagers and golden ales.
- Use CB120/65 for amber beers and Vienna-style lagers.
- Use CB220/65 for malt-forward strong lagers and bocks.
- Use CB400/65 for porter applications.
- Use RUBY for red beer styles requiring colour consistency.
- Use RB Smooth where smooth roast, coffee, and chocolate notes are desired.
- Use ZEBRA and ZAB/65 in low and non-alcoholic beer formulations.
Our malt extracts can be used for a variety of different brewing applications across many beer styles. We are even able to provide customized solutions through our bespoke blends to be able to suit specific project goals. To learn more about how our products can enhance your brewing project contact us to set up a meeting today!