am going to be brewing sometime a traditonal bock from Jamils book. I know he has rostmalz from germany in it. I know we cannot get it. What would be a good carmel malt to use in place of it. I am thinking 120L but I am not sure if it is dark carmalized enough.
Any suggestions.
Thanks
Erik
His book says to substitute it with 150L crystal malt or the darkest you can find.
Would some melanoidin malt fit this bill?
Rostmalz ain’t the secret to Doppelbock - Munich malt is. 100% blended with light and dark munich and perhaaps a small amount of carafa special if you want it darker.
How dark and light?
Weyermann CareAroma is 130L.
Just to back up a little, I may be wrong but I thought Rostmalz was some type of roasted malt, not crystal. I don’t have JZ’s book, so I know nothing about his recipe for a bock. I’d appreciate some clarification on the topic if anyone has it.
Tom: I used the Wyermann Dark Munich blended with their regular Munich the last time I made a bock. It’s been a couple of years and I don’t recall the lovibond. I don’t even use Wyermann products anylonger. I use Best Malz for almost all of my German grains, but I have not used the Best Dark Munich (though I use their regular Munich all the timee and it is awesome.). If I remember correctly I used about 50/50 blend of dark and reg. Wyermann munich the last time I brewed a bock. I think I used a little caramunich as well. Maybe a touch of carafa special II. IMO that’s all you need. And some hops, of course. 
Keith, all I can find is that JZ lists it as Meussdoerffer Rost (200 ºL). From what I can find it seems as if Cargill distributes Meussdoerffer malts but I can only find the Pils, Vienna and Munich no Rost. Appears they used to have an internet presence at www.meussdoerffer.de but no longer.
Thanks!
Both Weyermann and Best light and dark Munich malts are ~7L and 10L. Other maltsters can be up to 10L for their light and 20L for their dark.
My last doppelbock was all 10L Munich.
Cheers
Thats interesting. Sounds like some type of roasted malt such as Carafa. Carafa Special II is about 400L IIRC so that might be a sub if used at the right proportions.
All munich dopplebock = awsomensssss! ;D
I believe Jamil has replied to posts elsewhere or perhaps email and indicated that Simpsons Extra Dark Crystal is a reasonable sub since the Rostmalz is no longer available.
Interesting to know, thanks! I actually picked up some of that for the heck of it with no known plans. Now I’ll have to start planning