Can’t find the exact malt your recipe calls for?
Don’t cancel brew day.
One of the biggest mistakes beginner homebrewers make is thinking every recipe has to be followed exactly. Years ago, if my local homebrew shop was out of one ingredient, I’d put the recipe back on the shelf and wait.
Not anymore.
Once you understand what each malt contributes, you’ll realize there are plenty of smart substitutions that let you keep brewing.
Will your beer be identical?
No.
Will it still be excellent?
Most of the time, absolutely.
That’s one of the core ideas behind Make Beer Easy:
Recipes are guides, not handcuffs.
A Quick Note Before You Start
There is no such thing as a perfect malt substitution.
Different maltsters—including Briess, Weyermann, Simpsons, Thomas Fawcett, Crisp, BestMalz and others—produce malts with slightly different color and flavor profiles.
This guide is designed to help you make practical substitutions that keep brew day moving while staying as close as possible to the original recipe.
How To Use This Malt Substitution Chart
Before choosing a substitute, ask yourself one question:
What job is this malt doing?
Is it providing:
- Fermentable sugars?
- Caramel sweetness?
- Toast and biscuit flavors?
- Body and head retention?
- Roast and color?
If your substitute performs the same job, you’re usually on the right track.
Confidence Ratings
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = Nearly interchangeable
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ = Excellent substitute with only minor differences
⭐⭐⭐☆☆ = Good substitute but expect noticeable changes
⭐⭐☆☆☆ = Use with caution. Beer will change.
⭐☆☆☆☆ = Last resort only.
Base Malt Substitutions
| Malt | Best Substitute | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American 2-Row | Canadian 2-Row, Pale Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Nearly identical in most recipes. |
| Canadian 2-Row | American 2-Row, Pale Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Excellent substitute. |
| Pale Malt | 2-Row, Pale Ale Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Very versatile base malt. |
| Pale Ale Malt | Pale Malt, Maris Otter | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Slightly richer malt character. |
| Maris Otter | Golden Promise, Pale Ale Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Slightly less biscuit character. |
| Golden Promise | Maris Otter, Pale Ale Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Similar sweetness and body. |
| Pilsner Malt | Lager Malt, 2-Row Pale Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Beer may finish slightly less delicate when using 2-row. |
| Lager Malt | Pilsner Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Nearly identical. |
| Vienna Malt | Light Munich, Pale Ale Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Light Munich contributes slightly more bread crust and malt richness. |
| Light Munich | Vienna Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Vienna produces a lighter, cleaner malt profile. |
| Dark Munich | Light Munich | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Slightly less rich than Dark Munich. |
🍻 Big Robb Tip
If your recipe calls for 2-row and all your shop has is Canadian 2-row…
Brew the beer.
Crystal & Caramel Malt Substitutions
Stay as close in color (Lovibond) as possible.
| Malt | Best Substitute | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal 10L | CaraHell, Caramalt, Crystal 15L | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Similar light caramel sweetness. |
| Crystal 20L | Crystal 15L, Crystal 30L, CaraVienne | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Very similar light caramel profile. |
| Crystal 40L | Crystal 30L, Crystal 60L | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | One of the easiest crystal substitutions. |
| Crystal 60L | Crystal 40L, Crystal 80L | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Slightly lighter or darker caramel flavor. |
| Crystal 80L | Crystal 60L, Crystal 90L | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Similar dark caramel character. |
| Crystal 120L | Dark Crystal (Thomas Fawcett/Simpsons, approximately 80–120L), Special B | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Excellent substitutes with similar dark fruit and caramel character. CaraAroma can also work, but only with caution—it has a toastier malt profile and is not a true 1:1 replacement. |
| Special B | Crystal 120L, Dark Crystal, CaraAroma (use carefully) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Crystal 120L and Dark Crystal provide similar dark caramel and dried fruit character. CaraAroma is toastier and maltier, so expect a noticeable flavor difference if substituting 1:1. |
| CaraAroma | Special B, Crystal 120L | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ | Rich toasted malt character. Use carefully, especially in larger percentages. |
| Caramunich | Crystal malt of similar color | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Match the color as closely as possible. |
| CaraVienne | Crystal 20L, Light Crystal | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Similar light caramel and toffee character. |
🍻 Big Robb Tip
Crystal malts are among the easiest brewing ingredients to substitute.
Stay close in color and you’ll usually be just fine.
Body & Head Retention Malts
These are not caramel malts.
They are used primarily to increase body, mouthfeel and foam stability.
| Malt | Best Substitute | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carapils | Carafoam, Dextrine Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Nearly identical purpose. |
| Carafoam | Carapils | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Same job. |
| Dextrine Malt | Carapils, Carafoam | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Adds body with almost no flavor contribution. |
| Chit Malt | Carapils, Carafoam | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Good body substitute. |
| Flaked Wheat | Wheat Malt, Torrified Wheat | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Similar body and head retention. |
| Torrified Wheat | Flaked Wheat | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Nearly identical purpose. |
| Flaked Oats | Malted Oats | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Excellent substitute. |
| Malted Oats | Flaked Oats | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Excellent substitute. |
Toasty, Biscuit & Malty Specialty Malts
| Malt | Best Substitute | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victory | Biscuit Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Nearly interchangeable. |
| Biscuit Malt | Victory | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Excellent substitute. |
| Amber Malt | Victory, Biscuit | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Similar toasted biscuit character. |
| Aromatic | Melanoidin | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Similar intense malt aroma. |
| Melanoidin | Aromatic | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Similar malt depth. |
| Brown Malt | Amber Malt + a small amount of Chocolate Malt | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ | Brown Malt has a unique nutty, toasted profile that’s difficult to duplicate. This combination gets you closer than Amber Malt alone. |
| Honey Malt | Light Crystal, Aromatic | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ | Similar sweetness but not identical. |
Roasted Malt Substitutions
Roasted malts have a huge impact on beer.
Stay close whenever possible.
| Malt | Best Substitute | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Malt | Pale Chocolate | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Closest overall flavor match. |
| Chocolate Malt | Chocolate Wheat | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Similar chocolate character with slightly smoother roast. |
| Chocolate Malt | Carafa Special II | ⭐⭐☆☆☆ | Best when your goal is dark color with a smoother roast. Expect noticeably less chocolate and coffee character. |
| Pale Chocolate | Chocolate Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Slightly stronger roast. |
| Roasted Barley | Black Malt | ⭐⭐☆☆☆ | Use only if necessary. Roasted Barley is unmalted and provides the signature dry coffee character found in Irish Stouts. Black Malt will noticeably change the beer. |
| Black Malt | Roasted Barley | ⭐⭐☆☆☆ | Acceptable in some recipes, but expect a drier, sharper roast profile. Know your beer style before making the swap. |
| Black Patent | Black Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Similar roast and color. |
| Carafa Special III | Blackprinz | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Nearly identical dehusked black malts. |
| Blackprinz | Carafa Special III | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Excellent substitute. |
| Midnight Wheat | Carafa Special III, Blackprinz | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Similar color with slightly less roast intensity. |
| Chocolate Wheat | Chocolate Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Smooth chocolate roast. |
🍻 Big Robb Tip
Carafa Special malts are dehusked.
That means they produce a smoother roast character than Chocolate Malt or Roasted Barley.
They’re fantastic when your goal is dark color without harsh bitterness, but they are not a perfect flavor replacement for Chocolate Malt.
Wheat, Rye & Oats
| Malt | Best Substitute | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat Malt | White Wheat, Red Wheat | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Nearly identical. |
| Rye Malt | Flaked Rye | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Similar spicy rye character. |
| Flaked Rye | Rye Malt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Excellent substitute. |
| Oat Malt | Malted Oats, Flaked Oats | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Excellent substitute for body and creaminess. |
Real Brew Day Examples
✅ Need Vienna Malt?
Use Light Munich.
✅ Need Crystal 40L?
Crystal 60L is a perfectly reasonable substitute.
✅ Need Maris Otter?
Pale Ale Malt works very well.
❌ Need Crystal 10L?
Don’t reach for Carapils.
Carapils builds body.
Crystal 10L builds caramel flavor.
Those are completely different jobs.
Final Thoughts
One of the biggest reasons beginner brewers get overwhelmed is they think one missing ingredient means they have to postpone brew day.
You don’t.
Understand what the malt is contributing, choose the closest substitute, and keep brewing.
I’ve done it many times over the years, and chances are nobody drinking your beer will ever know the difference.
Recipes are guides, not handcuffs.
Cheers,
Big Robb
P.S. 🍺 New to homebrewing? Grab my free Beginner Brewing Bootcamp and I’ll show you how to brew great beer without making the hobby more complicated than it needs to be.
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Cheers,
Big Robb
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