Steeping specialty grains is one of the simplest, yet most effective, ways to get more from your homebrew. Decent beer can be brewed from malt extract alone, but steeping specialty grains can make decent beer great. Even styles that you can brew exclusively from extract—Hefeweizen, pale ale, and bock, for example—receive a flavor boost from the odd specialty grain here and there.
Here’s how to get the most from specialty grains in your extract-based brews.
If possible, crush specialty grains right before use. Much as with coffee, oxidation sets in pretty quickly once grain is milled. But unlike in all-grain brewing, you don’t need a beautiful, uniform crush to get the most from grain that’s only steeped, so even a rolling pin or wine bottle can do a decent job. Just try to make sure the grains are mostly broken up.