LHBS was out of British MAris Otter Pale Malt today.. It's the only kind they carry and the only kind I have used in my single infusion/batch sparge brews... However, another store had a 50lb bag of "Great Western Malting Company Premium Two Row Malt" for $40... So I bought it.. Question is, is this malt going to taste different.. Is British Pale any better than American? BTW, the cost wasnt even close.. I have been paying $16.99 per ten lb bag of maris otther.. This was 50 lbs for $40 bucks.. That's hlaf the price.. I hope it's going to work.. I can still use in my batch sparge single infusion system right? I mean, the modification is the same as maris otter?
It'll be fine! I'm a huge fan of maris otter malt, but good old American 2-row is fine for many beers. I use the MO malt when I want the flavor of it, especially in maltier beers and in English beers. In American beers where I'm going for more hops, or using a ton of specialty grains, I use the 2-row. They can be used as base malt interchangeably, although they aren't really the same. The MO will give you a flavor that's a bit different- it's kilned at a higher temperature and has a fuller flavor. The American 2-row is a more neutral base malt flavor.
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Thanks Yooper.... that eases my mind a bit.. I do have another qwuestion though.. The store also had a 50lb of 6 row malt that was reasonable.. Is 6 row appropriate for single infusion/batch sparge methods? Or is the modification different.. Still trying to grasp this undermodified vs fully modified or whatever the hell it is!
In Greg Noonan's book "New Brewing Lager Beer", 1996 he states the following:
"European brewers prefer superior two-row, thin-husked, large berried barley varieties, which give the best brew-house yield, clarity, and flavor. These have a more favorable starch-to-protein/husk ratio than other barleys and yield a mellow flavor and good clarity.
Six-row barley is the most economical to grow because the greater number of rows per head increases the per-acre yield. It is a warm-climate barley and is the type most widely grown in the United States. It is favored by domestic commercial breweries because it is rich in the enzymes needed to convert the adjuncts they employ (adjuncts may account for up to 60 percent of the extract in U.S. brews). Because six-row barley is high in protein, in all-malt brews it presents problems with clarity and stability. Its higher husk content improves mash filterability but can contribute harsh flavors, especially when brew-house practices cause hot-side aeration. "
Obviously he is talking about BMC breweries when discussing the use of adjuncts.
I think that it is generally considered that 2-row is the prefered malt to use but either will work. I would think that if you were using the 6-row for dark ales where clarity and a fuller flavor could mask some of the "grainy" flavor, such as an American Stout or Robust Porter, that it would be fine. If you are concerned about authenticity in your English varieties and in beers with a more delicate flavor I would stick with the 2-row.
If the price is good and you have some heavier beers to make give it a shot.
Thanks Yooper.... that eases my mind a bit.. I do have another qwuestion though.. The store also had a 50lb of 6 row malt that was reasonable.. Is 6 row appropriate for single infusion/batch sparge methods? Or is the modification different.. Still trying to grasp this undermodified vs fully modified or whatever the hell it is!
Six row just has more enzymes and works better with beers that have a lot of adjuncts. That is why the big breweries use it. If you are adding corn and rice and crap like that to your beer you need the extra diastatic power. I use it in my dunkelweizen because I use a ton of wheat and it helps with the mash. It might have a little different flavor too. I'm not sure about that though.
British pale, particularly Maris Otter is usually a more flavorful malt while American pale is lighter colored and more neutral. Adding some Victory or Biscuit to a recipe with American pale will give your beer similar results to the Maris Otter, though it is not equivalent.
I usually use Maris Otter because it is what is carried by the LHBS at a reasonable price. But given the difference you are seeing I would probably pick up the American pale malt and a few pounds of Victory.
This is not an expert opinion, but this forced change could be a good thing for you. In the end, it all makes beer, so no one thing is "better" than another. The real point is, what combination of ingredients gives you what you want to drink.
With a bit of luck, fate may have sent you down a path to your own personal perfection!
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I almost exclusively use Briess 2 row as my base malt. It works great but i do this because thats pretty much all my LHBS has in stock.
This might not be accurate all the time but I did the same brew w/ aforementioned 2-row and also w/ MO and in my experiment, the MO was less fermentable and produced a heavier beer. All the mash and fermentation elements other than that were the same.
Both made good beers. Hell I wish I had more to choose from w/ out ridiculous shipping charges.
British Pale Malt vs American Pale Malt.. HELP!
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