Subbing Pale and What To Simulate MO?

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HenryHill

HenryHill

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I love MO, but hate the double cost. What could be added to Pale malt to simulate that MO taste?
 
Is Maris Otter that dear over there?

It was the cheapest malt when I bought a bulk sack online recently. Did a MO/Kent Goldings smash which frankly tastes like beer should. Could this be the one thing cheaper in the UK than the US?

Out of interest, what do US brewers tend to use for their basic malt?
 
I was wondering if this could be done too, but I don't see how. The whole point of MO is the basic maltiness. So for a base malt, to make American 2-row more malty, you wold have to add something like, well....MO!? :eek:
 
There are NA-origin Pale Ale malts which are designed to emulate Maris Otter, though they can't ever be exact.

Briess (Pale Ale), Canada Malting/Great Western (Pale Ale), and Gambrinus (ESB Pale) all malt a high-kiln 2-row which, though malted from domestic barley varieties, get awfully close to the classic Maris Otter flavor profile. All of these are available from homebrewing suppliers, though you may have to ask around.

While I can't speak to actual results, having never used them, the analyses look uniformly suitable.

Cheers,

Bob
 
$38/50#Briess Pale vs. $61.50/55# MO. I ONLY buy in bulk.

NQ3X: I don't find Briess ANYTHING like MO.

danlad: We get corny's cheap, you get MO cheap.

snailsongs: Thank-you. :mug:My guess was victory, and/or special roast, But I hadn't considered a baby crystal.

I thought there would be more direct input from HBT; I always ask the things that no one seems to know. :eek:
 
I've tried other malts but nothing quite has that MO taste but MO. I just buy the stuff in bulk to cut the cost somewhat.
 
Henry,
You're welcome. Personally, I would probably not use the crystal part, or just a literal pinch of it.....unless of course the recipe calls for crystal!
Also, I wouldn't blow off NQ3X's response - I've found that he tends to know his stuff. I think he's talking about malts that are specifically called "pale malt" or "pale ale malt" and not the breiss 2-row malt. Pale malt and 2-row are two different things, and I used to get confused about this myself. Now I'm curious about trying those that he mentioned just to compare.

...but to directly answer your question: yes, I would simply add some victory or biscuit to your two row.
 
Hmmmm....Biermncher's ESB recipe seems very poplar, and it uses American 2 row

This Recipe<------

Ingredients:------------
Amount Item
15.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
5.00 lb Toasted Malt (27.0 SRM) (2-row toasted at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes)
2.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)

1.00 oz Williamette [5.50%] (60 min) Hops 9.7 IBU
1.00 oz Tettnang [6.50%] (30 min) Hops 8.8 IBU
1.00 oz Williamette [4.60%] (20 min) Hops 4.9 IBU
1.00 oz Tettnang [6.50%] (5 min) Hops 2.3 IBU


Now, using MO, that would be a huge amount of home roasted malt. It appears to work well for that recipe though.
 
I understand there is a difference between 2-row Brewers malt and Pale Ale malt. The Briess pale and MO are nothing alike.

Yes I know who NQ3X is, and have recently considered an order from North Country Malt to evaluate the other two suggestions.

Chello, I have never used Biscuit, what is your approximate ratio?
 
Now I come to think on it, I am using MO, but I am also striving to cut costs. Home roasting is the way to go IMO. I no longer buy victory, biscuit et all......If I am brewing a bitter, and I can't do it with all one malt, then I ain't interested......It's kind of a fun limitation, like doing a SMaSH. :)

You can get great results with home roasting......I would definitely try BM's recipe as a starting point.....And if you can do it all with Am 2-row, it will be mega cheap to do. :)
 
Gnome, I have seen many recipes with fresh roasted base malts in them, but haven't tried it.

I guess it depends on your disposable income, but I have a problem with consistently adding a 50% premium to my grain bill for every brew, even though hands down, I love MO.

Now I am searching my archives for the recipe of toasting to get a biscuit.:eek:
 
Flyangler18 suggested that I give it a try to make my own Biscuit and Victory malts. I'm planning to take him up on that suggestion.
+1 on the home roasting section
 
I think my last 55# from midcountry malt was $34 for MO. So I have been using it in everything.
 
Henry Hill said:
$38/50#Briess Pale vs. $61.50/55# MO. I ONLY buy in bulk.

NQ3X: I don't find Briess ANYTHING like MO.

danlad: We get corny's cheap, you get MO cheap.

snailsongs: Thank-you. :mug:My guess was victory, and/or special roast, But I hadn't considered a baby crystal.

I thought there would be more direct input from HBT; I always ask the things that no one seems to know. :eek:
Click to expand...

Have you tried the Briess Pale Ale malt (not the Briess Pale malt)?

Just wondering because its description sounds just like most descriptions of MO.


I have seen Victory and/or Munich used to help get some more MO like flavors. I think the Munich helps increase the maltiness and Victory the biscuit/toast like flavors. I don't think there is any ideal substitute but some combination discussed here should make a good English style beer.

To my understanding MO is exclusively grown and malted in UK. It "should" be cheaper there. However I don't find it excessively expensive here. It was $62 for a 55# bag at the LHBS recently. They had 2-row for about $55. Because of shipping costs its not much cheaper ordering it from any where else.

I guess it is time to do a SMASH with MO and Briess Pale Ale to see how they compare. I would just need to find some testers with a good palette to compare the 2.

Craig
 
Marris Otter gets its distinct flavor from the conditions it grows in and is harvested under. It is a "winter" barley and goes through stressful growth during the cold weather.

There are Canadian malts that are similar, but you'll find nothing just like it and it's impossible to emulated with specialty grains.
 
DeathBrewer said:
Marris Otter gets its distinct flavor from the conditions it grows in and is harvested under. It is a "winter" barley and goes through stressful growth during the cold weather.

There are Canadian malts that are similar, but you'll find nothing just like it and it's impossible to emulated with specialty grains.
Click to expand...

Yup. It's very stressful growing up in Britain.
 
CBBaron said:
Have you tried the Briess Pale Ale malt (not the Briess Pale malt)?

Just wondering because its description sounds just like most descriptions of MO.


I have seen Victory and/or Munich used to help get some more MO like flavors. I think the Munich helps increase the maltiness and Victory the biscuit/toast like flavors. I don't think there is any ideal substitute but some combination discussed here should make a good English style beer.

To my understanding MO is exclusively grown and malted in UK. It "should" be cheaper there. However I don't find it excessively expensive here. It was $62 for a 55# bag at the LHBS recently. They had 2-row for about $55. Because of shipping costs its not much cheaper ordering it from any where else.

I guess it is time to do a SMASH with MO and Briess Pale Ale to see how they compare. I would just need to find some testers with a good palette to compare the 2.

Craig
Click to expand...

I may be Gnome-y, but I believe that there are only:

2-row base malt

Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.: Base Malts

Pale Ale malt

Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.: High Temp Kilned Malts

Organic 2-Row and Organic Pale Ale malt

Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.: Organic Brewing Ingredients

My price for briess Pale Ale is significantly cheaper, but a little more for MO, at my LHBS.

Changes in my procurement regimen there have led me to look to North Country Malt. I believe you are correct in the common use of Munich and Vienna to flavor up standard domestic base grains.
 

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