Continental base malt for Belgians?

How important is it to use a continental base malt in a Belgian style beer compared to domestic?

In BLAM Ron Ryan is quoted as saying, ""The differences are not night and day (pg. 160).""

Is there going to be much a difference from a German pilsner than a Belgian pilsner? If there is a difference is it dependent upon style and gravity, such as I would imagine the nuances of flavor between a domestic pilsner and Belgian pilsner would not make too much a difference when covered up by the grains and syrup of a quad; while at the same time would a golden strong might realize more flavor impact than a blonde?

Bensiff said:

How important is it to use a continental base malt in a Belgian style beer compared to domestic?...Is there going to be much a difference from a German pilsner than a Belgian pilsner?

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No. Essentially no difference. North American pils malts are also pretty much equivalent (I happen to like Gambrinus pils). It is probably easier to get fresher malt from more local sources, and whatever your supplier sells more of. That will make a bigger difference. North American "pale" malts may or may not be noticeably different, depending on the other ingredients.

I've listened to every episode of The Jamil Show and he says to as long as it is a continental Pilsner malt (i.e from Europe) you will be fine. Basically just don't use US 2-Row or Marris Otter and you will be fine.

I was planning on making a golden strong based off of Vinnie Cilurzo's recipe given in BLAM. It will run 85% pilsen. Plenty of Gambrinus and Briess so I will probably go with the Briess as I like that a little more.

Yup. Fresh = better. Belgian brewers use Continental pils malts not necessarily because they impart some flavor je ne sais quois but because it's fresh and it fits their bottom line better. I think you won't taste a difference between Weyermann Pils and Briess Pils and/or Belgian pils malts, even in Tripel.

Bob

I used a sack of Castle pills and nothing else I've used is even close to it's flavor.

How so? Do you mean when you eat it, when you use it in SMaSH, or when you use it in Tripel?

In the first couple of cases, I'll accept tasting a difference, if it's tasted side by side with examples using other Pils malts. In the last, you'll never convince me. The yeast esters in even the palest properly-brewed Belgian-stye beer will dominate the palate to such an extent that the delicate flavors of pils malt will be completely lost. Belgian Blonde, Tripel, whatever - now, start getting more complicated grists than that, and the pils malt flavors are masked even more.

I think if you're tasting a difference between Pils malts in Belgian beers it's purely psychosomatic.

Besides, I can't think of a single instance where I've discovered a Belgian brewer using Belgian malts.

Regards,

Bob

Here is a short thread on Pro Brewer about this.

Cliff notes: Continental Pils malt will be lower in protein and will taste different than domestic Pils malt. Not necessarily better/worse (that's subjective), just different.

Here is an article in Brewing Techniques written by Fix that talked about Belgian malts and what makes them different but it's over 15 years old.

Bob, I mostly made Germans beers and a few American ones (A blonde and a Cream ale.) I've used Breiss and find it near flavorless, Rhar has more flavor and Weyermann just a bit more. None tasted like Castle. I would explain it as being richer.

Huh. I admit I'd have trouble tasting any difference between Pils malts unless they're in Pils beers! If you can taste it, I can't argue with it.

Bob

What about Gambrinus compared to Briess for Pilsen flavor? When it comes to 2-row I prefer the latter, but have little experience for Pilsen malt differences.

I notice a difference between the Belgian Pils and the German Pils I get at my LHBS. The Belgian is a bit grainier, the German is more crisp and clean. Not a huge difference, but a difference nonetheless.

Gambrinus is 1.5L compared to Briess at 1.1...since all the continental pilsens run around 1.6 I ended up with Gambrinus.