Is there any way to convert Vienna malt or pilsner malt into Munich malt?

[Ali01]

Can't find Munich malt in my country but I've heard they're technically the same thing, the difference is that Munich malt is kilned for a longer period of time?
I have an oven, how can I do that? I can also use pilsner malt

 

[lumpher]

An excerpt from BYO (Brew Your Own) magazine:

To create a reasonable facsimile of Munich malt, simply toast pale malt in a 350° F oven 10 minutes for ounces and 20 to 30 minutes for pounds.

 

[Yesfan]

^^^^ Is that how Amber Malt is also made? Is Amber just toasted 2Row or it's own thing?

 

[kevin58]

^^^^ Is that how Amber Malt is also made? Is Amber just toasted 2Row or it's own thing?

All malted grain of various colors from light to dark is the result of kilning. They all start as some form of barley.

 

[hotbeer]

How much of a percentage is the Munich malt in your recipe? I personally wouldn't worry. Just substitute one for the other. If your recipe software shows a change in OG that is too much of a change for you, then adjust one of the malt amounts to get it back where you want. If you are interested in color in particular, then you might adjust amounts for the color too or add a little bit more of any darker malt to make up for the lighter Vienna. Or just add another dark malt in the amount to make up that color difference. All while watching the OG.

For my first batch, if I couldn't get the exact stuff, I'd be okay with making my OG match and not worry about color. It might not be the same beer you are going for, but it'll be beer. Maybe not much difference either.

EXBEERIMENT | GRAIN COMPARISON: VIENNA MALT VS. MUNICH MALT IN AN INTERNATIONAL PALE LAGER

 

[VikeMan]

All malted grain of various colors from light to dark is the result of kilning.

Or roasting.

 

[day_trippr]

Or stewing...

 

[Yesfan]

All malted grain of various colors from light to dark is the result of kilning. They all start as some form of barley.

Could you be more specific about the form of barley (Munich is kilned Vienna?, Amber is kilned 2 Row, etc.)?

 

[DBhomebrew]

It's all 2-row. Depending on how long it's kilned, at and to what temperature, you can make pils, pale, Vienna, Munich, biscuit, amber, chocolate, black. All various types of kilned malt made of 2-row barley. With a different process, you can make all sorts of crystal or caramel malts. Also 2-row.

2-row is a broad category of barley with many varieties within that category. Maris Otter, Golden Promise, Optic, Concerto, whatever variety is the dominant industry choice of the season. All 2-row.

 

[Yesfan]

It's all 2-row. Depending on how long it's kilned, at and to what temperature, you can make pils, pale, Vienna, Munich, biscuit, amber, chocolate, black. All various types of kilned malt made of 2-row barley. With a different process, you can make all sorts of crystal or caramel malts. Also 2-row.

2-row is a broad category of barley with many varieties within that category. Maris Otter, Golden Promise, Optic, Concerto, whatever variety is the dominant industry choice of the season. All 2-row.

Thanks for the explanation. I knew it was all 2row, but when I see "2row" in a recipe, I assume it's American and not Maris Otter or Pilsen. I think that's part of my confusion. What determines the right matches when putting up a recipe? I'm guessing English Crystal, Carastan, and Crystal 40 are as different from one another as their base cousins.

 

[DBhomebrew]

I think it's all about 'national' brewing traditions a la Alworth's writings. A British bitter is best made with a full flavored base malt and a bit of crystal that brings interesting multi-layered toffee flavors. A dunkel wants to be made with a deeply bready Munich. An American pale ale or NEIPA? Who cares, it'll just get covered with fancy hops. Just get the gravity up with some domestic "2-row" (really a pale ale) and add a handful of one-note C40/60 sweetness. Your Citra/Mosaic/dank whatever will take care of the rest.

 

[Witherby]

Weyermann has a great overview of how their various malts are made