Any one just use two row for convenience?

[alexipas]

I have a mill, yeast , hops, and 100kg of 2 row....

Any one just use straight two row for recipes so that they don't have to hit the shop for that extra pound of colouring grain?

Obviously this wont work for malty beers, but I've come to enjoy the clean light coloured beer this way. Any thoughts or negatives that come from this? can 4 oz of cara pilsner make a difference? Would love some knowledge on this

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

You could also consider just roasting a pound of that two-row yourself.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

With 2 row and hops you can make endless SMaSH beers (Single Malt, Single Hop) or any other hop forward brews. Hop2It recipe is a great way to see what you can get out of hops.

 

[logdrum]

If you're into IIPAs, Straight up 2 row works fine (plus a little corn/cane sugar). 20 or pounds for a 5 gallon recipe, plenty malty. I personally wouldn't even bother w/ the Carapils.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Carapils in any amount doesn't make a difference

 

[bracconiere]

all base malt lagers are good, nice and creamy....

and how did you end up with 4 bags of malt?

 

[hawkbox]

I have tubs of 2-row, pils, and marris otter. I'm seriously thinking about just going to pure 2-row for my base grain for laziness. I do lots of beers that are like 95% that and some Vienna or something.

 

[ThunderKhajiit]

I do this a lot. More and more lately. Usually add some homemade candi syrup and all late hops. Been enjoying the tasty, light, dry balanced beers.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

The more brews I do, the less specialty grains I find I use. I'm really enjoying brews made with mostly (the Aussie eqivalent of) 2-row, layered with some other base malts like vienna and munich. I don't find carapils offers much and now rarely use it. Weyermann carafoam is a bit better. But if you're looking for a bag of something else to combine regularly with the 2-row to give something with a bit more depth and complexity, I'd suggest vienna and/or munich.

 

[shelly_belly]

I like to make my own specialty malts.
http://barleypopmaker.info/2009/12/08/home-roasting-your-malts/

 

[schematix]

I keep inventory of misc 1 and 5 lb bags of other stuff.

Plain ol 2-row makes a fine IPA as 97% of the grist.

 

[Hammy71]

I buy MO from a local brewery and that's usually good enough for most brews I make. I mostly make IPAs and Pales. Not a big fan of "malty" beers. When using a recipe I get online, I'll delete the caramel or crystal malts since the MO is malty and colorful enough for me....

 

[hawkbox]

The more brews I do, the less specialty grains I find I use. I'm really enjoying brews made with mostly (the Aussie eqivalent of) 2-row, layered with some other base malts like vienna and munich. I don't find carapils offers much and now rarely use it. Weyermann carafoam is a bit better. But if you're looking for a bag of something else to combine regularly with the 2-row to give something with a bit more depth and complexity, I'd suggest vienna and/or munich.

I've been going this way a lot lately myself. My grain bill is getting to be no more than 4 grains in anything and even then only tiny amounts of some.

 

[SEndorf]

The more brews I do, the less specialty grains I find I use. I'm really enjoying brews made with mostly (the Aussie eqivalent of) 2-row, layered with some other base malts like vienna and munich. I don't find carapils offers much and now rarely use it. Weyermann carafoam is a bit better. But if you're looking for a bag of something else to combine regularly with the 2-row to give something with a bit more depth and complexity, I'd suggest vienna and/or munich.

/\
|

This...
I'm done with complex recipes. 2 row plus 1 or 2 specialty grains makes fine beer.

 

[schematix]

The only complex beer recipe i've made that has led to a great beer was yooper's oatmeal stout.

2 grains, 3 max is all you need for all but a few styles.

Briess 2-row sucks for lagers though.

 

[Dog House Brew]

The only complex beer recipe i've made that has led to a great beer was yooper's oatmeal stout.

2 grains, 3 max is all you need for all but a few styles.

Briess 2-row sucks for lagers though.

I haven’t used Briess in years. I had issues with it and swore then that I’d never use it again. My lhbs just switched to stocking Briess. I prefer Rahr and GW.

 

[applescrap]

I buy all my grain in bulk so I end up subbing 2row for other base malts. I feel pretty certain following recipes is better, but its too good a deal for me to pass up. Sure, I make some beers that are just 2 row and hops or maybe some other inspirations. Especially did this when I first started. A great way to cut your teeth and make very inexpensive beers. Now I follow recipes more than that. Some call for pure two row, others a pinch of this and that. I dont know that I agree with limiting number of grain varieties or using too many. Its a ball or a strike. Its good or bad, not all multiple grain recipes are good and they arent all bad either. In pure 2row beers, I think better tasting grain like simpsons gp can make a big difference. Ipas and belgians with sugar are a good place to start. And of course warm fermented pilsners!

 

[gnef]

What I did starting around 10 years ago was buy 1 gallon screw top containers from USPlastics, and then as I needed specialty grains, buy 4# at a time, and gradually accumulate the specialty grains that I needed on hand. I have just over 20 of these filled that I keep on hand now, and just refill as needed. This allows me to brew nearly whenever I want, I just need to make sure I have the yeast I need. I also have over 10 sacks of base grain on hand right now and over 20# of hops in the freezer. I like being able to brew when I feel like it!