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youngson616

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Hey Yall

Looking for suggestions on Grain brand to use going forward with AG brewing. I will be ordering some 55 lb. sacks of grain soon to start making my own recipes. I mostly do german beers, and have used briess and rarh brand grains and like the rarh more - seems to taste different (better). Any advise would be great.
 
Hey Yall

Looking for suggestions on Grain brand to use going forward with AG brewing. I will be ordering some 55 lb. sacks of grain soon to start making my own recipes. I mostly do german beers, and have used briess and rarh brand grains and like the rarh more - seems to taste different (better). Any advise would be great.

I'm partial to Wyermann...a little expensive but makes fantastic German beers! You also cant go wrong with Best Maltz, Avangarde and Viking.
 
I'm partial to Wyermann...a little expensive but makes fantastic German beers! You also cant go wrong with Best Maltz, Avangarde and Viking.
Cool cool.

I'm leaning towards weyermann too I just dont like the cost. But then again, I homebrew because I want better beer than store bought, not to save money so if its worth it I'm all in!
 
Briess, especially the base malts, are the blandest I've ever used. Rahr is a good option for domestic but if you can afford German malts that is probably best for what you want. Some of the regional maltsters in the US are putting out good product that I use in European beers with good results but they are more expensive than most of what is available to us from Germany. I use Root Shoot from here in Colorado a lot and they are starting to get into the bigger homebrewing shops but not cheap. From the German maltsters Best probably is the best we get with Weyermann a close second. I've used Avangard a fair amount because it used to be much cheaper. Not as good as the other two but still better than Briess. If price is an issue between Avangard and Rahr I'd probably opt for Rahr.
 
Brewing German beer? Use German malts. English beer? English malt. Nothing wrong with Briess, but if one can, it seems the regional malts of a style bring a little more to the table. Mecca estate malts have a very good reputation but shipping is not cheap.
I haven't had a issue with Briess just noticed when I brew with other brands doing a Hefe it seems to taste better. (Avengard/rarh)

Unfortunately my two local shops only carry Briess or rarh, no weyermann. Any suggestions on supplier? NB?
 
I've had pretty good luck with Morebeer, they offer free shipping on orders over $60. They do charge extra for shipping 50# bags, but it usually works out cheaper to buy 5 10# sacks and get free shipping than 50# plus paying for shipping. I also find the smaller bags convenient as I do not need as many storage bins and can stock a greater variety of malts than if I was buy 50#s of each.

Another good European malt is Dinglemans.
 
They do charge extra for shipping 50# bags, but it usually works out cheaper to buy 5 10# sacks and get free shipping than 50# plus paying for shipping.
Good suggestion on the 10lb. bag, I didn't think they sold 10lb. bags. That would be much better for many reasons besides cost probably. I'll check it out! Thanks
 
I haven't had a issue with Briess just noticed when I brew with other brands doing a Hefe it seems to taste better. (Avengard/rarh)

Unfortunately my two local shops only carry Briess or rarh, no weyermann. Any suggestions on supplier? NB?
+1 for what @Dland wrote. I tend to keep my eye out for sales, I’ve used NB and Midwest lately they been slow shipping. More Beer is always a good choice. I don’t know where you are located, but you may have a “localish” store that also ships For a reasonable price.
 
Do you have a local brewpub? Most of them are homebrew friendly. I have purchased grain from my local. I asked them what they use and if they could just add one extra sack for me to their next order. I got a sack of Best Pilsen malt from them and I really like it.

Or I have one store that is almost a 2 hour drive from me that I will make the trip to once or twice a year to buy sacks and other large things that can’t be easily mailed.

If you don’t brew frequently then buying in 10 lb increments is certainly another option.
 
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Do you have a local brewpub? Most of them are homebrew friendly. I have purchased grain from my local. I asked them what they use and if they could just add one extra sack for me to their next order. I got a sack of Best Pilsen malt from them and I really like it.
Never thought of this! Being centered in beer city usa ( grand rapids MI) their are breweries all over this mitten. Good advise I'll poke around next time I stop in to one
 
Sugar Creek in central Indiana ships to homebrewers. Shipping to Michigan might be practical. Try a couple of 10-pound bags and see what you think. I think their malts are as good as anyone’s, except for their smoked malts, which are better.
 
Do you have a local brewpub? Most of them are homebrew friendly. I have purchased grain from my local. I asked them what they use and if they could just add one extra sack for me to their next order. I got a sack of Best Pilsen malt from them and I really like it.

You have to be prepared to hear no a lot more these days when you ask. This has been a long running piece of advice which worked when brewpubs and small breweries were more desperate to get people in the door. These days holding bags for people is extra work with really little value for them. If you are a regular over there you have more of a chance they will take care of you.
 
You have to be prepared to hear no a lot more these days when you ask. This has been a long running piece of advice which worked when brewpubs and small breweries were more desperate to get people in the door. These days holding bags for people is extra work with really little value for them. If you are a regular over there you have more of a chance they will take care of you.
Or if you are part of a homebrew club that has met regularly at their place for over 25 years (one brew pub here)

Or if the owners of the brewpub are your next door neighbors (another brewpub here)
 
I realize its not a brand, but Maris Otter is great malt. My understanding is that rights to market it are owned by one company, therefore you should have similar results between different brands.
 
Great for English styles. I just got a sack of Simpson’s Best malt (not the same as Best Malz) which I’m anxious to try.

https://www.simpsonsmalt.co.uk/our-malts/best-pale-ale-malt/

Simpson's Best Pale Ale Malt is delicious. Very English-y without the MO nuttiness.

I realize its not a brand, but Maris Otter is great malt. My understanding is that rights to market it are owned by one company, therefore you should have similar results between different brands.

A lot happens in the malting and kilning.
 
Im gonna give morebeer a try, their shipping time seems second to none. Love NB but my last order took 3 weeks. Also Im going weyermanns malts for my hefe! I think Im gonna go with the german pilsner, pale wheat malt, and a little bit of carahell - maybe 5%.

Anyone have experience with floor malted bohemian pilsner malt from weyermann? Says to have a complex malt flavor and slightly under modified.
 
Im gonna give morebeer a try, their shipping time seems second to none. Also Im going weyermanns malts for my hefe!
Been using MB for years. They tend to be a little higher on some things but the free shipping more than makes up for it. Good customer service too. I also use Weyermann for my Hefe. Delicious.
 
Been using MB for years. They tend to be a little higher on some things but the free shipping more than makes up for it. Good customer service too. I also use Weyermann for my Hefe. Delicious.
That's good to hear! This will be my first multistep mash as well, really hoping to get closer to that traditional flavor.
 
I’ve gone through a 55 lb bag of Weyermann floor-malted Pilsner, and the beers were good. To be honest, all Pilsner malt tastes the same to me. I wouldn’t say the same about English pale, or Munich, where maltster makes a huge difference.

It’s fully modified. That’s what you want. IMO, the only people who should buy undermodified malt are historians and masochists.
 
Anyone have experience with floor malted bohemian pilsner malt from weyermann? Says to have a complex malt flavor and slightly under modified.

I use it sometimes, like other high end Pilsner malts, best not to bury flavor. I'd try it a 75-100% in a appropriately hopped Pilsner. See how you like it.

If you're going to bury it with a lot of flavor malts, a less expensive domestic malt will probably work just as well.
 
Ive been using barke pils for the first time the last few brews and dunno if its coinidence or the malt or what but it has been kickin off so good
 
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