Idapils versus continental pilsner malt

[nebben]

Does anyone have any thoughts on using Cargill Idapils as a base malt for something like an imperial pilsner, versus a more standard German, UK or Belgian pilsner malt base?

Just kind of a random question. It's cheaper and I've already got ten pounds of it.

 

[MissouriBrewer]

I am currently using a sack of Cargill IdaPils, and here's my two cents:

IdaPils is one of the finest domestic pils malts you can buy. It has a nice grainy flavor, and isn't as bland as other domestic pils malts. That being said, it isn't a substitute for European grown pilsner malts. Weyermann or Best malt will have a much more "continental" flavor, and their more undermodified products (I believe it's the Bohemian) will have more of that flavor. Rahr's Old World Pilsner is probably the closest domestic malt to continental malt. It is undermodified and made from a specific barley variety that lends it the flavors usually associated with European pils malts.