Marzen with Pils/Pale Ale/Munich combo

[QuercusMax]

I'm planning a Marzen, and thinking of using about 5% Caramunich, with the other 95% made up of an equals mixture of Avangard Pils, Pale Ale, and Munich - I have lots of these malts on hand, but no Vienna.

I'm thinking the Pale Ale will give it a really nice bready/biscuity/sourdoughy flavor which should complement the big malty flavors from the Munich and the grainy/honey sweetness from the Pils.

Anybody done something similar to this? I have two beers with a 50/50 Pils/Pale ale blend for their base malts - a really nice IPA which was a big hit this past summer, and an "Americanized Maibock"/"Imperial Kolsch" (Dead guy type beer using WLP029) which I'll be kegging up soon. I'm sure it will be good in any case...

 

[WouldBeBrewmaster]

I'd swap out the pale malt for Vienna malt.

 

[QuercusMax]

I'd swap out the pale malt for Vienna malt.

Pale ale malt, not pale malt - big difference. And I've done lots of Marzens with Pils+Vienna+Munich before.

 

[dfhar]

Yeah, I don't like the flavor of pale malt in german lagers. Case in point, Dortmunder Gold tastes just wrong for a Dortmunder.

Vienna is essential in any good Marzen in my opinion. Crystal is personal preference, I think the beer is better without it.

Equal parts pils, Vienna, and munich II is a gold standard grain bill for the style. I actually like 70% Vienna and 30% light munich a lot, but it ends up a little on the light end of the color spectrum at 7 SRM for a 1.050 beer. It's a beautiful color but you can throw in soma carafa to make it a little darker if you like.

 

[QuercusMax]

I'm from Cleveland - don't say that too loudly or you might start some fights! Besides, this isn't pale malt - it's pale ale malt, which unlike regular 2-row actually tastes like something.

I'm going to be brewing this recipe tomorrow so I'll see how it comes out. I figure if both Weyermann and Avangard make a pale ale malt they must expect people to use it for something!

Which makes me wonder - what German beers would use a pale ale malt?

 

[JKaranka]

Alt, weizen?

 

[dfhar]

I'm from Cleveland - don't say that too loudly or you might start some fights!

I'm not saying it's a bad beer, just that its grain/hop bill of US two-row and crystal 60 with cascade and mount hood makes it more like an APA that just happens to be fermented with lager yeast. Granted, it is a little less hop-forward than most APAs nowadays.

 

[QuercusMax]

I would agree with you there actually. I would say something similar about Sam Adams as well-I've heard it compared to an American Brown Ale with Noble hops and lager yeast. Still a tasty beer.

Dortmunder Gold was one of the first craft beers I really got into, so it holds a special nostalgia for me. Even though I prefer a real German-style Dort now. I've made a pretty delicious Dort using Pils + MO instead, but normally I use pils + Munich.

 

[QuercusMax]

...and the verdict is in, and it's delicious. Possibly the best Marzen I've made. It's just on the verge of being *too* malty, but doesn't quite get there. The Ale version is very smooth, with no fruitiness, but a sort of a honey note in the finish, which is quite pleasant.