Mecca Grade Estate Malts

[Beer-lord]

I just ordered a sack of the Mecca Grade Lamonte malt because I want very badly to try this but I hope I'm amazed. The sack price of $60ish was ok but I'm spending another $50 to ship to me. I think it still might be about what my LHBS sells their standard 2 row for but I always buy sacks to save money.
I'm not sure it's worth the extra money but I'm treating myself.

 

[TheFlyingSparge]

I’m very curious also. Keep us posted.

 

[TheFlyingSparge]

Im drinking a hoppy beer as we speak that was all MG malt. I hopped it NE style. The malts work very well with it for me.

Do you feel like the base Malt can hold its own or do you add specialty malt for depth?

 

[radwizard]

Do you feel like the base Malt can hold its own or do you add specialty malt for depth?

That particular beer was 73% Pale, 20% White Wheat, and 7% Vienna with the Mecca Grade versions of those malts.

I've often used just the Pale or Pils with the White Wheat (those are the 3 50# sacks I got originally). I think the base malts hold their own. I found a LBS that I could get smaller amounts of MG from so I picked up some Vienna and Rye to try out.

You could try out the base malts first, and take it from there. I usually aim for pretty simple malt bills anyways.

 

[Bobcatbrewing42]

Has anybody used them? I saw some of my favorite breweries using these guys and ended up at their website https://www.meccagrade.com/

Looks like pretty good stuff. I have seen that a few PNW LHBS spots are stocking it now. I shot them an email and got a quick reply saying they sell direct to homebrewers, and offer tours of the process.

The malt is a touch pricey, but I think I am gonna give it a shot here pretty soon. It's a bit of a drive out there, but sounds like a good time.

Does anyone have any experience brewing with these malts?

Our brew club in Bend (Central Oregon Homebrewers Org) got a tour of Mecca Grade. They have a great facility and are good folks. Most of their production is bought by Bend breweries. They did sell directly to our club members and I think that Jeff at the Brew Shop in Bend carries their products. They are superior malts. You can taste the difference just crunching a few kernels in your mouth. It is just a family farm so buying with shipping involved might be expensive.

 

[sweetcell]

one more random data point: i was lucky enough to walk away from NHC with most of a bag of MG's rye malt. it's noticeably better than the ryes offered by the big boys. it's my go-to from now on. looking forward to trying their other malts.

i was in madras last summer for the eclipse. wish it had occurred to me to look up MG...

 

[Beer-lord]

I'm still waiting for my Lamonta malt brewed SMaSH to be ready but plan on buying more of almost all of their malts to try soon.

 

[radwizard]

one more random data point: i was lucky enough to walk away from NHC with most of a bag of MG's rye malt. it's noticeably better than the ryes offered by the big boys. it's my go-to from now on. looking forward to trying their other malts.

i was in madras last summer for the eclipse. wish it had occurred to me to look up MG...

I agree about the Rye. I have been using a lot more Rye in my brewing since trying out Rimrock Rye. I have been doing a all Mecca Grade Saison with about 16% that has just been blowing my mind.

I saw on a FB feed that they are releasing a new unmalted grain that sounds really interesting. I am looking forward to giving it a go.

 

[madscientist451]

I'm like to try it, but the price to ship sacks of grain to PA gets my cheapskate gears turning. Then last night, I paid almost $24 for a variety pack that is good but not really great, so now I think I'll splurge and order some....
Edit: I just went figured up the shipping and a sack of the rye is $157.

 

[sweetcell]

I'm like to try it, but the price to ship sacks of grain to PA gets my cheapskate gears turning. Then last night, I paid almost $24 for a variety pack that is good but not really great, so now I think I'll splurge and order some....
Edit: I just went figured up the shipping and a sack of the rye is $157.

jeebus... it's a damn fine malt, but not sure if it's pay-over-twice-as-much fine. maybe you can find it at an online retailer by the pound, with a more reasonable shipping rate?

 

[ba-brewer]

You can get their grain here by the pound
https://fhsteinbart.com/product-category/brands/mecca_grade/

 

[Beer-lord]

I don't like SMaSH beers, but the only way I can know what to expect from this malt and it being my first time trying BRU1 hops, the SMaSH was the way to go. I brewed a 6.2%, 55 IBU beer and boy, is there a difference with this malt. Slightly biscuity, very slightly sweet but full bodied. I don't get a fruit flavor or aroma from the BRU1 but this tastes like a great, lawn cutting, summer beer. It does show the body though even it if tastes almost like a small pale ale.

I plan on using this malt with my standard 2 row since it's so expensive but I can't wait to play with it along with other malts now. I think I'll try their rye malt too since I've ready it's definitely different from other rye malts.

While I like the beers I brew, they were all starting to taste like 'my beers' and I've tried different yeasts and other things to create something that my friends would not know was made by me and this did just that. Not award winning but just a really good quality beer. If you can get Mecca Grade malts, give it a try. I think you'll be happy.

I ordered this from Mecca Grade before I knew Northern Brewer ships it free. The cost is a bit cheaper for me from NB because of the distance from me to Oregon. I will order this again but from NB next time to save a few $$.

 

[chewyheel]

I just ordered 10 lbs each of the American 2 row, Vienna and Munich malts and am very excited to use them. I've heard nothing but good things about their malt. I'm thinking of making a SMaSH with Munich and Perle hops for my first brew with them.

 

[chewyheel]

I just ordered 10 lbs each of the American 2 row, Vienna and Munich malts and am very excited to use them. I've heard nothing but good things about their malt. I'm thinking of making a SMaSH with Munich and Perle hops for my first brew with them.

Here’s a pic of the lager I made with all Mecca Grade Munich. Magnum for bitter and Perle for the rest, very tasty.

 

[SanPancho]

A super flavorful rye you say? Intriguing.

 

[Beer-lord]

I just brewed a rye pale ale with Lamonta and Mecca Grade Rye (can't remember what they call it right now). Only 3 lbs of rye but I've used that amount many times in my rye beers and there's definitely a difference. In the past, I hardly noticed the rye but not this time. It's not strong but noticeable and I don't see me going back to the 'normal' rye I've been using.

 

[SanPancho]

I usually have to use crystal rye to get some good flavor in there. Some rye that has an impact on its own sounds great.

Anybody in bay area planning a group buy?

 

[Amadeo38]

So I sold my soul and made a purchase from NB just to try Mecca Grade malts. Hopefully there wasn’t another way that doesn’t require buying a whole 50# bag or paying a ton for shipping, and if there is, don’t tell me, please

I designed a Best Bitter using 6lbs of their Pilsner and 2lbs if the Opal 44, and an American Wheat with 4lbs each of their Pale and Wheat malts. Excited to taste the difference!

Anyone else use them recently in something similar? I’ve got about six hop varieties to choose from in my freezer for the above grain bills. Tons of azacca, and a pound each of chinook, willamette, pacific gem, Amarillo, northern brewer, plus a few oz of citra and soon, a pound of mosaic.

 

[brewbama]

I ain’t judging you. NB has some stuff others don’t. However, Steinbart has Mecca Grade by the lb. $9 flat rate shipping.

https://fhsteinbart.com/craft-malt/

I have an Export in the fermenter and a Beantown Lager on deck both with 100% Mecca Grade so we’ll see.

 

[Amadeo38]

I ain’t judging you. NB has some stuff others don’t. However, Steinbart has Mecca Grade by the lb. $9 flat rate shipping.

https://fhsteinbart.com/craft-malt/

Dang it! Guess I could have asked here first. Oh well.

 

[jdauria]

Planning on brewing a Pilsner over the next month or two based on the a Brulosophy recipe which uses Mecca malts. Glad to know about FH Steinbart instead of Northern Brewer. Just ordering by the pound, because I can't justify spending $100+ on a sack of grain, though I do spend $70 at my local shop for Weyermann Barke Pils every several months...so who knows...if it's that good, maybe I will let the moths out of my wallet.

 

[eric19312]

jeebus... it's a damn fine malt, but not sure if it's pay-over-twice-as-much fine. maybe you can find it at an online retailer by the pound, with a more reasonable shipping rate?

Northern Brewer is carrying Mecca Grade. Lamonta 50 pound sack $105 with free shipping.

 

[Amadeo38]

Northern Brewer is carrying Mecca Grade. Lamonta 50 pound sack $105 with free shipping.

That’s $0.69/lb less than the by-the-pound price I paid yesterday.

I only wanted enough to do two recipes to try it out and would order full sacks from somewhere else if I liked it enough.

 

[Beer-lord]

I've gotten 2 sacks of Lamonta so far and a few pounds of Mecca rye and Munich. What I do with the Lamonta to try and save a few $$$ is mix it with my standard 2 row base malt. Even a 50/50 mix is vastly different to me than the same recipes I've done in the past. I like everything about it but the price and though I still occasionally use it 'full strength', I'm sold on it. Maybe I'll tire of it someday but I'm digging it right now!

 

[brewbama]

You can buy full bags at Steinbart as well.

 

[chewyheel]

Here’s another pic of an all Mecca malt pale ale I made. It’s 70% 2 row and 30% Munich.

Darker than I expected but taste great. I did a lot of late boil hopping, hop stand and dry hopped. Even so the hop flavor is there but not over the top, very pleased with how it turned out.

 

[Chrisdaviking]

I'd be more than willing to ship 10# bags pre-milled or not (I have several bags of Pelton, Shaniko, Lamonta and Vanora). I live in the area and have access to all of the varieties, but my lhbs carries about 6-7 of them. $7.90-19.99 to ship anywhere in the country.

 

[Mer-man]

Here’s another pic of an all Mecca malt pale ale I made. It’s 70% 2 row and 30% Munich. View attachment 614955

Darker than I expected but taste great. I did a lot of late boil hopping, hop stand and dry hopped. Even so the hop flavor is there but not over the top, very pleased with how it turned out.

You sure that’s not Munich 2?

 

[sweetcell]

I'd be more than willing to ship 10# bags pre-milled or not (I have several bags of Pelton, Shaniko, Lamonta and Vanora). I live in the area and have access to all of the varieties, but my lhbs carries about 6-7 of them. $7.90-19.99 to ship anywhere in the country.

sweet, thank you! would that $be 8-20 for both the grain and shipping? or just shipping?

 

[Chrisdaviking]

sweet, thank you! would that $be 8-20 for both the grain and shipping? or just shipping?

Just shipping USPS flat rate boxes