Munich Malts- Base or not?

[SMD]

Yesterday I picked up a bag of Munich malt (as the base malt) for a Dunkel recipe I had planned to make today. I didn’t pay attention to the package after I read it was 10 L Munich, and moved on with picking the rest of my grist. However upon getting home and beginning to mill everything I read the description Munich Malt 10 L Briess Bonlander 6 Row color malt.

I attempted to research this specific Munich malt and had mixed success and found some people stating it should be used less as a base malt and more as a specialty malt. I put off brewing until I can hopefully get some insight. Can I use this as a base malt or treat it as specialty?

 

[Dland]

You can use as either base or specialty. As a base, beer will be on malty side, but that is probably OK for that style.

 

[VikeMan]

Briess Bonlander Munich (10L) has more than enough enzymes for full conversion, so it's a base malt. Whether you want to use it as a (main) base malt in a recipe is a presonal preference kind of thing. I could easily see it as the base of a Munich Dunkel Lager.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Munich Malt 10 L Briess Bonlander 6 Row

Munich Malts - Brewing With Briess

All Briess malt is produced exclusively from North American, AMBA-approved 2-row malting barley.

(emphasis is theirs, not mine) - Munich Malts - Brewing With Briess

Suggested usage (also from Munich Malts - Brewing With Briess)

10‐20%	Any beer that benefits from enhanced malty flavor
Up to 50%	Bock‐style beers

Feel free to ignore the suggestion.

 

[SMD]

I had seen that info on Briess’s website, and I think the “Up to 50%” was what gave me pause, when it was probably 80% of my grist.

 

[VikeMan]

If it helps put your mind at ease, Jamil's "Old School Dunkel" Lager recipe is ~97% Munich 8L.

 

[jcav]

I agree with Vikeman. You should be fine. I make a fine Dunkel using 89% dark Munich malt. Good luck with the brew!

John

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

@SMD : does the recipe name a specific brand of Munich (or give a hint as to a brand or region)? Different brands of Munich will likely deliver different flavors (perhaps slight, perhaps noticeable).

 

[Beernik]

Any grain bill with a diastatic power > 30L will convert. Most Munich 10Ls have enough diastatic power to convert.

As a general rule, though, I try to stay over 50L, otherwise conversion can take a long time.

 

[SMD]

I believe it was Weyerman Dark Munich

 

[SMD]

I’m just going to go for it, but I’ve run out of time today, and I’ll have to do it next weekend.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I believe it was Weyerman Dark Munich

So maybe this? Weyermann® Munich Malt Type 2

If so, seems like it might be two noticeably different malts. But it might make good beer either way.

I’m just going to go for it, ...

OK.

 

[MaxStout]

If it's Briess Munich Type 1, the diastatic power is stated as 60 Lintner, plenty for self-conversion. The Weyermann Dark Munich doesn't state its DP, but says it's high enough for it to constitute up to 100% of the grist, thus it can self-convert.

 

[Beernik]

Weyermann Type 2 Dark Munich is a 8 - 9.9L malt, so I would expect it to fully convert.

I hope it went well.

 

[Protos]

Munich malt was invented to be used as a base malt.
It was often the only malt employed in traditional Bavarian beers.

 

[Miraculix]

I had Munich not converting.... Wouldn't use it by default alone. There are huge differences between different maltsters, I would check the respective maltster first and have a look at what they recommend. Otherwise, 20%-30% Pilsener malt for insurance won't do any harm.

 

[BrewMan13]

I use weyerman munich type 2 all the time, including as a base malt. It self converts, but doesn't have a lot of extra diastatic power. So if the overall grist is below about 40 litner, I sprinkle a little amylase enzyme in the mash. Never had an issue doing it this way.

 

[odie]

base malt. same as Vienna.

 

[toxdoc49]

I was looking for a discussion on 2-row vs 6-row malt and their applications in this forum; this one was as close as I could find. Does anyone use 6-row malt, if so, for what type(s) of brewing?

 

[Bramling Cross]

To toxdoc49

I used 6-row yesterday in a 30% corn and rice adjunct lager. The key benefit of 6-row is it's high enzyme content. If your grist has a high proportion of stuff with low or no ability to self-convert, 6-row's surplus of enzymes can be beneficial. Unfortunately, 6-row's traditional role as the bringer of enzymes is becoming less necessary as base malts have become ever more powerful over the past fifty years or so. I used 6-row yesterday because I only had 5lb of German pils malt available. If I had eight pounds of pils malt on hand, I would've trusted the pils malt to chew through that 30% adjunct load. I wouldn't have done that thirty years ago.

Six-row is also high in protein which can present some challenges if your goal is to create crystal clear beer. Adjuncts, enzymes, and fining can deal effectively with this quirk.

Finally, 6-row has its own flavor. It's often described in relation to Continental pils malt and given disparaging descriptors like "rustic," "less refined," "husky," etc. It's the same sorta thing that gives poor ol' Cluster hops a bad name. Looked at for what it is, 6-row provides a grainy, sorta earthy, brown cracker kinda thing. It's a nice malt on its own merits and it only suffers when folks insist upon comparing it to Continental malts on the terms of Continental malts.

 

[Brooothru]

To toxdoc49

I used 6-row yesterday in a 30% corn and rice adjunct lager. The key benefit of 6-row is it's high enzyme content. If your grist has a high proportion of stuff with low or no ability to self-convert, 6-row's surplus of enzymes can be beneficial. Unfortunately, 6-row's traditional role as the bringer of enzymes is becoming less necessary as base malts have become ever more powerful over the past fifty years or so. I used 6-row yesterday because I only had 5lb of German pils malt available. If I had eight pounds of pils malt on hand, I would've trusted the pils malt to chew through that 30% adjunct load. I wouldn't have done that thirty years ago.

Six-row is also high in protein which can present some challenges if your goal is to create crystal clear beer. Adjuncts, enzymes, and fining can deal effectively with this quirk.

Finally, 6-row has its own flavor. It's often described in relation to Continental pils malt and given disparaging descriptors like "rustic," "less refined," "husky," etc. It's the same sorta thing that gives poor ol' Cluster hops a bad name. Looked at for what it is, 6-row provides a grainy, sorta earthy, brown cracker kinda thing. It's a nice malt on its own merits and it only suffers when folks insist upon comparing it to Continental malts on the terms of Continental malts.

Spot on!

While I'd never consider using 6-row in any of my German Pils, Helles or Kolsch, neither would I fail to include it (at least to some degree) in any of my 'American' lagers. I won a Best of Show a couple of years ago for a Pre-Prohibition lager that was 100% 6-row base malt with a smattering of flaked maize and a touch of light crystal as adjuncts. It also used Cluster for bittering, with Nugget and Willamette for flavor and aroma.

I just don't understand it when folks hate on Cluster, or on 6-row either. Sometimes "rustic" and "earthy" are exactly what's called for, depending on style. I'll almost always include a portion of 6-row in the base malt grist (maybe 20%-50% split with domestic 2-row and adjuncts) in American lagers, not because I have to for the enzymes but because I want to for the subtle bit of authenticity it brings to the mix. No way for a Continental lager, however. For them it's strictly 2-row and Noble hops, especially Hallertau, Tettnang or Saaz, with an occasional nod to Fuggles or EKG.