Preferred Malt Use Evolution

[Willy]

When I first started doing all grain batches, I had a very different grain bill composition than I do today. At the beginning, I used more caramel Malts (caro 20, caro 40, caro 60) to attain the color I was looking for, and now I rarely use them at all. In lieu of those grains, I might add some Munich dark, or biscuit, or Viking 100 to a get slight color bump. I used to use flaked oatmeal for stouts and now it is just flaked barley. I used to use Red X a lot more but almost never used it now (it's gone and I don't plan on buying any more... Just use pale ale malt and get the reddish color with some melanoidin and a small amount of dark roast).

Decreased usage
Cara Malts, flaked Oats, honey malt, red x, big brand base Malts (I now get them local).

Increased malt usage
Local base Malts, biscuit, melanoidin, flaked barley, acidulated malt, chit, rice hulls.

I am curious how others have evolved in the malt usage - what Malts do you use now and what did you once use that is rarely used today?

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I brew mostly APAs, "midwest" IPAs, ambers, and browns; and I stock malts around those styles.

Base malts are what I can get from regional online home brew stores (Briess, Great Western, CMC). Recently, a new home brew supply store opened about an hour from me that offers Rahr. I'm neutral towards Maris Otter, Golden Promise, and EU brands; a Pale Ale (4 L) malt from a US brand works for me. Recently decided to buy some Pilsen (for a 2025 West Coast IPA) and Briess Heritage Gold.

Specialty malt usage has remained reasonably consistent over the last 5 years. A mix of USA & UK crystal; each brand has a slightly different flavor. At the moment, Simpsons DRC seems to be unobtainium for me; and Briess Crystal Red is a new addition.

Red colored beers: recently brewed a basic American Amber (6% ABV, 95% Heritage Gold, 5% Crystal Red, Willamette @45, @30, @15, @0, chico strain) and got a nice red color.

 

[Willy]

I brew mostly APAs, "midwest" IPAs, ambers, and browns; and I stock malts around those styles.

Base malts are what I can get from regional online home brew stores (Briess, Great Western, CMC). Recently, a new home brew supply store opened about an hour from me that offers Rahr. I'm neutral towards Maris Otter, Golden Promise, and EU brands; a Pale Ale (4 L) malt from a US brand works for me. Recently decided to buy some Pilsen (for a 2025 West Coast IPA) and Briess Heritage Gold.

Specialty malt usage has remained reasonably consistent over the last 5 years. A mix of USA & UK crystal; each brand has a slightly different flavor. At the moment, Simpsons DRC seems to be unobtainium for me; and Briess Crystal Red is a new addition.

Red colored beers: recently brewed a basic American Amber (6% ABV, 95% Heritage Gold, 5% Crystal Red, Willamette @45, @30, @15, @0, chico strain) and got a nice red color.

Never tried the Breiss Crystal red. Breiss has a lot of new malt products lately. I am way behind on checking them out.

 

[Yooper]

I'm still using many of the same malts, but added things like RedX, Briess' Bonlander Munich and debittered carafa over the years.

 

[hungupdown]

Main base malt change, has been from Maris Otter as default grain for English Ales, to Golden Promise.
Timothy Taylor Landlord clone (with Wyeast 1469 West Yorkshire, open fermented) has become my most regular ale. And the TT brewery, always uses Golden Promise.
Hoping to start on long unopened sack of M.O. this weekend.

Not exactly answering your question.
But after I switched AIO system, to one having mash temperature control, from a bluetooth thermometer in the malt pipe. The brews were all coming out seeming far too melanoidin / Munich heavy.
I realised that during mashing, using same mash temperatures settings as previous system. The actual grain temperature, was now often around 4°C hotter than before.
As the old system only had a base thermometer, and the grain was always cooler, especially following steps in step mashes.
Living in Scottish Highlands, ambient brew room temperature is around 19°C (which maybe gives a greater base temp : grain temperature difference).

After changing to mash saccharification rest, at 63°, rather than 65°C. Everything's as expected again.
It makes me wonder, how accurate the 'accepted' mash temperatures, which came before the time of Bluetooth probes and computer charts, actually are.

 

[Willy]

Main base malt change, has been from Maris Otter as default grain for English Ales, to Golden Promise.
Timothy Taylor Landlord clone (with Wyeast 1469 West Yorkshire, open fermented) has become my most regular ale. And the TT brewery, always uses Golden Promise.
Hoping to start on long unopened sack of M.O. this weekend.

Not exactly answering your question.
But after I switched AIO system, to one having mash temperature control, from a bluetooth thermometer in the malt pipe. The brews were all coming out seeming far too melanoidin / Munich heavy.
I realised that during mashing, using same mash temperatures settings as previous system. The actual grain temperature, was now often around 4°C hotter than before.
As the old system only had a base thermometer, and the grain was always cooler, especially following steps in step mashes.
Living in Scottish Highlands, ambient brew room temperature is around 19°C (which maybe gives a greater base temp : grain temperature difference).

After changing to mash saccharification rest, at 63°, rather than 65°C. Everything's as expected again.
It makes me wonder, how accurate the 'accepted' mash temperatures, which came before the time of Bluetooth probes and computer charts, actually are.

Yeah. Golden Promise is wonderful. Creamy and dreamy. Sometimes I mixed some Baird's MO for a little sweetening. But golden promise ... The bomb. I am currently using "local" Carolina Gold as my pale ale malt - very happy with it.