Proximity Malt

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Beer-lord

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I like to try different maltsters to see what it does to my beers and have really enjoyed malt you don't see at your LHBS or many online stores. Mecca Grade is awesome.
I did a search and saw a few good reviews of Proximity malt so I decided to order a few malts to try them out. Of course, not all malts are sold online but I was curious, even though I already ordered, if anyone has tried them and what your thoughts are.
Just trying to do a few different things in 2020 and this is one way I can see how using my tried and true recipes change with different malt.
 
Interested to hear this as well. My LHBS can get them, but doesn't stock, so I would have to buy a full bag.
 
I've switched to all Proximity malts and are getting great beer reviews from friends and am really enjoying them myself. I was getting lots of broken korns and empty hulls in malts from other guys. Some of the darker ones had flat disks of crystallized powder,(was in the bins that Northern Brewer has in Milw). Full discloser, I live about 20 min from Proximity and when i go Monica fills my storage bins ( and put printed labels on them) so i can just put them back on the shelf. They have a c150 that I brewed a brown ale with and is conditioning now(can't wait). The way the green malt is kilned,I believe, is the reason it is so clean. It'a also the most friable malt i've ever used. The variety is also really plump (almost no whole korns in the milled bucket). The new malt for 2020 is Oat malt, more new stuff every time I go there,so far the only ones I haven't found a match for are acidulated and honey malt,but I had quite a bit of each when I switched and haven't asked for subs yet. I heard that Mecca Grade has a really different and outstanding Rye Malt, i might have to do a side by each with Proximity's.
 
I've switched to all Proximity malts and are getting great beer reviews from friends and am really enjoying them myself. I was getting lots of broken korns and empty hulls in malts from other guys. Some of the darker ones had flat disks of crystallized powder,(was in the bins that Northern Brewer has in Milw). Full discloser, I live about 20 min from Proximity and when i go Monica fills my storage bins ( and put printed labels on them) so i can just put them back on the shelf. They have a c150 that I brewed a brown ale with and is conditioning now(can't wait). The way the green malt is kilned,I believe, is the reason it is so clean. It'a also the most friable malt i've ever used. The variety is also really plump (almost no whole korns in the milled bucket). The new malt for 2020 is Oat malt, more new stuff every time I go there,so far the only ones I haven't found a match for are acidulated and honey malt,but I had quite a bit of each when I switched and haven't asked for subs yet. I heard that Mecca Grade has a really different and outstanding Rye Malt, i might have to do a side by each with Proximity's.

I bought 2 sacks of Mecca Grade Lamonta and was wowed! Everyone notice. I also bought 15 lbs of rye and use 3 lbs in a hoppy pale ale that we splendid as well. I love their malt but all great malt is expensive so I've started mixing it 50/50 in most of my last few beers with Great Western or Rahr. The beers still have come out extremely well and I'm not going back to straight 'brand name' malt again. It's just so expenisve to buy and ship.
Northern Brewer will ship it free but then it's still $100 a sack. I got my first sack directly from Mecca Grade and it was about the same price, $100. Not even sure what it would cost to have a sack of Proximity shipped but I wanted to try a little first before I ordered any.
 
I like to try different maltsters to see what it does to my beers and have really enjoyed malt you don't see at your LHBS or many online stores. Mecca Grade is awesome.
I did a search and saw a few good reviews of Proximity malt so I decided to order a few malts to try them out. Of course, not all malts are sold online but I was curious, even though I already ordered, if anyone has tried them and what your thoughts are.
Just trying to do a few different things in 2020 and this is one way I can see how using my tried and true recipes change with different malt.

A local award winning brewery has started using that maltster. I'm not sure in what capacity though. The lhbs also carries that. Now with that said the order sheet doesn't specify what brand malt you're getting. It only specifies malt type so I may or may not have personally used that malt before. I know this wasn't too helpful but it's better than nothing lol
 
I grabbed a bag of proximity base malt locally back in November. I really wanted to like this malt since it was pretty locally sourced, but I have not been happy with it. When I first opened the bag, I noticed a musty smell coming from the grain. I also found many small green seeds in it that do not look like barley and taste like little chlorophyll bombs.

Every beer I've brewed with it has come out with a strange grassy taste and aroma, with hints of peanut butter oddly enough. I had a hard time believing the malt could do that, so I re-brewed one of the recipes with all the same ingredients except for using good old Rahr 2-row base malt and it came out perfect, no weird flavors or aromas, just clean malt and hop flavors.

It's possible I got a bad bag, but I've never experienced anything like this in a malt before. I plan to re-visit the store I can get it from and see what the grain looks and smells like in their bulk bin. I might even buy 10lbs from that to see if I just got a bad bag or if it is consistent with Proximity. I'm a little gun-shy to buy a full bag again after this first experience.
 
That sounds awful. I wonder if the company would make it right. That sounds like something got past quality control.
 
I'm working my way through a bag of Proximity Pale Ale malt while trying to zero in my techniques (keeping a very basic recipe and trying to get some consistency in process and outcome, while trying out some different hops). I've been really happy with it, with the caveat that this is my first venture into buying a bag and milling it myself as I go. I've been really happy with the two batches I've brewed with it so far. It's local to me, so I'm hoping I continue to like it - would love to support someone local.
 
Label Peelers has a big sale on malt and I grabbed a sack of Proximity Base malt for $34. It is costing me $27 to ship but I get it in 2 days and that's about what I pay for Great Western at my LHBS.
I really love Mecca Grade and still plan to buy more in the future but even splitting it 50/50 with 'cheaper' malt (which has worked very well for me) I have to watch the $$$ and Proximity has done me very well in a number of beers recently.
 
If experimenting with lesser known brands is the goal, the craft maltsters guild has a directory of smaller maltsters, some may be local. And if not, there could also be smaller LHBS that are nearby to these maltsters that may ship, just a matter of finding them. Atlantic Brew Supply (though not a lesser known LHBS), ships Ephiphany from NC, used to also sell Riverbend.

https://craftmalting.com/craft-malt-finder/
I had never heard of Leopold Brothers until recently, apparently they are in partnership with BSG and your LHBS might be able to get ahold of some of their pilsner or pale.
 
Maltsters are in the business of malting, so probably will be reluctant to sell retail. That is why I suggest finding LHBS near them to order their malt. Best results might be looking in areas known for growing barley or wheat. Oddly enough, there is some barley grown in NC and Epiphany claims to use NC barley for their malts! Hops? Well, Michigan and Idaho have some smaller hop producers that could be sourced to use with these hard to find malts. What an interesting hobby! What do you call it? Homebrewing? I'm in!
 
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