Thoughts on Great Western 2 Row & Rahr 2 Row

[CodeSection]

I have mostly been using Great Western 2 Row as my base grain for various recipes. Recently, a client commented that he felt an IPA I made had a husky taste. He said it wasn't a bad thing. But the comment got me thinking...

I haven't used Rahr 2 Row but from what I have read, Rahr does not have a husky taste but rather has a sweet plain taste. For those that use Rahr, is that true?

Has anyone tried a 50/50 blend of Great Western2 Row with Rahr 2 Row in a recipe? If what I wrote above on what I read, it would seem a 50/50 blend would reduce any husky taste and add a very small sweet taste. What are your thoughts?

 

[ChaosB]

Is there some kind of primer on the major grain producers available? I'm very new to this and I'd been thinking 2 row was 2 row until I started seeing differences between the grain bill on my recipe and the available grain options and plugins in beer Smith when trying to replicate it within the program in order to scale for my system. Just different things being off like SRM and ABV when using the exact same ratios of malts.

 

[Bilsch]

I really like the Rahr.

 

[DiscDuffer]

From my experience, as far as flavour goes:
All English 2 row > Great Western > Rahr > Briess > Pilsner (any kind).
So your 'client' is tasting the grain not the 'husk.'

How do you get clients for your home brew? (I think this place is called Home Brew Talk.)
Did you find a legal way to sell your home brew?

 

[Dland]

Has anyone tried a 50/50 blend of Great Western2 Row with Rahr 2 Row in a recipe? If what I wrote above on what I read, it would seem a 50/50 blend would reduce any husky taste and add a very small sweet taste. What are your thoughts?

When trying to narrow stuff like this down, I usually brew a batch with 100% one malt, and 100% the other the next week or brew session, while trying to keep all the other variables as close as convenient.

Both beers are going to be fine if you make good beer, and you will know know how both malts work for you.

 

[CodeSection]

From my experience, as far as flavour goes:
All English 2 row > Great Western > Rahr > Briess > Pilsner (any kind).
So your 'client' is tasting the grain not the 'husk.'

How do you get clients for your home brew? (I think this place is called Home Brew Talk.)
Did you find a legal way to sell your home brew?

Interesting response full of sarcasm. Perhaps you could be more helpful and try to explain the difference between Great Western and Rahr.

@DiscDuffer, if you are going to make assumptions and accuse someone of something, at least research who they are before mouthing off with false innuendoes. It will save you some embarrassment...

 

[CodeSection]

When trying to narrow stuff like this down, I usually brew a batch with 100% one malt, and 100% the other the next week or brew session, while trying to keep all the other variables as close as convenient.

Both beers are going to be fine if you make good beer, and you will know know how both malts work for you.

Good idea. I'm brewing about every three to four weeks. I was hoping to hear: 1) if there is a real taste difference between the two since I have never tried Rahr and 2) if anyone has tried a 50/50 blend between the two.

 

[DiscDuffer]

Sorry, I my work client = guest = customer. I thought you had found some loop hole to sell your beer. But you are right I should have checked *all* of your posts before responding to this thread.

I think that what your client means by 'husky' is that s/he is tasting the grain, and is probable not used to it. Near me it seems that most breweries try to remove all grain flavor from their IPAs. They do this by using pilsner or Briess 2-row. Rahr and Great Western both are more flavourful, a rep. from BSG said they both contain a blend of two strains of barley and Briess is just one of those. (Not positive, but I think one is Metcalf[sp?] and no idea what the other is.) So, again in my experience, as far as flavour goes, from most to least:
All English 2 row > Great Western > Rahr > Briess > Pilsner (any kind).

I really hope this helps.

 

[CodeSection]

@DiscDuffer, I appreciate your response. When I use the word "client" it pertains to someone receiving professional services. Whereas when I use the word "customer" it pertains to someone receiving goods or services from a store, shop, restaurant, or business. I believe that is the general followed definitions.

Frankly, I am still not sure if my client really tastes any husky taste per se. It was a first time I heard that and my initial impression was that he was trying to be a sophisticated beer snob. He hasn't tasted any other of my brews so it will be interesting to see what his response is when he does.

Thanks for the explanation. I may try making my Change of Saisons I brewed last summer using Dingemans Belgian Pilsner to see if he tastes any husk. I guess I should probably at some time try using different base grains on my same recipes to taste any differences for myself....

 

[Kerrbrewer]

I have done several beers with great western 2 row. I also have experienced the husky taste. At first I chocked it up to possible oversparging but now I am not so sure. I did a blonde ale that was equal amounts of briess/gw and it was still there slightly on the back end. Note sure if its crush or sparging or what but it is present 50% percent of the time I use it.

 

[CodeSection]

I have done several beers with great western 2 row. I also have experienced the husky taste. At first I chocked it up to possible oversparging but now I am not so sure. I did a blonde ale that was equal amounts of briess/gw and it was still there slightly on the back end. Note sure if its crush or sparging or what but it is present 50% percent of the time I use it.

Here I was about to buy some Rahr 2 row to make a 50/50 blend. If you can still taste the husky taste using a 50/50 blend with Briess, which by all accounts is bland and tasteless, then I'm guessing it would be there with Rahr as well.

 

[Kerrbrewer]

CodeSection after reviewing my notes I found that there were several differences in my GW brews with different results. This may be why I am leaning toward my process not the grain. I did 5 brews with 2 different GW base malts.
1. Used GW american pale as most of the grain bill with a little carapils and crystal 15. BIAB with protien rest beer was good.
2. Used GW 2 row 50/50 w/briess carapils crystal 15 BIAB got what I thought was astringency (husky drying tongue)
3. Used GW 2 row with 30% GW white wheat and flaked wheat. Fly sparge with rice hulls in the mash. It was my best beer to date at that time.
4. Did a repeat of #2 using all GW 2 row fly sparge instead of BIAB. Barely drinkable.
5. Did a repeat of #2 GW american pale/briess BIAB. Nice beer.
Is it the GW 2 row or sparging? Not sure, but I have 15 lbs to use so I am going to try again.
I will say that the GW american pale malt made a tasty blonde ale. All these beers except the wheat beer were fermented with San Francisco Lager around 60°F

 

[CodeSection]

@Kerrbrewer, the husky comment only came from an IPA I brewed. So, you may be on to something about differences in the brew. The IPA recipe had slightly more than 30 lbs of grain which included about 17 lbs of GW. It also included about 6 lbs of Golden Promise. It was my first time using Golden Promise but what I have read it gives a sweet clean flavor.

I did increase may mashing temperature by 4F. Perhaps that small increase affected taste.

 

[Dland]

4. Did a repeat of #2 using all GW 2 row fly sparge instead of BIAB. Barely drinkable

Is it possible the mash got too hot and you got some tannens?

I have found GW malts to work out similar to Briess mostly, Both seem good and consistent.

If you want to give some depth to your brews, use some marris otter, Irish ale malt, or many similar that have more depth and flavor. Use it where you would use two row.

 

[Kerrbrewer]

Dland,
My first thought is it is tannins. Thats why I was suspecting oversparging. But that couldnt be the case with BIAB. My mash temp was one of the few things I hit with regularity back then. I didnt have any notes on my crush so that is a loose end I will tie up next time I brew with it. I have recipes that I use vienna for depth etc. This brew is one I am trying to master for bottling and backyard chores consumption. Just a lil more than commercial yellow fizzy.