Top 10 Malts - pick your "Must Have" grains

[Willy]

Back in June I think, I asked members to post their 5 must have hops and I learned a lot based on the many answers. Tried a few hops I never used before and I suspect I might have another top 5 hops today. If you haven't added your 2 cents - by all means, tell us your 5 must have hops here.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/top-5-must-have-hops.732756/

So ... Same situation with grains. You are stranded on a desert island, and the Jennie in a bottle, Barbara Eden says you may choose just 10 malts to as much beer as you like. What are your top must have, go to hops based on the styles you wanna brew on the island. (You can include adjuncts if you like)

Here's my 10
1) Pale Ale - Simpsons Golden Promise
2) Two Row - good and fresh from a local malt house
3) Baird's Marris Otter
4) BestMaltz Red X
5) Weyermans Munich
6) Weyermans acidulated malt
7) Breiss Caropils
8) Thomas Fawcett Brown Malt
9) Franco-Belges kiln Coffee Malt
10) Breiss Chocolate Malt

Dang, so many other malts I want to add, but if I had to reduce it to 10... I kinda want to switch the acidulated malt with Vienna but there's no lactic acid on the island, so I went there. Hahaha.

 

[shoengine]

I don't know if I even use more than 10 malts these days!

1. Golden Promise
2. Any two row
3. Caramel/crystal 50
4. Pale chocolate
5. Biscuit
6. Vienna
7. Munich
8. Dark Munich

Think that is all I really use most of the time.

 

[duncan_disorderly]

I'll have a go....

1. English pale
2. English extra pale
3. Wheat malt
4. Crystal wheat
5. Crystal 80 ebc
6. Crystal 145 ebc
7. Carabohemian
8. Pale choc
9. Brown malt
10. Black malt

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Yeah, I don't use a ton of different malts...

Breiss 2row
Bohemian floor malted pilsner
White wheat
Malted oats
Maris otter
Honey malt
Chocolate malt
Munich


I'll throw in biscuit and crystal 50 to make 10. I think I could brew the majority of my faves with this list.

 

[wepeeler]

10! I don't think I've used 10 in 7 years!

Rahr 2 Row
Rahr White Wheat
Weyermann Pils
Weyermann Munich I
Weyermann Vienna
Weyermann Carafoam
Carafa II
Victory
Pale Chocolate

 

[ClaudiusB]

I use German grains only.
Pils
Vienna
Munich I
White wheat

Very seldom
CaraMunich
CaraAroma
Melanoidin
Carafa I & II

 

[AlexKay]

I get these from my local maltster, Sugar Creek:
1) Pale Ale
2) English Pale Ale
3) Vienna
4) Munich
5) White Wheat
6) Pale Chocolate
7) Chocolate Rye
and I also need
8) any medium crystal from a UK maltster
9) Simpsons DRC
10) Carafa III Special

I do use Pilsner, but could make do without, substituting in Vienna or Pale, maybe with some white wheat.

I have to say, though, that it would pain me to do without smoked malts, and honey malt, and crystal wheat and crystal rye, and midnight wheat.

 

[Willy]

I use German grains only.
Pils
Vienna
Munich I
White wheat

Very seldom
CaraMunich
CaraAroma
Melanoidin
Carafa I & II

Fascinating list. Gentlemen prefer blondes?
What's your usual SRM?

 

[day_trippr]

Had to punt Rye to keep to 10 malts:

Simpsons Golden Promise
Weyermann Pilsner
Briess Brewers Malt
White Wheat Malt
Oat Malt
C40
Gambrinus Honey Malt
Carapils/Carafoam
Munich 1
Chocolate Malt

Cheers!

 

[ClaudiusB]

Fascinating list. Gentlemen prefer blondes?
What's your usual SRM?

I brew two dark beers yearly; the rest is under six SRM.

 

[MaxStout]

Pilsner (Weyermann)
Munich I (Weyermann)
Oak Smoked Wheat (Weyermann)
Maris Otter
Carafa III
UK Medium Crystal
UK Dark Crystal
Brown Malt
Pale Chocolate Malt
Acidulated Malt (Weyermann)

 

[Kickass]

In order.

Vienna
MO
Munich
P2R
C40
Roasted barley
Carafa special III
Pilsen
Flaked corn

and…

Table sugar!

 

[Broothru]

1. Weyermann
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7,
8.
9.
10.

 

[Broothru]

1. Weyermann
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7,
8.
9.
10.

Now if there had been 15 Top Favorites I would have included:

11.
12.
13. Rahr
14. Briess
15. More Weyermann

 

[Willy]

Now if there had been 15 Top Favorites I would have included:

11.
12.
13. Rahr
14. Briess
15. More Weyermann

I wasn't talking brands... What Weyermans malt styles do you use?

 

[MaxStout]

Barke, when I find it. Otherwise, "regular" Weyermann for Pils, Vienna, Munich.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

1. Maris Otter
2. Pilsner
3. Wheat malt
4. Amber/Biscuit malt
5 Abbey malt
6. Aromatic malt
7. Honey malt
8. Crystal Malt (all colours)
9. Vienna malt
10 Light Munich Malt

 

[Willy]

1. Maris Otter
2. Pilsner
3. Wheat malt
4. Amber/Biscuit malt
5 Abbey malt
6. Aromatic malt
7. Honey malt
8. Crystal Malt (all colours)
9. Vienna malt
10 Light Munich Malt

Hmmm. Have to try some 4-6 amber/biscuit, abbey, aromatic ... Any brand you'd suggest and approx % use for those 3. Never tried them yet.

 

[Willy]

In order.

Vienna
MO
Munich
P2R
C40
Roasted barley
Carafa special III
Pilsen
Flaked corn

and…

Table sugar!

P2R? Prairie Two Row? Have to investigate carafa special III ... Clueless.

 

[MaxStout]

Pale 2-row.

Carafa is nice when you want color but not added roastiness. Some German dark beers, for instance. In moderate amounts it gives the beer a deep red color. The dehusked Carafa also is less prone to adding astringency that some dark roasted malts can bring.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Hmmm. Have to try some 4-6 amber/biscuit, abbey, aromatic ... Any brand you'd suggest and approx % use for those 3. Never tried them yet.

You asked too generic a question. Forget the manufacturer for now. Malts are split in different types based on what they mainly do.
Base Malt typically 80-100%
Roasted malts 5-15%
Crystal 5-10%
Non malted grains 5-15%
Ask again your favourite grains in each category. E.g. Base malt
1. Maris Otter
2. Pilsner
3. Wheat malt
4. Vienna
5. Light Munich

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Continued
Roast Malts
1. Amber/Biscuit
2. Honey malt
3. Aromatic malt
4. Chocolate malt
5. Melanoidin

Crystal
1. Medium crystal
2. Special B
3. Cara Pils
4. Dark Crystal
5. Carafa 3

 

[Willy]

You asked too generic a question. Forget the manufacturer for now. Malts are split in different types based on what they mainly do.
Base Malt typically 80-100%
Roasted malts 5-15%
Crystal 5-10%
Non malted grains 5-15%
Ask again your favourite grains in each category. E.g. Base malt
1. Maris Otter
2. Pilsner
3. Wheat malt
4. Vienna
5. Light Munich

Great keep going. Roasted - , crystal -,
My favorite roasted are chocolate, coffee, and dehusked roasted. Crystal - caro 40 and 60, non malted? Not sure if this is what you mean, flaked oats is my most used .

 

[Velnerj]

Here's mine:
1) Maris otter
2) crystal 50
3) rye malt
4) white wheat malt
5) special b
6) roasted barley
7) chocolate rye
8) Pilsner malt
9) abbey malt
10) Vienna malt

 

[Broothru]

I wasn't talking brands... What Weyermans malt styles do you use?

Yes.


But seriously, German Pilsner, Floor Malted Bohemian, Barke Munich, Barke Vienna, acidulated, Blackprinze, CaraFoam, Munich II, Kolsch….

That’s only nine, but I came up with them off the top of my head and are on hand in my Vittle Vaults or have been used in the past year. I do like Weyermann. But also like and use a fair amount of Rahr Pilsner, 2row, 6row, and Breiss base and specialty malts.

 

[Willy]

Yes.


But seriously, German Pilsner, Floor Malted Bohemian, Barke Munich, Barke Vienna, acidulated, Blackprinze, CaraFoam, Munich II, Kolsch….

That’s only nine, but I came up with them off the top of my head and are on hand in my Vittle Vaults or have been used in the past year. I do like Weyermann. But also like and use a fair amount of Rahr Pilsner, 2row, 6row, and Breiss base and specialty malts.

Never used 6 row. What makes it "worthy"?

 

[day_trippr]

"Protein, baby!"

 

[shoengine]

Booze.

 

[Broothru]

Never used 6 row. What makes it "worthy"?

Used it when making ‘tribute’ American Standard and Pre-Prohibition style beers that traditionally used 6-row (common in the U.S. at the time when these beers were popular). 6-row has a higher diastatic power to convert malts that aren’t fully modified.

Since virtually all contemporary malts are fully modified, the need for 6-row is only for authenticity and being true to style. It must work, ‘cause my Falstaff Tribute won Blue.

 

[bwible]

I keep sacks of something British, American Pale Ale malt, and Pilsner.

For British, I think Maris Otter and Golden Promise are similar enough. My guy gets floor malted Warminster Maris Otter which I’ve used for many years. I’ve used Simpson’s Best. Liked that. Golden Promise is great.

American I’ve been using Breiss 2 row. This time I bought Breiss Pale ale malt.

For pilsner I’ve had different ones. Right now I have Montanna malt. I’ve made good lagers with that. Right now I have a doppelbock and a Vienna lager made with that. Or I buy Wyermann sometimes.

I guess you have to have crystal malt.

Munich malt would probably be next.

Vienna Malt.

Then you have character malts - biscuit, aromatic, victory, melanoidin, special roast, special B, caramunich, chocolate, roasted barley, carafa, etc.

I’ve only ever used 6 row for making Pre-pro lager with 20-30% corn. It has higher diastatic power. The corn has no enzymes. Like was mentioned, its more for a re-creation of a historic style.

I just about never use wheat in anything.

 

[bwible]

You can use small amounts of acid malt for adjusting mash ph if you don’t have 88% lactic acid. Or you would use acid malt I guess to brew sours, which I don’t do

 

[bwible]

and…

Table sugar!

It has its uses. Table sugar, corn sugar, brown sugar.

I think this is another one of the old wives tales about not using sugar because it will make your beer “cidery”.

Once upon a time, probably before homebrewing was even legal, they sold cans of liquid malt extract with instructions that said something like “do not dissolve this in water with x pounds of sugar, boil with hops and add yeast.”

Sugar is fine as an adjuct as long as you’re not using 7 lbs with a can of malt extract. Maybe up to 6 or 7%?

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Top 10 'always available' malts
1. an American 'brewers' (~ 2L) base malt (Briess, Great Western, Rahr)
2. a American 'pale ale' (~ 4L) base malt (Briess, Great Western)
3. a Munich (~ 10L) malt
4. aciduated malt
5. biscuit malt (Victory, Special Roast, ...)
6. "English Medium" / American 40L & 60L
7. "English Dark" / American 75L & 80L
8. Simpsons DRC
9. Chocolate (350L)
10. Black malt (di-bittered)

'Guest' and 'curiosity' malts
1. Maris Otter
2. Golden Promise
3. Carapils
4. Crystal 120L
5. Crystal Red (Briess)
6. English Pale Chocolate
7. Roasted Barley

Previous 'guest' and 'curiosity' malts that may return
1. Crystal Rye
2. Crystal Wheat

 

[Kickass]

7. "English Dark" / American 75L & 80L
8. Simpsons DRC
9. Chocolate (350L)
10. Black malt (di-bittered)

Love the possibilities of so many dark house brews! What’s your common tap list?

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Love the possibilities of so many dark house brews! What’s your common tap list?

At the moment, dark crystal for American Browns (these are 'clone' recipes), DRC for American Ambers; chocolate in small amounts for additional flavors; and black for small color adjustments.

 

[kevin58]

I keep my brewing simple unless making a specific recipe that calls for a bigger grain bill so I don't have 10 malts.

Bought in 50# sacks:
1) Briess 2-Row Brewers Malt
2) Maris Otter
3) Pilsner

Bought as needed:
4) Brown Malt
5) Black Malt

 

[Broken Crow]

Until I get my own mill, I don't keep much on hand but I feel left-out so I'm instead gonna brag about my great luck:
When I get into my van, I light a cigarette then drive. By the time I've finished the cigarette, I've just parked at my LHBS which carries just about every grain and has a deal where you pay bulk price for a whole sack that you never pick up, but instead order how much of it you want and how you want it milled...You always get it fresh so I've only bothered to 'reserve' 2-row base and Marris Otter, ordering only small quantites of whatever else I want at that moment.