Top 3 base grains to store in bulk discussion

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Jako

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Hello home brew world,

As things come to an end with modern society what are you guys trying to keep on hand at all times. ( I say this in a jokingly way) I am torn between buying a few base malts and making simple beers from what i have on hand. to buying 3 base malts and specialty grains and just making random beers that sound good.

part of me wants to focus on a few styles and lock down some good recipes. what do you guys like to keep on hand or if you had to pick 3 base malts for a whole "brewery"?
 
fwiw, for the last few years I have been going through two bags each of Golden Promise, Weyermann Pilsner, and Breiss Two Row.
And I've ordered the same mix for 2021, hopefully showing up in a few weeks just as last year's stash runs out :)
I really like the GP and Weyermann pils, while the Breiss is a good light color utility malt...

Cheers!
 
Never used golden promise before is is similar to maris otter?

I had the thought of pilsner, 2 row and a wheat malt or Munich.

I also consider Vienna malt as well but I feel like a similar flavor could be archived by a blend of Munich and pilsner etc.

Day tripper you specifically said Weyermann. Any reason over taking a domestic malt in order to save a little?

I really like great western malt and its close to Utah somewhat. But I have never paid much attention brand to brand.
 
Quality Pilsner and Maris Otter. But I wouldn't be able to pick a third. It depends heavily on which styles of beer you usually brew, so go from there. As I brew more English and Belgian inspired beer, the first two makes sense, and they work as fine in anything else, from Sours, to IPAs, NEIPA, Lagers, etc. If I were to choose one more, an option I would consider is Simpsons Imperial malt.
 
As things come to an end with modern society what are you guys trying to keep on hand at all times.

Written in 2015, Brew Bunker: Lessons from Survivalists About Building Your Own Brewing Ingredient Stockpile — Beer: Simple was a funny title for a concept that works well for me. Lots of good articles at the site, author is over at Craft Beer & Brewing now.

For those who prefer cooking analogies, What’s in Your Homebrew Pantry? has the same content, but stays within the cooking analogy.
 
As mentioned above, i think your personal preferences come into play.
I have: Rahr 2-row; Weyerman Wheat; Weyerman Pilsner all in vittles vault.
But i always try to make a basic wheat beer when i brew, 'cause i like it.
(Weyerman IMO is worth the premium when buying in bulk).
So your choices may vary.

If i could only have one, it would be the most basic 2-row, as that is a base for a lot of pale ale/ipa that i use.
 
2-Row, Pilsner and Maris Otter. I also stock Vienna and light Munich, but one could always toast a bit of 2-Row or Maris Otter to approximate either of those two. Plus, your specialty grains could always help you expand the range with just the 3 basics.
 
Pilsner & 2 row is easy, third one is harder, probably MO, or like 'tripper said, golden promise, or maybe vienna. If I could only choose 3 grains period, it would be pilsner, MO & rye malt.

Good thing I don't have to choose, but since I use it pretty quickly, would not have to live w choice for long.
 
Pale Malt (right now its Chateau Pale Malt), Wheat malt buy the sack. Munich or Vienna I normally buy in 10 lb bags.

With the pale malts I normally go by my LHBS stock but avoid Briess Brewers Malt. It's been years since I used it but my brews with it seemed lacking. Was probably my practice and storage technique at the time.
 
Never used golden promise before is is similar to maris otter?[...]
Day tripper you specifically said Weyermann. Any reason over taking a domestic malt in order to save a little?[...]

I've tried numerous brands of pilsner malt over the years and prefer Weyermann's pilsner for its light color and flavor.
It's not much more expensive than domestic.

As for Golden Promise, again I prefer its light color, and think it's sweeter than MO. It's also more nutty and less toasty.

My go-to base malt bill for neipas is a 50/50 mix of the Weyermann pils and GP. Makes for a light color delicious ale...

Cheers!
 
For 2021 I have pilsner malt, golden promise, and maris otter for my base malts. I use the golden promise like a regular 2-row, so base malt in IPAs, etc. Also going to use it for some bitters at some point. I also usually split a sack of vienna and munich I with a friend.

For pilsner malt, I do like Weyermann Barke, but I'm just finishing up some Best Malz pils and really like it. Hadn't used it in a few years, wish we could get that in our brew club grain buys, but BSG doesn't carry it.
 
Never used golden promise before is is similar to maris otter?
According to Zainasheff, Golden Promise is the Scottish equivalent of Maris Otter, but they're basically interchangeable.

I only buy US 2-row in bulk, and I buy other base malts as I need them. If I were to pick 3, though, I'd probably keep US 2-row, Maris Otter, and probably Munich (not technically a base malt, but I end up using it in most of my recipes).
 
Since I like American ales, British ales and Belgian ales I tend to keep US 2-row, pilsner and wheat on hand. Haven't found a good outlet for Maris Otter or Golden Promise yet but that would be the third option (rotating wheat and GP/MO).
 
I recently started buying bulk grain and my first 3 sacks were Best Pils, US 2-row and malted white wheat. I have since run out of the 2 row and the pils so I have a sack of MO being ordered this week. I'm thinking about 2 row or Vienna for the other bin. It is nice to be able to go out to the garage and put together a decent recipe without having to leave the house. My other grains, aromatic, honey, c-60, cara muinich, Victory and midnight wheat. With this selection I can make a bunch of different beers. :mug:
 
Quality Pilsner and Maris Otter. But I wouldn't be able to pick a third. It depends heavily on which styles of beer you usually brew, so go from there. As I brew more English and Belgian inspired beer, the first two makes sense, and they work as fine in anything else, from Sours, to IPAs, NEIPA, Lagers, etc. If I were to choose one more, an option I would consider is Simpsons Imperial malt.

Never used Imperial malt, i had to look it up. looks great and i could see it being useful in lots of beers. What beers are you using it in?

Written in 2015, Brew Bunker: Lessons from Survivalists About Building Your Own Brewing Ingredient Stockpile — Beer: Simple was a funny title for a concept that works well for me. Lots of good articles at the site, author is over at Craft Beer & Brewing now.

For those who prefer cooking analogies, What’s in Your Homebrew Pantry? has the same content, but stays within the cooking analogy.

i will check that out, i have a sub with CBB the name is familiar.
I've tried numerous brands of pilsner malt over the years and prefer Weyermann's pilsner for its light color and flavor.
It's not much more expensive than domestic.

As for Golden Promise, again I prefer its light color, and think it's sweeter than MO. It's also more nutty and less toasty.

My go-to base malt bill for neipas is a 50/50 mix of the Weyermann pils and GP. Makes for a light color delicious ale...

Cheers!

sounds like a great malt might have to get a few pounds and give it a go.

I only used Weyerman's until the past year, at my LHBS everyone was talking about Great western and how good it was. i tried it and enjoyed the more "bold" flavor compared to weyerman's but for a traditional German beer i still go for Weyermann's floor malt.


According to Zainasheff, Golden Promise is the Scottish equivalent of Maris Otter, but they're basically interchangeable.

I only buy US 2-row in bulk, and I buy other base malts as I need them. If I were to pick 3, though, I'd probably keep US 2-row, Maris Otter, and probably Munich (not technically a base malt, but I end up using it in most of my recipes).

Lately Munich has been a base malt for me. My friend last year bought me Historic German and Austrian book for Christmas so i have gone down the hole of decoction mash and trying to perfect a Marzin recipe. i am on V3 of it now and changed up my pilsner malt to Vienna and Munich to Dark Munich
 
A good Pils malt and a good characterful UK malt.

Weyermann Bohemian Pils is good. Best Heidelberg is good too. But the absolute cream of the crop is Weyermann Barke Pils.

I love Thomas Fawcett Maris Otter. Crisp No. 19 (formerly known as Gleneagles) Maris Otter would be second. Golden Promise is fine too but IMO is a little less versatile.

Beyond those, a good neutral North American 2 row would be the only other third. The rest, even Vienna and Munich, can be bought in smaller quantities.

A middle road would be a North American "pale ale" malt- kilned a little darker than the normal US 2-row- for a middle ground between US/CA and UK base malt. Rahr makes a good one. Briess makes a decent one but Rahr is better and cheaper (full disclosure- I absolutely DESPISE Briess).
 
*(full disclosure- I absolutely DESPISE Briess)*

Now i have to know why. If you don't mind sharing.

now that i have a grain mill and a little more control of what i can buy, i am really interested in some differences between each malt supplier.

does anyone have experience with Canada malting? noticed the prices is very competitive is the grain poor quality? I don't care a whole lot about price just wondering.
 
Definitely 2-row pale and Pilsner - those are my go-tos for almost all of my beers.
I've played with MO, and other than a couple of |British styles, most everything can be copped using one of the others and a dash of crystal.
I've played with Munich and Vienna as additions to pale in some beers and it works pretty well - I just haven't used them alone.
 
" Never used Imperial malt, i had to look it up. looks great and i could see it being useful in lots of beers. What beers are you using it in? " - I use it in Imperial Stouts, Milk Stouts, Pastry Stouts, English Bitters, Red, Brown and Porters. One of the first beers I will be brewing this year, will be a Belgian Dark Strong Ale, which will feature 3 malts: Pilsner, Imperial and Simpsons DRC and of course, some Candi Syrup D-240 and D-90.
 
Sounds like many of us are on the same page. I have a bag of Breiss 2-Row. I have some of a bag of Fawcett Golden Promise left over from the last trip I was able to make to my hb shop. And a bag of Best Pilsen malt I bought from a local brewpub because I could not get to my shop. That’s what he had to sell me and I was mighty happy to buy it.
 
Looks like a pilsener and a 2 row are a must then the 3rd one is the more characterful option.

I took a look at the article poster above and it helped put it into prospective for me. I looked at all my favorite recipes and it looks like pilsener and marris otter was used a lot as well as 2 row.
 
Two row and pilsner, as above; and I'm currently madly in love with light Munich as something to add a bit more flavor, bit of color, and body. If you want darker grains, you can make them yourself with two-row and a bit of work. There's a most excellent thread around here somewhere about roasting/caramelizing your own crystal malts. I've done it on a few occasions and love them. Or you can go whole hog like @bracconiere and malt your own.
 
if you're preparing for the end of the world...like i was when the looming shadow of InBev was hovering over me. people are never going to want to stop eating chickens, so all you gotta do is learn to, sprout, dry, and kiln it, your golden!

malt your own.

oh and if i was stocking up, i'd go 800lb's pale malt, 100 pounds 40L crystal, and probably something like 400-500 lb's light munich....

would probably last me for 8-9 months....

(and yes i have ordered grain like that before, lol)
 
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If you're gonna keep Vienna or Munich, 100% go with the Weyermann Barke versions. They're a little pricier but 100% worth it.
This. I'd add the Barke pilsner malt as well.
Rahr 2 row and Simpsons golden promise are other two bulk base malts. I always try to keep an inventory of Vienna (barke) as well, but not in a bulk fashion because 10lbs of Vienna last me awhile.
 
weyermann pils and munich i have decided. should i go 2 row or a bold English malt? still curious about golden promise. Also like the idea of Imperial malt
 
If they have Weyermann Bohemian Pils, get that. It's not as good as Barke Pils, but it's better than their standard Pils.

Rahr Pale Ale malt would be my rec if you don't want to go all in on a UK malt. A bit more character than the normal base domestic 2-row, but still good for neutral base character beers when wanted.
 
Eh. If you're insisting on MoreBeer, they don't stock that either. Though their normal 2-row is great too.

I would rather buy exactly what i am looking for then a compromise. might have to order the hops separate
 
ended up emailing my LHBS, i have two close by one has it at a decent price hope i can get in on the next order.
 
if you're preparing for the end of the world...like i was when the looming shadow of InBev was hovering over me. people are never going to want to stop eating chickens, so all you gotta do is learn to, sprout, dry, and kiln it, your golden!



oh and if i was stocking up, i'd go 800lb's pale malt, 100 pounds 40L crystal, and probably something like 400-500 lb's light munich....

would probably last me for 8-9 months....

(and yes i have ordered grain like that before, lol)
Do you own a commercial brewery?
 
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