Victory Malt Substitue

[Cazamodo]

Hi guys,

I'm planning on brewing up an Oatmeal stout, which calls for victory malt. My LHBS doesn't stock this, and I cant seem to find anywhere that I can order it from here in the UK. Im wondering, is there a substitute I can use for it? Or is it simply called a different name here in the UK?
A bit of research has led me to think maybe some type of biscuit malt, or even a special malt? However everyone seemed to have a different idea. It makes up 7% of the malt in the recipe.

 

[HotbreakHotel]

Biscuit malt is the substitute. Both biscuit an victory are toasted malts. Some people actually toast their own 2-row to get a similar flavor. Franco-Belges makes one called kiln amber that has a similar breadiness.

 

[azscoob]

I toast my own, I typically do 3lbs at a time.

Set your oven to 350 and while it is preheating spread the 2-row onto baking sheets in a thin layer and pop in the oven once it is heated, bake for 16 minutes, give the grains a stir and rotate the pan at the 8 minute mark to ensure even toasting. remove from oven and let cool, I vacuum pack mine and let it sit for a week to 10 days minimum before using in a recipe to let the toastiness mellow a bit.

 

[Cazamodo]

Ahh cheers guys! If I plan to toast my own, just to make sure, can i toast it crushed? I buy my grain pre-crushed as I don't have a mill atm.

 

[azscoob]

I would toast it uncrushed. I don't know how well it would work pre crushed, might start to burn.

 

[Cazamodo]

Ah well I don't have a mill, so I will have to look into getting a buscuit malt.

 

[dwarven_stout]

If you aren't already using Maris Otter, you could just switch the base malt to that. There are a lot of American microbrewers who use a 90/10 blend of 2-row and victory to simulate MO without the cost, and it should work likewise in reverse.

 

[Cazamodo]

Yea marris otter is the easiest pale malt I can get here in the uk. Does that mean every recipe I find on here calling for pale malt, will be different to the ones I try to replicate but with mo?

 

[LexusChris]

Just curious if anyone would consider a little bit of Amber malt or Brown malt as a fair alternative for Victory or Biscuit malt, if LHBS was out...?

Happy brewing!

--LexusChris