Viking malts

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
O

ong

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 24, 2012
Messages
1,823
Reaction score
548
Location
Portland
I’ve done 3-4 batches using Viking malts so far, and I am pretty unimpressed. Every batch has turned out MUCH darker than anticipated; this is with their Pilsen, Pale Ale, and Rye malts. Anyone have similar experiences? The low prices are really tempting, but I’m a little weirded out by how far off the results are color wise (what should be an SRM of 3-4 looks more like 10-12).
 
I got some on sale at More Beer, and only used it in one batch. I've heard comments that brewers have issues hitting their OG numbers, compared to other malts . Maybe someone will brew some SMASH beers and do a side by side comparison.
 
madscientist451 said:
I got some on sale at More Beer, and only used it in one batch. I've heard comments that brewers have issues hitting their OG numbers, compared to other malts .
Click to expand...
I got some from morebeer as well, but have yet to use it. I bought the pilsner malt, i would say that the flavor of the raw malt isn't quite as 'clean' as the the Belgian pilsner malt I normally use.

I wouldn't complain if OG is a bit lower, I normally make beer around 3% abv anyway.
 
I have used the Vienna and 2 row quite a bit no issues with them other than you will not hit numbers the same, flavors are good enough for IPA base malts all day. I have never used them for anything else, I just used the pilsner malt Sat w Vienna looked fine to me when taking my OG but I will have to see how it turns out

10 lbs of Briess 2 row with produce a higher original gravity than 10 lbs of Viking 2 row I find them roughly 10% less productive in my set up
 
I bought a few 10 pound bags of the Pale Ale Malt, and I really wanted to like it due to the price. I think I've decided to just stick with Briess though. I had good efficiency with my first batch (BIAB), but the flavor wasn't the best and I recall it being a little darker than expected. I don't really care about the color, but I obviously care about the flavor.

I used it a couple weeks ago on a Blue Moon clone and had horrible efficiency. That was probably due to the Oats and White Wheat as much as the Viking, but the Viking surely didn't help things.

At this point I'd rather just spend the extra ~$2-3/batch and stick with the Briess 2-row.
 
IMG_0037.JPG

This is a (5 gallon batch) beer made from 8 1/2 lbs Viking Pilsen and 2 lbs Viking Vienna. Looks like an amber!
 
Last edited:
One of the clubs I belong to had a bunch of penny-pinchers rushing to morebeer for Viking malts. The consensus a few months later, was that no two identical recipes looked or tasted the same, nor would two identical batches on the same system ever hit near the same OG.

Pay a buck more and stick with Wyermann and Briess and you'll always be happy. If you brew IPA's definitely go with Viking. You wont taste the difference anyway :)
 
Last edited:
So is the malt inferior? Or just different? I suppose I'll have to brew some simple test batches to compare with N. American 2-row and see what I like better.
Maybe something like a Kolsch where the malt really comes through?
 
I made a trappist single with all pilsner and some golden candi syrup.

One of the best beers I have ever made.

The pale ale malt does look darker than 2 row by Great Western.

The grains are fat, and I had to adjust my rollers to get them to grind appropriately, but after doing that I got my normal efficiency.

No complaints at all.
20190428_173718.jpeg
 
I just got some of their pilsner, was thinking of mashing 20#s up in a 10 gallon test lager, but sounds like it may not be that good, or test inconclusive if their product varies that much..hate to waste a brew day. Probably will brew it anyway, worst case scenario it will be a good after work beer.

If I brew it, will post results if I remember to, will be a while, as good lagers take time.
 
I bought a couple bags of the pale ale malt mostly because of the price. It may be a bit darker but I think the flavor is more like plain 2row, quite clean. I do not believe I seen issues with gravity, but I mash by conversion not time.

I made a batch of helles with their pilsner malt, it is still lagering so can't comment on the flavor, but the wort was light color as you would expect from a pilsner malt.
 
Ring the Bell (3/24/2019)
star0.jpg

All Grain Recipe

Batch Size: 10.00 gal Style: Trappist Single (26A)
Boil Size: 11.58 gal Style Guide: BJCP 2015
Color: 4.9 SRM Equipment: My Equipment
Bitterness: 35.7 IBUs Boil Time: 60 min
Est OG: 1.047 (11.8° P) Mash Profile: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Est FG: 1.006 SG (1.6° P) Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
ABV: 5.4% Taste Rating: 30.0


Ingredients
Amount Name Type #
16.00 gal Trappist Single Water
11.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60 min) Misc
4.00 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 60 min) Misc
1.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60 min) Misc
5.00 ml Phosphoric Acid 10% (Sparge 60 min) Misc

14 lbs Viking Pilsner Malt (2.0 SRM) Grain
1 lbs Belgian Candi Syrup (MASTER RECIPE) (30.0 SRM) Sugar

40.00 g Helga (Southern Hallertau) [5.5%] - Boil 60 min Hops
20.00 g Helga (Southern Hallertau) [5.5%] - Boil 20 min Hops
20.00 g Santiam [6.0%] - Boil 20 min Hops
20.00 g Vanguard [5.5%] - Boil 20 min Hops
70.00 g Santiam [6.0%] - Boil 5 min Hops

1 pkgs Abbey Ale (White Labs #WLP530) Yeast
30.00 g Centennial 2017 [9.7%] - Dry Hop 2 days Hops

Mashed 149 for 60 min
Pitched @63 and let it free-rise
 
Last edited:
Thanks! I got some Santiam hops on sale, so now I have something use them in.
Looks like a good recipe to compare malts, no other malt flavors to compete with.
Going to substitute Viking Pale for the Pilsner, If I get a day off to brew, I'll report back how it comes out.
 
Viking Pilsner is not part of that comparison. I would love to see a brulosophy style triangle on this, but I have not noticed a difference.
 
I think I’m about done with the Viking stuff, even though I’m a big cheapskate. I’m just not very happy with the beers I’ve made with it, and it sort of sucks to save $4 but be disappointed in the beer it took all Saturday to brew.
 
Yeah, maybe will forgo the all Viking test lager, use it as filler in pre prohabition (CAP) lagers and cream ales or something.

100% test lagers made with all Briess and Great Western pilsners were quite good. But Weyerman and Dinglemans ones had that extra depth of flavor.

Often times, one does get what one pays for.
 
Agreed, but perceived value can influence perception. It is why whale beers are a thing.

Really don't have an opinion on the pale yet, but the Pilsner was great.

I will hold off on forming an opinion until I use that malt in something more malt forward. I bought 20#, but it is for an IPA.

If I can taste the malt flavor in that and I hate it I won't get it again.

I am holding off judgment, although earlier it was mentioned that they have multiple malt houses? I read 6 I think, and who knows how consistent they are across houses and origins?

Different house AND source? That might matter a lot, but I dunno. Might not matter at all. Does Weyermann have one house and one source?

Cheers!
 
Last edited:
ong said:
I’ve done 3-4 batches using Viking malts so far, and I am pretty unimpressed. Every batch has turned out MUCH darker than anticipated; this is with their Pilsen, Pale Ale, and Rye malts. Anyone have similar experiences? The low prices are really tempting, but I’m a little weirded out by how far off the results are color wise (what should be an SRM of 3-4 looks more like 10-12).
Click to expand...
I've been using them for both ales and lagers this winter with very good results. I just got a medal for an international lager(Danish since the grain is danish) and the color is spot on. It seems slightly different, but not much. The kernels are fat so they mill a bit differently. I'm going to keep using it and try some of their others.
 
ba-brewer said:
I bought a couple bags of the pale ale malt mostly because of the price. It may be a bit darker but I think the flavor is more like plain 2row, quite clean. I do not believe I seen issues with gravity, but I mash by conversion not time.

I made a batch of helles with their pilsner malt, it is still lagering so can't comment on the flavor, but the wort was light color as you would expect from a pilsner malt.
Click to expand...
I've become a fan of their pilsner malt and just used it again in a Czech lager. Just starting to ferment.
 
It will likely make a decent lager, but doing a 100% test batch seems less worth it if the next order is going to be a completely different grain. Guess I'll decide next time I'm about to mill the grain.
 
Last edited:
I purchased 5# of Viking malt a few months ago and have been waiting to use it this summer. I may only use 1-2# in any recipe after reading this thread. That should limit any disappointment that may manifest itself.

I am a very forgiving critic so that may keep my spirits up!
 
It's been mentioned a few times, but I had to adjust my grain mill to get it to grind because the pils at least are fatter than other malt I have used. It wouldn't go through with my usual setting, so I had to back it out to make it work.

I think that's why people are getting efficiency problems. I got 81% and 83% efficiency on the two I've used it as base malt. I average 81%, but 2 is too small a sample to say whether I get better efficiency with this than Great Western and Weyermann which are who I used for Pale/Pils previously.
 
Last edited:
I have two beers on tap now made primarily with Viking Malts.

1: Bitter with 93% European Pale Ale Malt 7% C60. This beer is fine. No complaints about malt flavor. Nothing special either.

2: Helles 98% Viking Pilsner and 2% Carafoam. This beer is quite good. The beer has a subtle cracker flavor that I believe is from the Pilsner Malt.

PS. The European Pale Ale 2-row is darker than normal 2-row. It is rated as 2.1-3.2L rather than Briess 2-row Brewers Malt which is listed as 1.8L.
 
Yes, color of the pale ale is much the same as British/continental European pale ale malts because this is a European malt and this type of color/kilning is what is being used here all over. It is often used as a replacement for British pale ale malt by Northern European breweries. However, the higher protein-% (compared to British/German malting grain) is reminiscent of US 2-row malts so you could describe it being somewhere in-between these two.
 
ESBrewer said:
Yes, color of the pale ale is much the same as British/continental European pale ale malts because this is a European malt and this type of color/kilning is what is being used here all over. It is often used as a replacement for British pale ale malt by Northern European breweries. However, the higher protein-% (compared to British/German malting grain) is reminiscent of US 2-row malts so you could describe it being somewhere in-between these two.
Click to expand...

At least the batch I got was more like 8-9° (similar to the color of a Munich SMaSH). I brew with MO and GP all the time and this was much darker.
 
I brewed a Saison with the Viking Pils that should be pretty light, but it looks like an Amber. I was scratching my head trying to figure out why. Looks like I'm not the only one.
 
ong said:
At least the batch I got was more like 8-9° (similar to the color of a Munich SMaSH). I brew with MO and GP all the time and this was much darker.
Click to expand...

I see. It sounds like u got something else than the malt that is marketed here. I still haven't brewed with it but I have seen & tasted many beers that are brewed with it. Actually most homebrews and most beers in the supermarket. They don't seem to vary in color. It would be a huge problem if they did. I totally agree that there seems to be something wrong with your malt color.

What comes to the fact that one batch could be Propino and the other is Explorer so this is pretty much the situation with most standard UK two row malts (Crisp & Simpsons Best Ale..) and definitely US 2-row. There are a lot 2-row varieties that are suitable for brewing and maltsters need to buy the best malts available. The malts that are always made of certain variety such as Maris Otter / Golden promise malts are different and they are somewhat more expensive because of this.
 
Last edited:
Just looking at the malt grains unbrewed, the viking pilsner is the same color or darker than a two row pale or pale ale malt, not the light color of the other pilsner malts on the shelf.
 
I’ve used Viking malts for several beers now and they seem fine. They are advertised as a slightly higher lovibond so I expected them to be a tad darker compared to other malts. Perhaps it’s hit or miss?
 
This is 97% viking pilsner and 3% 10L Munich. Tastes great, even better than when I used other pilsner malts, I think, but it does seem a touch darker.

I usually add the Munich to add a bit of maltiness and make it a touch darker, I'd forgo it next time since I think I got both from the pilsner malts.

IMG_20190517_160517.jpg
 
ong said:
I’ve done 3-4 batches using Viking malts so far, and I am pretty unimpressed. Every batch has turned out MUCH darker than anticipated; this is with their Pilsen, Pale Ale, and Rye malts. Anyone have similar experiences? The low prices are really tempting, but I’m a little weirded out by how far off the results are color wise (what should be an SRM of 3-4 looks more like 10-12).
Click to expand...

European malt. This is expected. What about hitting your numbers? (OG)
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

M
Feedback/Critique for my "Kitchen Sink" IPA - Empty my fridge
Replies
14
Views
833
Matheos
M
TeflonTom
Troubles with Haze
Replies
5
Views
664
Jag75
Jag75
S
Autumn Wheat Ale
Replies
5
Views
1K
kwilson16
kwilson16
Gadjobrinus
Festbier - first lager back in.
Replies
17
Views
1K
Brooothru
Brooothru
Clint Yeastwood
CO2 Volumes for Heavy Fake Belgian With Good Head Retention?
Replies
1
Views
361
Clint Yeastwood
Clint Yeastwood

Latest posts

Back
Top