I plan to brew a Scottish ale in a couple of months, and I usually use Simpson’s Golden Promise malt. That has gotten quite expensive in the last couple of years, though. I recently ran across something called Oregon Promise from Mainstem Malt (Oregon Promise Pale — MAINSTEM MALT). This is a cross between Golden Promise and Full Pint. Has anybody used this malt? When I can, I like to support small local maltsters who operate sustainably. I have on occasion gotten some rather poor malts this way, however. I tried one Oregon malt that was supposed to be a replacement for British malt that was very sludgy and very bland in flavor. Is Oregon Promise a decent choice for a Scottish Ale?
Sounds interesting. Can you get it? Are they selling to retail customers?
Oooh, that sounds intriguing. Simpson’s GP is one of my favorite base malts, and I have loved most of the Full Pint malts I’ve tried from Mecca Grade - but their non-FP malts are also exceptional, so I think it was the malting process there that was special.
I have had Golden Promise and Full Pint from other maltsters that were disappointing compared to Simpson and MG.
(Also, I wonder if it takes some experimenting with a new hybrid before the maltster is getting the best from the grain?)
I’ve never tried anything from Mainstem (yet) so I’m curious to hear more. Please update us if you try it!
ETA: It looks like you can get it via online sales from F.H.Steinbart (who also carries/carried Mecca Grade).
I haven’t used that one specifically but I had a chance to try beers made with a FP/MO cross years ago when the variety was being developed. Even did a podcast about it. Episode 103 – Over 60 and the Next Pint Project | Experimental Brewing It was interesting. I wouldn’t call it a sub for British malt by any stretch of the imagination. It’s its own thing It was one of 3 crosses we tried and it came in second to a FP/Violetta cross. Worth a try to see what your personal opinion is. And always remember, barley variety matters less than what the maltster does with it. Just because its heritage is partially MO doesn’t mean it will be like the MO you’re familiar with.
To illustrate the point from beer historian Ron Pattinson, English brewers imported a LOT of barley from nearly all points of the globe but never imported malted barley. They preferred to malt their own to their own exacting standards.
Well, I am very disappointed in this batch of beer. I tapped the keg for the first time today, and it is severely lacking in flavor. This is the same recipe as I have used before, but with Oregon Promise instead of Simpson’s Golden Promise as the base malt. Since the specialty malts and yeast are the same as in the past, the difference is most likely in the base malt. The beer is drinkable, with no off-flavors, but just seems lacking in substance. i will not use this malt again, at least not for this recipe.