I am out of both Pale Malt and Maris Otter - the two base malts I want to keep on hand. The last time I purchased 50# bags of each I paid no attention to the malting company. Since then I have been reading that some of you clearly prefer one malting house over others.
What do you suggest, and if you don’t mind can you tell me why?
AiH has MaltEurop 2-row for a price that is attractive to me as it is my LHBS - no shipping. Light for a base malt in color, but a friend said it tastes like a cross between other NA 2 row and MO.
I like Rahr two-row also, but I usually have a sack of Weyerman Pils and Munich II on hand.
I’m not sure which MO I prefer. Crisp and Fawcett are both nice.
I had to stop using Briess because my efficiency sucked. I went through a couple sacks of their Malteurop a few years ago and prefer Weyerman.
I wish Southern would get Best malts. I hear good things about them and I’d like to try a pilsner with it.
Malteurop bought the ADM malt operations a few years back. IIRC they are the world largest maltster.
Edit - Briess 6-row is about the only base malt I use from them, but heard at the LHBS that they are not going to be making 6-row malt in the future. It is true. http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Pressroom/Default.htm
Rahr 2-Row and Pale Ale I like to split my base and use the Pale Ale to get some color without using lighter crystal malt. I wish I could get Great Western here. I hear good things about it.
I like Best Pils the Best, but nothing wrong with Weyermann Bo Pils. I tend to like mixing base malts. I do try to buy mostly domestic malts. When I do buy pils malt, I also buy Rahr Premium Pils and blend them.
Not into buying MO malt really. My favorite of that style would be Golden Promise.
+1 to this. Great Western’s Northwest Pale Ale malt is great, as is their standard 2-row. I wish I could still get it. Otherwise, Best Pils, and Thomas Fawcett’s Golden Promise, or MO for me.
My LHBS carries it and I really liked the German pilsner I used it in.
Best pilsner malt to O G 1.049 (F G 1.007)
mittelfruh hops to 35 IBUs
S-34/70 fermented at 50f
My go tos are Crisp pale and Weyermann pilsner. I think the Crisp works all around (even in American ales) as opposed to the MO which may be too bready. However, if I want bready, I’ll use the crisp and a small percentage of Munich.
I too am not a fan of Maris Otter. I prefer Pearl over Maris Otter. Pearl has a milder flavor than Maris Otter without being bland like domestic 2-row.