Which German Pilsner malts are your go to favorites for a German style pilsner?
I really like a 50/50 of Best Pils and Best Heidelberg
I am going through a bag of Canada Malting Company Superior Pils right now and really like it. It is very mild. It really lets the other malts and hops come through. It makes a nice crisp beer too. My only half complaint, is that it is very light colored. The beers have all been very pale, to the point a non-brewer friend told me the Czech Pils he had in Czech were darker. But, light color is not really a problem.
PS. I think CMC Superior Pils may be the exact same malt as Great Western Superior Pils. The bags look nearly identical, both come from Canada from Country Malt, both use the same description in the ad text.
I believe barley variety plays a significant role in resulting malt flavors. I say this because I do not like the grassy, hay-like flavors I get from certain continental maltster’s Pils malt. It seems the domestic varieties produce the Pils malts I prefer.
I quit using Pils malt for a long time because of that flavor. I have eased back into certain maltster’s Pils malt on occasion.
I like Great Western Pils. Tommy’s observation is interesting that Canada Malting could be the same. Because I’ve seem this production model used across numerous industries, I could easily believe one maltster could package for two or more customers.
I’ve been working on a sack of Avangard Pilsen malt, and it has less of that grassiness than the Weyermann Floor Malted Bohemian Pilsner that I was using prior. I usually blend in some Pale Ale malt to cut that grassiness with certain Pils malts, but I am finding that I don’t need to with the Avangard.
Malts from Germany or malts to make German pils? They are not necessarily the same.
My favorite malts for German pils at the moment are Crisp Hana and Rahr North Star pils.
Barke Pilsner alllllll day.
Best Pils, but I have nothing against mixing base malts, nor subbing in some Munich or Vienna for a bit of background notes.
I use just Weyermann Pils malt because it is the only one I can get in 55 lb. sacks from where I live. Since the pandemic variety in malts has decreased dramatically around here. Still, it is a good malt and I have no complaints about it.
I’ve always had good luck with Avangard Pilsen.
Great Western and CMC have the same parent company, United Malt out of Australia.
Both GW and CMC call their basic Pils malt Superior Pilsen.
When I first bought this bag of CMC Superior Pilsen I noticed morebeer said both were Canadian-grown Copeland barley. But, that might have been a mistake because that description is gone.
The safety data sheets for each list different manufacturer locations.
Also, the GW says their target color is 1.5-1.9 and the CMC has a target color of 1.3–1.7.
So, they are almost definitely different.
Best Pils is my #1
I just started a sack of Montana High Plains Pils. I just checked FG on my Munich Helles last night. I thought it was very good for just finishing. We will see after cold conditioning for a month. The price was right, so hope it turns out great.
Rahr North Star and Best @ 50/50. I really like Avangaard but have trouble finding it locally in bulk.
My favorite German Pils malt? What am I brewing.
Helles will use Weyermann Barke Pils.
Bavarian style beers i might use a blend of Weyermann Pils and Weyermann Floor Malted Pils.
For a dry Northern German Pils I will use Durst Pils if I can get it.
If I’m doing an IPA that I want to have a light and clean malt flavor I will use something like Rahr Pils as part of the grain bill.
I have become a big fan of Rahr North Star pils malt. It will be the base of the beer we’re having brewed for HBC.
I’am a fan of Rahr North Star Pilsner malt too.
I overlooked it for a long time because of the name. Then I tried it.