I’m getting ready to pick up a fresh bag of Pilsner malt. I’m looking for impressions of the Weyermann Floor Malted Bohemian Pilsner malt. My standby would be Best Pils malt but the floor malted bo pils sounds interesting.
Has anybody used both enough to give any flavor, aroma, workability comments?
The Best Pils will be cheaper, but the $10-$15 difference for a sack really doesn’t make a huge difference when you look at it from a batch perspective.
Prost
I bought a sack last summer and used it for some light lagers and a Kolsch. I thought it was very tasty with a solid malt backbone but I would not say I was blown away. I probably couldn’t tell the difference between it and Best Pils on a side by side, but that’s me and my grain palate. YMMV.
However, if you buy it, make sure you do 90 minute boils. I have not had a problem with 60 minute boils with other Pilsner Malt, but my Kolsch definitely had some DMS which was disappointing.
Dave
EDIT: End of day, I think it’s worth the extra $15 to try it. See what you think…
I have Best Pils and Weyermann Floor-Malted BoPils on hand at all times. I think the Best Pils has a softer, slightly sweeter graininess, while the Floor-Malted stuff contributes a slightly more assertive graininess, almost like 6-row. I use a 2:1 ratio of Floor-Malted Pils to Best Pils in my Czech-style pilsners for a more complex malt profile.
I have used the Weyermann Bohemian Pils and the Floor Malted Bohemian Pils, along with the standard Weyermann Pils. I think the malt variety is the big differrence, the floor malting adds a little more flavor, but not much.
Jeff, you bring up something I’ve always been curious about…what is it about floor malting that makes a difference? Why would that add more flavor? Any idea?
Jeff, I reviewed the Weyermann product list (pdf):
• Bohemian Pilsner Malt: 1.7 – 2.1 L; made from Bohemian barley varieties
• Floor Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt: 1.6 – 2.3 L; made from Bohemian spring barley
• Pilsner Malt: 1.5 – 2.1 L: no specific mention of barley variety (German barley varieties?)
How would you compare and contrast the above Malts?
Do you have the opinion that Weyermann makes ‘better’ malts than other German Malting Companies (e.g., Best, Durst, etc.)?
Cheers!
Jack
As I understand it, there is more variation in the kernels, leading to a broader flavor. Other than that I don’t have any data to share.
Hey, that’s a better guess than anything else I’ve heard!
You can see the larger spread in color between the Bo-Pils malts, which will give some different flavors, but I thought it was subtle.
The Bo-Pils malt tasted more like the malts flavors you get in Pilsner Urquell. The Weyermann Pils malt tastes, well, German. The Weyermann seems to be kind of middle of the road to me, with less sweetness compared to Best (only have used a little), and not as dry as Durst.
Jeff, thank you for taking the time to describe the various Pilsner malts. Based upon your descriptions it seem to me that Durst Pilsner Malt would be the best ‘fit’ for me if I were to brew a German Pilsner.
I frequently purchase homebrew ingredients from Northern Brewer. They sell a German Pilsner malt that is simple labeled as German Pilsner. Does anybody know which malting company that Northern Brewer buys their German Pilsner malt from?
Cheers!
NB sells Best, but I think the stuff they have labeled as German Pilsner is Schill. Could also be Weyermann though.
Last time I called and asked it was Global Malt pilsner. I’m not sure how long ago that was though.
I called again and it is still currently Global Malt.
So it sort of sounds like the Floor Malted Bo Pils would be a great malt for - say a Bo Pils.
I mainly do German beers - helles, marzen, g-pils, dopplebock so I think I will save a few $$s and go with the Best Maltz pils.
But I’m glad to have gotten some good info out of this questions.
Cheers…
I’ve used Best, Weyermann, Cargill, Durst and Global and IMO, you can’t beat Best for those styles you mentioned.
I just made my Czech Pils with Best, although I did want to try the floor malted in it - next time…
Thanks for that information: Northern Brewer German Pilsners Malt is from Global Malting.
Cheers!
Just for the record.
Global malting is Shills malting right now.
Difference between wayernmann floor malted pilsner and regular Bo pilsner in is in kind of barley they are using. I am using split 40/60 in mine bohemian pilsner. I always mix two base malts and it had been working quite well.
FYI, I was just in NB Minneapolis stocking up on some supplies. They said their standard German Pilsner malt is usually Schill, but they will sometimes use Global, depending on what’s available.
so i did make my Czech Pils with the weyermann floor malted bohemian. its taking a LOT longer to clear than when I make this recipe with Best or regular Weyermann Pilsner. I changed nothing in the recipes aside from the base malt. It is clearing, just that usually after 6-8 weeks of lagering, my pils are generally crystal clear - as good as filtered almost.
anyone else noticing this?
What yeast do you use, Paul? I find that the Urquell yeast can be tough sometimes. Also water chemistry seems to be important, need to make sure there is enough calcium I the mash. Different grains may have different mineral contents. Just throwing it out there.
been rolling WL833 the past few months. I’ve made this same recipe, exactly, even the water ‘recipe’ twice before this year using a mix of Best and Weyermann, and its crystal clear.
this is a recent dortmunder, but the clarity was the same as the CP that was on tap before it, so you get the idea:
I will try to take a pic of the newest CP tonight. perhaps there is just a lot more sediment in the bottom than normal and it will eventually clear. Maybe i’ve just been spoiled of late.