floor malted wheat and pilsner

Brewing Processes
1

good evening/morning/day, I’m curious about floor malted products as opposed to non floor malted products.  is there a big difference and if not, what can i substitute for a “floor malted bohemian wheat”

2

You can sub standard wheat malt and pilsner malt. Floor malted grains are prepared using more traditional techniques with heirloom varieties.

http://www.weyermann.de/eng/news.asp?go=ne&show=yes&idne=1639&umenue=yes&idmenue=&sprache=

3

thanks a bunch. so basically its more of a traditional process and allows us as a brewer to dig in and do things in the way it had been done in the past. i appreciate the link, it makes it very clear.

4

The malting process done in a more historical way to produce an end product that is more similar those same malts of many years ago versus what is generated today with the technological advances.  As end users of the malted barley, we don’t really get to “dig in” to any different processes but perhaps our end products will have a different nuance from using them (sometimes it’s noticeable and sometimes not).

5

I would be VERY surprised if anyone could tell the difference between a beer made with floor malted grain as opposed to non floor malted grain.

6

I’m sure plenty of people could if presented with two beers, but I doubt many could if just tasting a single beer.

7

This would make for an excellent Brülosophy xBmt

8

I’ll still take that bet.

9

One of my expert clubmates likes to characterize floor malted products as being less uniform in comparison to the typical drum malted versions. So, in a way, the difference might be better described as having a wider range of modification on the malt kernels. That could provide some difference in the beer.

10

I think freshness trumps variety/origin all day long but you might be able to make some parallels as to what is fresher.  IE I think the fancy stuff like Barke might better than plain ole pils simply since it “moves” faster (fresher) and not because it’s heirloom/floor malted/etc.  I experimented with “re-kilning” plain jane Briess 2 row and I really think I am onto something.  I am fairly convinced a huge gap exists between the homebrew world and pro breweries.  Over in Germany many of the breweries malt their own whereas average german wheat malt from the LHBS is likely a few years old.