I just started a D-rest on my latest lagers (my third batch of American Lager and first try at a Pilsner) getting bored with that so I’m going to run ales for a while. Plus high temps are coming so it will be a bit easier on my freezer too.
I’m going to run a side by side comparison looking for what I want in a base malt in my house APA.
Two five gallon batches. One will be 12# great western 2 row. The other will be 12# Maris Otter. Each mashed at 155’ for an hour 2 qts per pound. Each hopped the same. 2 oz simcoe FWH, 2 oz cascade 15 min, 1 oz Willamette at FO.
I’m kicking around what to do with steeps. Part of me says leave it single mash for now and see the difference as is, play with steeping grain later. But I don’t want to end up bland, colorless, bodiless either. So maybe a pound of crystal 40 in each?
I usually use 1/2 lb of C40 in APAs and AIPAs. It would let you compare the base malts a little better, but still be enough to give some color and flavor. It’s fun to experiment!
I would flip-flop your Simcoe and williamette additions. 1oz williamette at 60min, 2oz Simcoe at FO. But, that is just me. I really like Simcoe.
Crystal would be acceptable in an APA, but if you are really wanting to discern the differences between basemalts, I would leave the grist as is and then add back in with specialty malts as you build your recipe.
Hmmm. Think I’ll leave hops as is for now. I did this combo before and liked.
I have a pound of crystal 40 plugged in to my recipes now. Looks like that would be about 7% of the bill and brings the srm up to 11 on the MO and 7 on the 2row
If you’re testing the base malt for a specific recipe, then I’d leave the specialty malts and hops the same as you normally use in the recipe. If you normally use a pound of C-40 in your APA, then I’d do the same in the test batches as well.
It’s going to eventually be my standard house beer. I’m new to MO and want to do a side by each with a 2Row version before deciding to claim it as my base. The rest of the recipe will only be tweaked slightly over time.
If you’re looking to decide which base malt you like better, I’d leave out any specialty grains for now. Maybe mash even higher to add some body of you’re worried about that. My house APA is 90% MO, 10% Vienna, mashed at 160F.
I have some Vienna! Which ever steep I go with it will be simple and under 10%. I may bump my temp up tho and secure a little body and sweetness. My IBUs are about mid 50s so there’s room for sweet to balance