So I just this afternoon picked up a new sack of what I was thinking was Rahr standard 2row malt. Unfortunately, my LHBS must have either ordered the wrong item, or just gave me the wrong sack. Unfortunately, I have already opened it and discovered the issue when entering into beersmith. The tag said wort color 4.15L, or 4.9SRM. The tag also stated Pale Ale malt. I will be having them get me the standard 2 row in addition to this, so what type of recipes should I plan on using this in? Other than a little darker, is it essentially interchangeable? In other words, what flavor impact does it have compared to standard 2row?
Well (aside from the color) pale ale malt is a little more malty sweet, where domestic 2 rows are paler and cleaner by comparison. I’ve used pale ale malt in American styles and made good beer - except for IPA. I like cleaner, drier, West Coast style IPAs and pale ale malt is too malty sweet for that IMO. A good test would be to try it in an APA 50/50 (or even all pale ale) with 2 row and see what you think. I think it works well in U.S. brown, porter and stout styles.
Hm, I’m brewing an IPA on Saturday with 94% Belgian pale malt. The original recipe says two-row, which I cannot find in Belgium. Should I maybe combine pale and pils malt?
That works out nicely Jon. My next brew day that would require 2row is an imperial brown, I’ll give it a shot there
Sure, you could blend with some pils and make a good beer. And depending on what you’re after you could use all pale ale malt. Some brewers like a maltier, more balanced IPA - it’d work fine for that.
Pale ale malt is essentially domestic English malt.
Your pale malt is almost certainly two-row. Pale ale malt, in most maltsters’ language, is two-row that’s kilned a bit darker. Pale ~2-3 SRM, pale ale ~3-5 SRM.
Jon’s right where there is a little more sweetness to it and a Brown would be an fine choice for it. I have used it both in APA and IPA recipes and some of my brewing friends can pick up the sweetness, but most of the regular lushes I have around don’t notice the difference. When properly executed it will still make a quality beer. If you really can’t live with it, then please feel free to send it to me. 
Pale ale malt has been kilned over a time temperature profile to give a desired malt quality. You can have the usual Pale ale Maris Otter at around 3.5 to 4L, or you can get low color (or is it colour) MO at 2L. Both are domestic English malt but have different flavor. I think you are saying that the U.S. pale Ale would be emulating the British Pale Ale.
I have taken to blending pale and pale ale malts as of late, and have been pretty happy with the results for brewing ales with gravities greater than 60, with little or no crystal malt.
Bingo. It may be over simplifying it, but it’s a close enough generalization along the same vein of domestic Munich vs continental Munich, or Coke vs Pepsi, or Bud vs Miller vs Coors.
If I want a strong base malt flavor, I may opt for pale ale malt. If I have Maris otter on hand, I’ll use that.
Thanks Steve, that’s a great way of looking at it. I’m keeping it, always was. It was out if bag and in my bin before I even knew it was not what I ordered. I like my hazelnut double brown and a smoked (or not smoked) porter, so it won’t go to waste. I was just really looking to find out how to adjust for it if I subbed it in, etc. I also really like Chumley’s idea of blending pale ale malt & 2 row especially for a lot of non West Coast IPAs
Very old article from BYO linked below. My primary takeaway is the fact that a barley variety named Maris Beaver exists. No info on the first page of a Google search, so that’s as far as I’m looking into it.
Edit - correction - according to this wiktionary page, Maris beaver is a type of bean. I guess Cambridge folks, while smart, aren’t to creative when it comes to naming plants.
Frank: let me take a wild guess here. You ordered Rahr Standard 2 Row from Listermanns and they gave you Pale Ale instead? Same happened to me. I got it home before I realized the error, but have made some great beer with it! I basically use it it in place of the 2 row in recipes. You’ll get some more malt flavor, but it’s all good - don’t be afraid to hop the hell out of it either. Rahr malt = good stuff.
Thanks JT, that was it exactly. Things seem more organized since Chris left, but the store definitely misses him