Is anyone using American 2-row as their standard base malt? Of those who are using American 2-row as their primary base malt, is anyone using Briess Brewer’s Malt?
You bet! Mainly Mecca Grade, although also Skagit, Root Shoot and a few others. No Briess here.
I use Briess Brewer’s Malt. I like it in American style beers. I use Weyermann or Best for German and Belgian style beers. Maris Otter or Golden Promise for British styles.
There’s a huskiness I get in briess and great western that I don’t get from other base malts. I don’t find it that offensive, but it’s not pleasant either, so Ive switched to Golden Promise and have really liked it.
Used Great Western for several years for APAs and IPAs. Tried out Viking for a few months with fair results. Just switched over to Briess Brewers Malt. First batch is in a keg and will be ready to drink in a few days. I’ve used Briess 2-row Pale on occasion in the past with good results, so hoping for the same from their Brewers Malt.
I figured that if anyone knew the state of American 2-row it would be you. You gave me the head’s up that Harrington had been replaced. What is interesting is that Harrington was starting to displace Klages when I started to brew (Harrington was released in 1989). People still referred to American 2-row as Klages for several years after it had been replaced by Harrington.
By the way, I am jealous of the variety of domestic malted barley available on the West Coast. Here on the East Coast, one can have any domestic barley as long as it is Briess. My domestic barley maltster of choice for base malt was Schreier until they were purchased by Cargill. I preferred the taste of Schreier 2-row to that of Briess. It was far less bland. Briess 2-row Brewer’s Malt is the Melba toast of base malts. 
I have been using Rahr and Great Western lately. I used Briess Full Pint for a while. I liked all three.
I used a bag of Briess earlier in the year, it wasn’t all that bad. They are getting their barley from WY now. Around here the US two row is Briess in the shops. I used to see Rahr, but not now.
If your shop can order for you, Briess has malts made from Full Pint and Synergy varieties. Full Pint was developed at Oregon State, Synergy was developed at Montana State. Denny has used a lot of Full Pint from Mecca Grade.
Been having a convo on FB along this line. As much as I love and uwwe craft malt lime Mecca Grade, I find that sometimes it simply has too much flavor for my purposes. In those cases I turn to Rahr and GW. Both are fine malts, just very different from craft malts. They all have a place, just as different hops have a place in different beers. People need to start thinking about the variation in malt the same way the the variations in hops.
If you really want a craft malt you can get it on the East Coast, but you will have to order it online. MoreBeer sells Admiral Maltings, Northern Brewer sells Mecca Grade, and you can get malt directly from Skagit Valley Malting in 50 lb bags.
Aren’t there some craft maltsters in the NE? Might be able to find one here…https://craftmalting.com/craft-malt-finder/
I just picked up some Briess Brewer’s Malt. I like to keep some on hand at all times, even when I don’t have any immediate plans to use it. Likely will use it in a wet hop APA in the next few weeks anyway. They make it right here in my own county, Manitowoc County. So fresh, it would probably be a sin not to use it at least once in a while. In the old Rahr complex no less! I know people in downtown Manitowoc often complain about the smell of the malting process. To me it smells like money. I tell those people to quit whining, that they should be proud. 
I don’t find it bland at all. I just chewed on a few kernels. Big crackery and bready flavors, with an almost-burnt toast acridness or astringency. Not at all bland. I’ll use it anytime in any American style, and even in other old-world styles where I might want bready flavor.
In the Philly area there is Double Eagle, run by Jeff Gladish’s brother.
They have a good looking portfolio
Edit: that’s the issue I have with craft maltsters. Rarely can you build your entire grain bill with their malts. They offer the base malts and a few specialties but to round out your grain bill you have to go elsewhere.
Also in the Philly area, Deer Creek Malthouse. I love their Keystone Pale as a base malt and their Munichs are outstanding, and their Wheats and spelt…pretty much my go-to for 80% of what I brew with. Excellent people too.
My brother Alan sent me some really nice Pilsner malt recently. I made a German Pils and today a Pre Pro Pils.
I’m not sure if it is available at Homebrew stores though.
I just finished off a sack of Briess Brewers Malt and I liked the results on a few American Premium Lagers. I have been using Proximity a fair amount, because my LHBS gets it regularly. That one seems pretty good in the American styles that I Brew. I have tried several craft malts, too, and have not been disappointed.
On Continental malt - Believe it or not I just got my first sack of Barke Pils, so I am anxious to see how it works in a German Pils I made yesterday.
On the British styles, Golden Promise has been my go to instead of Maris Otter.
Huskiness is a problem I got with Briess 6-row and some of their specialty malts, but has been at least 15-years since I last used any Briess product other than pale spray malt for starters and agar solidified media. Truth be told, there was a period where I used imported Pils malt for everything, even British and American styles. My biggest problem with Briess 2-row was that it had little in the way of malt backbone. I always had to add 10% carapils to recipes. I tried to switch to British malt for ale styles, but I find British malt to be hit or miss when it comes to mustiness.
Briess has a base malt that is huskless to solve the issue.
From their website: “MaltGems[emoji769] is crafted by removing the majority of husk, fine grit, and flour from our milled Synergy Select Pilsen Malt. What remains is MaltGems[emoji769] — the heart of the malt — that can be lautered like a traditional brewer’s grind to deliver exceptional performance. This innovative product reveals true malt flavors with a remarkably clean finish. Expect balanced taste with notes of bread, cracker, and honey.”