# Base malt: Pale Ale malt v Ale malt (2row)



## Truman42 (19/8/14)

Howdy gents,

Just wondering what is the chosen base malt you guys use when buying in bulk? (The one you would use for the majority of your brews)

I know that Pale Ale malt is slightly darker and maltier than Ale malt, (Strange considering its called Pale malt) but interested in what would be the more popular choice.

I've created a poll (because everybody loves a poll) and have added other choices to the poll, but was more interested in the choice between Pale and ale.
Cheers


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## DU99 (19/8/14)

i am fairly new to all grain..first grain i used was briess 2 row,now have bag of weyerman pale/TF maris otter.."better grain for better gain"


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## indica86 (19/8/14)

There is a difference between pale ale and ale malt?


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## Dan Pratt (19/8/14)

about the same difference that pilsner and ale malt has..... h34r:


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## Spiesy (19/8/14)

Different base malts for different beers...

Briess 2-Row for pretty much anything American.
TF Maris Otter for English.
Weyermann Pilsner for lagers.
Joe White Pale for Aussie Ales.


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## Spiesy (19/8/14)

Pratty1 said:


> about the same difference that pilsner and ale malt has..... h34r:


Not sure I understand that... but 2-Row is closer to Pilsner than other common Pale Ale malts.


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## manticle (19/8/14)

2 row is the type of barley - all the choices above will be 2-row. Not sure if we can get 6-row here, nor why anyone would want it if we could. Some may differ.

As above- it's beer dependent for me. I use maris for uk and most us, pils for German or Belgian (and/or munich/vienna for german), gp or mo for scottish, jw for au, etc. Will buy and have bought all types in bulk.


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## Spiesy (19/8/14)

manticle said:


> 2 row is the type of barley - all the choices above will be 2-row. Not sure if we can get 6-row here, nor why anyone would want it if we could. Some may differ.
> 
> As above- it's beer dependent for me. I use maris for uk and most us, pils for German or Belgian (and/or munich/vienna for german), gp or mo for scottish, jw for au, etc. Will buy and have bought all types in bulk.


For sure, but if Truman is referencing Briess 2-Row - which I _assumed_ he was, that is a particular type of malt.
It's quite unique to other malts.


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## Blind Dog (19/8/14)

As others, I use base malt depending on what I'm brewing
Belgian Pilsner for lagers, kolsch, belgians and light ales
MO for just about everything else, which is probably 75% of what I brew

Occasionally I'll try other base malts (golden promise, perle, US 2 row, german pilsner, etc) but always seem to go back to those 2

Never really thought about there being a difference between Pale Ale malt and ale malt


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## DJ_L3ThAL (19/8/14)

The pale ale versus ale had surprised me (not that I have extensive knowledge anyway), but does that mean Joe white have an ale malt and a pale ale malt?


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## manticle (19/8/14)

> For sure, but if Truman is referencing Briess 2-Row - which I _assumed_ he was, that is a particular type of malt.
> It's quite unique to other malts.


I know you know the difference. Was pointing out to OP because it's confusing.


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## Lemon (19/8/14)

FWIW,
BB has a pale malt and a pale ale malt. The pale malt being lighter in colour and reasonably substitutability, in my experience, for pale ale or pilsner, domestic.
In response to OP, mostly Aussie pale ale, but beer dependant, weyermann premium pilsner being my go to .

Lemon


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## indica86 (19/8/14)

Lemon said:


> BB has a pale malt and a pale ale malt.


That's even more confusing mow. Where's the Ale Malt?


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## Bribie G (19/8/14)

BB Pale would be the equivalent of Joe White Pilsener. Both are produced for mega-lager beers.

Edit: Craftbrewer site says BB Ale malt and BB Pilsener pale. However my sacks of BB pale don't mention pilsener.


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## wessmith (19/8/14)

indica86 said:


> That's even more confusing mow. Where's the Ale Malt?


Have a look on the Cryer Malt website. There is no "pale ale malt" only "Ale Malt" - I think maybe people are getting themselves confused with various terms used in the US and UK malt market.

Wes


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## Blind Dog (19/8/14)

wessmith said:


> Have a look on the Cryer Malt website. There is no "pale ale malt" only "Ale Malt" - I think maybe people are getting themselves confused with various terms used in the US and UK malt market.
> 
> Wes


Admittedly it’s been a looong time since I brewed in the UK, but I don’t recall ever seeing an English malt described as a pale ale malt. IIRC, pale malt was the generic term but the varietal name was most commonly used. You could get Belgian pale ale malts occasionally


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## wessmith (19/8/14)

Blind Dog said:


> Admittedly it’s been a looong time since I brewed in the UK, but I don’t recall ever seeing an English malt described as a pale ale malt. IIRC, pale malt was the generic term but the varietal name was most commonly used. You could get Belgian pale ale malts occasionally


Have a look here BD:

http://www.fawcett-maltsters.co.uk/malts.htm

Wes


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## Spiesy (19/8/14)

wessmith said:


> Have a look on the Cryer Malt website. There is no "pale ale malt" only "Ale Malt" - I think maybe people are getting themselves confused with various terms used in the US and UK malt market.
> 
> Wes


I'm looking at the 2013 Price List, listed under "White Malts" from Barrett Burston:
_Pale (3-4 EBC), Galaxy Pale (3-4 EBC), Ale (5-7 EBC) and Wheat (max 2.9 EBC)._


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## verysupple (19/8/14)

Most of what I think has been covered but I can't resist a poll.  I voted for Maris Otter mostly based on the part of the OP, "(The one you would use for the majority of your brews)". I use it in all my English beers and most of my American pale beers (APAs, AIPAs etc). I'm using it in my American ales more and more it seems.


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## wessmith (19/8/14)

verysupple said:


> Most of what I think has been covered but I can't resist a poll.  I voted for Maris Otter mostly based on the part of the OP, "(The one you would use for the majority of your brews)". I use it in all my English beers and most of my American pale beers (APAs, AIPAs etc). I'm using it in my American ales more and more it seems.


Do you go for floor malted or pnuematic malted verysupple?

Wes


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## Blind Dog (19/8/14)

wessmith said:


> Have a look here BD:
> 
> http://www.fawcett-maltsters.co.uk/malts.htm
> 
> Wes


TF and other uk malsters produce a range of pale ale malts, but not a specific malt called a pale ale malt. I don't ever recall anyone ever referring to a pale ale malt in the UK, they're referred to by the varietal name (Maris otter, halcyon etc). If you went in a decent UK HBS and asked for pale ale malt you'd probably end up with something belgian, not that there's anything wrong with that. Pale malt was the common catch all (eg graham wheelers book) for pale ale malts.

And now my brain hurts


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## verysupple (19/8/14)

wessmith said:


> Do you go for floor malted or pnuematic malted verysupple?
> 
> Wes


I use Simpsons. From their website I don't think they do floor malting so even though I've never heard of "pnuematic malting" it must be that. 

EDIT: Typo and clarifying that I have heard of "floor malted". I'm not a complete novice.


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## Not For Horses (19/8/14)

Floor malted barley makes you more sexy. It's science.


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## wessmith (19/8/14)

Blind Dog said:


> TF and other uk malsters produce a range of pale ale malts, but not a specific malt called a pale ale malt. I don't ever recall anyone ever referring to a pale ale malt in the UK, they're referred to by the varietal name (Maris otter, halcyon etc). If you went in a decent UK HBS and asked for pale ale malt you'd probably end up with something belgian, not that there's anything wrong with that. Pale malt was the common catch all (eg graham wheelers book) for pale ale malts.
> 
> And now my brain hurts


Exactly, BD. My concern was the term was being used loosely here in Aus. Barretts do not have a "pale ale malt" as such, just a "pale malt" or an "ale malt" QED

Wes


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## technobabble66 (19/8/14)

Not For Horses said:


> Floor malted barley makes you more sexy. It's science.


I use pneumatically malted barley, because...

"... I'm too sexy for my malt ... "


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