# Base Malt Vs Base Malt (tasting + Brewing Notes)



## Jazzafish (24/1/08)

Ok Brewers,

I just wanted to start this thread regarding different base malts and the flavour comparisons. This is not about saying one malt is better. It is about the flavour profile that the particular base malt gives in relation to other base malts you have tried.

I have used the following base malts and have noted the following about their flavour after a house sacch temp of 66 to 67*C:

*Joe White Export Pilsner*
Single infusion fine for 70 to 80% efficiency. 
Double decoction didn't change enough to be worth the effort, just gave a small hint of melanoidal type sweetness.
Gave a straw like colour without other malts in grist.
Very neutral in flavour.
Medium low body.
Aroma of a standard local beer
Substitutes ok for JW Ale if you add 1 to 2% of caramalt

*Joe White Traditional Ale*
Single infusion fine for 70 to 80% efficiency. 
Gave a golden colour without other malts in grist
Slightly sweeter than the export pils
Medium low body
Aroma of a standard local beer

*Powells Ale*
Single infusion gave a 60 to 70% efficiency
A straw to golden colour
Bland in flavour in comparison to Joe White Ale
Medium low body
Aroma of a standard local beer
Called for more specialty malt, like an extra 2 to 3% crystal malt to meet the tastes on a pale ale recipe with Joe White Ale 

*Powells Organic Pilsner*
Single infusion gave a 55 to 65% efficiency, protien rest helped later brews
Straw colour
Very bland in colour and aroma.
Low body
Better used when malt is dominated by other flavours/aromas.
Specalty malt can be increased without fear of cloying.

*Bairds Marris Otter*
Single infusion gave a 75 to 85% efficiency
Golden colour, but darker than the JW Ale
Medium to full body, creamier than the JW Ale
Sweeter than JW. I find that reducing the crystal by 2 to 3% gave results on par with my pale ale recipe using JW Ale
More of a malt aroma than the JW Ale.

*Bairds Golden Promise*
Single infusion gave an efficiency of 70 to 80%
Golden in colour, slightly below Marris Otter
Medium but creamy body
I find this malt to be in between JW Ale and Marris Otter in flavour and aroma, but very close to marris otter.

Well there you go, that is my take on base malts and how they compare to each other... based on my past brews. 

Now I'm keen to know yours, especially those who use Weyermann, Barret Bunson or Blue Lake and how you find they compare to other base malts on the market.

Cheers,
Jarrad


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## Jazzafish (28/1/08)

BUMP

Can anyone comment on other base malts?


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## Fatgodzilla (28/1/08)

Jazzafish said:


> BUMP
> 
> Can anyone comment on other base malts?




Can't add as just starting AG. Very much interested in seeing this thing fleshed out. Be surprised if not been covererd somewhere before but couldn't find out much. Have patience J and keep bumping this until the bigger AG poster come on line. Stuster .. you there big buddy ???


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## Fatgodzilla (28/1/08)

Fatgodzilla said:


> Can't add as just starting AG. Very much interested in seeing this thing fleshed out. Be surprised if not been covererd somewhere before but couldn't find out much. Have patience J and keep bumping this until the bigger AG poster come on line. Stuster .. you there big buddy ???





BUMP


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## sponge (25/2/09)

Double bump? I'm curious to hear of the differences between them also...


Cheers, Sponge


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## Bribie G (25/2/09)

Personally I haven't used any of them! My usual supplier is more into Barret Burson and I have used BB Galaxy and BB Ale malt. I used the Ale in an American Amber and will be interested to see how it turns out. The Maris Otter I have been using since December is a 30 kilo batch of Fawcett's Floor Malted so I haven't used the Bairds yet.

Does anyone have any comments on the difference between the Fawcetts and the Bairds? May be times when the floor malted isn't available so I'd be interested.


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## mje1980 (25/2/09)

I once did back to back 100% pilsenres, one with JW, and one with wey pils. Same yeast same hops Both were excellent. The wey pils had more malt flavour, and a bit more yumminess in general, although i'd be happy to use either really. 

When it comes to bitters, i prefer MO, just seems to have a little bit more malty, toasty goodness. THough if cash was short, i'g use domestic malt, and boost it with some amber. 

My advice, in short, is go with your brewing budget, if you CAN spring the extra coin, get the good stuff, but don't stress if you get cheaper malt. Your beers will be just as good IMHO.

With coin being scarce this year, my plan is to brew with what i have. At the moment it is pils, so i'll be doing less bitters, and more blonde ales, apa's, weizen's, and maybe even a pils ( I hear you snickering scotty! ). Oh, in fact im trying a witbier next.

Cheers


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## cubbie (25/2/09)

Unfortunately I can't add to this thread, but here is the link to Weyermann

Be great if we can keep this going and perhaps move beyond base malts.


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## jayse (25/2/09)

BribieG said:


> does anyone have any comments on the difference between the Fawcetts and the Bairds? May be times when the floor malted isn't available so I'd be interested.



I have said this before, its like comparing John Bohnam to Karen Carpenter, yeah they are both famous dead drummers who both played the same drum kits. But they were nothing really alike. B) 
Bairds to me really has nothing on the TF floor malted, the TF you get the classic malt character you can find in many commercial english beers. Its a toastiness which kind of makes me think of freah baked biscuits and much more of a richer malt character. Never got that sort of depths out of bairds.




mje1980 said:


> When it comes to bitters, i prefer MO, just seems to have a little bit more malty, toasty goodness. THough if cash was short, i'g use domestic malt, and boost it with some amber.



I agree TF amber malt seems to add similiar character to a beer.

TF would be bonzo's 'out on the tiles' while bairds would be karens 'close to you'


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## Muggus (25/2/09)

Jazzafish said:


> *Joe White Export Pilsner*
> Substitutes ok for JW Ale if you add 1 to 2% of caramalt


Some good information there Jazza. Especially this little bit you mentioned, that is pretty much exactly the information I was looking for, having got myself a good amount of JW Pils but wanting to make some fuller bodied ales with it.

Cheers!


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## Jakechan (8/3/09)

Bumpity bump. Surely the AHB AG gods must have more info on base malts?
Keen to hear more, and this is a great idea for a thread.

Cheers,
Jake


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## MHB (8/3/09)

I will probably be burned for heresy, but my thoughts on malt: -

Australian base malts are pretty dam good - Ausie specialty malts is crap!


First the Maltsters

BB and Jo White traditionally supplied the Fosters Group and Tooheys respectively.

Really the malts are in general so similar that any difference in the resulting product is more down to the brewer than the malt.


The other two suppliers worth mention are IMC (now called ADM) and Powell's.

Powell's is from all reports still plagued with inconsistency problems, not really a surprise being a small player trying to source raw material in today's tight market for quality malting barley must be a nightmare, add the natural variability of floor malting and the situation is fairly predictable.


ADM malts are I believe a cut above the rest of the domestic offerings, corn size, degree of modification, enzyme activity, in fact on every measure it is I believe the malt of choice when it comes to Australian base malt, if you ever get your hands on any of their Munich you will be surprised at how well it compares with the best European malts. Dearest of the Ausie malts too, but no surprise the best usually is. (Note to self. Get more into stock.)


Second the Varieties

Of all the varieties of barley approved for malting (link) there are two that should be mentioned, namely Schooner and Galaxy.


Schooner is a strange malt; it appears to only make the one beer, do what ever you like with it, it always turns out the same beer. That's just fine if you want "That" beer, it's a good malt just be aware of its limitations.

And I remember the "good old days" when we could get bugger all else it was Adelaide Malting's Schooner or nothing then someone had to go and bring in all this fancy stuff*.


Galaxy is another odd malt, widely rumoured to be a high enzyme malt, it is very high in beta-glucanase, otherwise it's fairly ordinary malt, unless you want to use lots of adjunct (particularly useful with un-malted low spec barley (read cow feed), if memory serves) I wouldn't go looking for it otherwise.

Just a note, I see it's not on this years *Barley Australia* list of accredited malts, don't know why. *Another good link on Malt*


Specialty malts

I used to stock all the Ausie coloured malts but they didn't sell.

People would come into the shop looking at a recipe. 

A conversation would go like this: - Taste the Australian Crystal then some of the English, which one doe you want in your beer?


So for me, Ausie base malts are great value, but when it comes to the trimmings go for the best.


That's probably enough to get me lynched I'll leave Maris for another flaming.


MHB


*thanks Wes


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## white.grant (9/3/09)

Interesting thread this, and while I have limited experience with all of the various base malts, the advice I received and continue to hear from advanced brewers, is to use the most geographically appropriate malt for the style.

If you're brewing a german beer use a german malt, an english beer an english malt, an american beer an american malt etc etc. Barrett Burston for example has malting plants right across the world and produces a range of different malts for beers as diverse as those made by CUB, Annheuser Busch and (before they merged InBev).

cheers

grant


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