# One Base Malt?



## Fat Bastard (1/4/14)

So, if you could carry only one base malt what would it be?

Some background to me question: I currently carry Dingeman's Pilsener, Thomas Fawcett Floor Malted Maris Otter (TFFMO), Thomas Fawcett Floor Malted Perle (TFFMP), and Joe White Traditional Ale. I'd like to reduce this. I use the Pilsner and TFFMO for specific beers and I don't feel I could substitute Australian Pilsener or Ale malt for those, but I use the TFFMP and Trad Ale interchangeably and to be honest, I can't tell the difference in taste in my IPA's US Ambers and USPA.s. The TFFMP is possibly a bit fuller tasting, and adds a little complexity, but let's be honest, I'm probably kidding myself here. My palate is nowhere near subtle enough to detect a difference between the two beyond what might be a psychological reaction to the fact I have to order sacks of TFFMP from afar,paying for delivery and and the Trad Ale is available at the local brew shop on the way home from work. Apart from the delivery cost, the difference in price is three fifths of bugger all.

So, if you had to have one general purpose ale malt, what would it be?

Cheers,

FB


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## Cocko (1/4/14)

Briess Pale... or JW ale.

Easy.


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## Bribie G (1/4/14)




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## Phoney (1/4/14)

I just wouldnt stick to one base malt, but these sacks are what I have in stock, always:

1. TF MO
2. TF GP (yes, I could probably do without this one, but I find the sharpness works really well in some beers compared to MO)
3. Weyermann pilsner (no comparison to anything else)
4. BB Pale or Ale (Or JW equivalent) this is mainly for my heavy handed hopped APA's or IPA's, or even stouts where the quality of malt matters less.

Then the half sacks of base I usually get are:

Weyermann wheat
Weyermann munich i
Weyermann Vienna

And that pretty much does me for a year.


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## brendanos (1/4/14)

Weyermann Pilsner.

I know you asked for "ale" but I think the above is fantastic for most styles. It's a great blank slate you can beef up with dark base malts, toasted or melanoidin malts if you need. Runner up's include Joe White Traditional Ale, Barret Burston Ale & Pale, Weyermann Vienna & Munich, MaltEurop Pilsner & Ale and Baird's Medium Peated. I'm also pretty keen for Gladfield's base malts but haven't had much opportunity to explore them yet.


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## Ducatiboy stu (1/4/14)

BB ale


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## Midnight Brew (1/4/14)

My general base malt is JW pilsner. I never use it on its own so it always gets a decent hit of Munich for most of my grain bills and I find I can pimp it up to the style I'm brewing. I've swapped recently to JW ale but something about the pilsner I prefer. Also the money is going back into Australia.

Recently bought a sack of Red X which should be some fun to experiment with.


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## manticle (1/4/14)

I'd pick 2 and you have them. MO and pils.

Then I'd break the rules and pick another 2. Vienna and Munich.


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## pk.sax (1/4/14)

Yea, my next base is tfmo but so far I've always used some german pilsner, last one was boh pils. Munich 2 and wheat are the other two. Of course, could use Vienna too, when I started out I had pils, Vienna, Munich and wheat and used them all. Munich and pilsner got used most.


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## Donske (2/4/14)

I've been keeping BB Galaxy, Wey Viena and Bairds MO in stock for base malts, that covers everything I brew quite nicely, BB Galaxy will be swapped with BB Pale when I run out as Galaxy is out of production again.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (2/4/14)

TFFMP (though when I could get it, I preferred Bairds Perle Ale Malt) - that saw me through most of my brewing requirements.

Now I'm in Tassie, I've just started on a sack of JW Ale, which will be a 'wait and see' type of thing, though it seems from the wort smell on the boil and the break that comes away that it's a fairly good malt.

Honestly, it depends on what you're brewing plans are, but for my English and American Beers Perle worked a treat for me.

Some sort of good Pils should be mandatory if you are brewing continental european pale beers. It works adequately in an American Pale (though I used JW Pils because it was free) with a bit of cara and crystal adjusting. It worked very well in a belgian very pale ale.


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## Fat Bastard (2/4/14)

I do like the Perle, and don't really want to chop it from the inventory, but it's a pain to get. I think the nearest shop to me that carries it is MHB in Newcastle! That being said, two sacks will last me for the rest of the year with the Maris and the Pils ( and the smaller amounts of Munich, Vienna and Wheat)

Maybe the missus would like a romantic weekend getaway in the romantic Hunter? Hey honey, I just want to call in here for a sec! Oh, and we're having dinner at some place called The Grain Store...


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## brentice (3/4/14)

I like golden promise. With a little Vienna or Munich on the side its what erections I mean dreams are made of. True ........ like.... ................... story


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## JDW81 (3/4/14)

1. Maris Otter
2. Vienna/Munich


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## Dips Me Lid (4/4/14)

Simpson's Marris Otter, Briess Pale Ale.


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## nacnud (4/4/14)

JW Trad Ale and Wheat. Haven't experimented too much with Pilsner malts in my ales, though. Will have to give that a go.


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## Lemon (4/4/14)

Given only one base is the premise for this desert island conundrum, I would select weyermann floor malted bohemian pilsner.
Why? I hear you ask.
With the "unlimited" speciality malts to accessorise, you could make any ale flavours you want. And, with the superior pilsner malt, any Czech pils.
Simple

Lemon


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## apples2910 (13/4/14)

Good luck getting malt from mhb


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## Bribie G (13/4/14)

As mentioned in the other thread, heaps of malt coming in shortly. I bought a sack of Wey Premium Pilsner a couple of weeks ago.


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## apples2910 (13/4/14)

i stand corrected i missed that thread until now, good to hear that he changed his about closing down since i spoke to him on Saturday


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## Yuz (6/5/18)

Apologies for digging up an old thread, but I have exact same thoughts atm.... Now that I've crossed the dark side into BIAB side of things, I'm looking for One Base Malt myself. 
I tend to like dark-ish Lager / Ale types, typically mid-strength - so add ons like CaraAroma takes care of that but I'm still not sure which full bag of Base Malt to get? I'm sort of leaning towards Gladfields' Vienna or their Ale grains... I've read good and bad things about JW's offerings - I'm not sure if the same goes for JW these days?
Cheers!


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## Jack of all biers (6/5/18)

Vienna or ale malts are a good choice if you only want to stock one. Both are very versatile and if darker beers are your preference you could even go Munich 1, but it isn't as versatile and alot maltier IMO. It depends alot on flavour outcomes you want. 

Vienna malt can provide a bit more body than most ale malts and gives a residual honey sweetness. Gladfields Vienna malt is good (like all their malts), but I think weyermann pips them at the post. 

If you like maltier tones from your ale malt then something along the Maris otter ale malt would be my recommendation (which ever brand you can easily get) or Abbey malt from weyermann (I havent personally tried this one but it comes with a reasonable reputation). BB ale is good, as is coopers (a slight biscuit note to it, but restrained maltiness). Gladfields ale malt is also good. Re JW ale, it has been many years since I've used it, but from many recent posts, those that have been using it for a while and make the switch to another maltster (BB for example) notice positive differences with their new choice.


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## shacked (6/5/18)

Voyager Veloria. It's my favorite of all time: sits somewhere between Maris Otter and Vienna.

Gladfield Vienna is really good (so is their Ale malt). Golden Promise is also a winner.


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## yankinoz (6/5/18)

Golden Promise. My first choice for American and Scottish ales and second for English ales after MO. Used it once in a lager, an Oktoberfest, and it worked.

I agree with several of the above that Weyermann pils works with specialty malts for ales, but in most English ales I like to keep the grist simple: base, a little crystal, stop.

When I did partials, I was partial to JW Vienna as the base.


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