# Thomas Fawcett Vs Baird's Perle Malt



## Lord Raja Goomba I (16/8/11)

Just noticed here at Craftbrewer that they now have TF Perle Malt.

Given it's the same price as Baird's Perle and appears to have similar specs, I'm wondering if anyone knows the difference between the two - or can give some sort of review on them.

I use Baird's Perle Ale Malt as my base malt in almost anything that requires a malty backbone (and isn't a Wheat beer) and I love it. It performs well when mashed at 65 deg C, has good conversion power of spec malts and adjuncts and even when mashed low, still had a great solid body.

I open the question to you all.

Goomba


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## drsmurto (16/8/11)

TF is floor malted.

Bairds is not.


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## mje1980 (16/8/11)

I love TF malts so i might be biased in my answer!. Im sure i used bairds MO before i switched to TF MO. I like the TF, but i found nothing wrong with the bairds stuff at all, and would certainly use it again.


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## Bribie G (16/8/11)

I've been using Baird's Perle (onto my third sack this year) as it makes a spectacular golden ale - it's not as nutty or biscuity as MO or GP - and I'll be sticking with it. However off topic but I came across a spectacular malt last week at Murray's Brewery (popped in with Schooey) - they were doughing in about 23 sacks of *Simpson's Maris Otter* - it was awesome, the grains were so plump they didn't even look like malt as I know it, and the taste was heavenly. Schooey was eating it by the handful. 

Hopefully available for the next BB?


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## sim (16/8/11)

Bribie G said:


> *Simpson's Maris Otter*



+1 :icon_drool2: 


sim


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## Wolfy (16/8/11)

Bribie G said:


> I've been using Baird's Perle (onto my third sack this year) as it makes a spectacular golden ale - it's not as nutty or biscuity as MO or GP - and I'll be sticking with it. However off topic but I came across a spectacular malt last week at Murray's Brewery (popped in with Schooey) - they were doughing in about 23 sacks of *Simpson's Maris Otter* - it was awesome, the grains were so plump they didn't even look like malt as I know it, and the taste was heavenly. Schooey was eating it by the handful.
> 
> Hopefully available for the next BB?


23 sacks of Simpson's Maris Otter purchased at the Melbourne BB just a couple of weeks ago.


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## Pennywise (16/8/11)

Love the simpains mo, got a few kgs of it ready for a bitter I'm doing over the weekend. Only tried a few pale malts but this is by far the best yet. Sorry for more OT


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## mje1980 (16/8/11)

Im almost finished a sack of TF MO, and then im onto a sack of the simpsons MO!!. Love the simpsons heritage crystal so im sure the MO will be delicious!


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (16/8/11)

DrSmurto said:


> TF is floor malted.
> 
> Bairds is not.



I understand there is a difference in flavour, I'd just like to quantify exactly what it is. 

I'm already thinking it'll be a good replacement for anything British (Brown, IPA), but thinking of sticking with Bairds for my malty continental lagers and APA/AAA.

Goomba


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## drsmurto (16/8/11)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> I understand there is a difference in flavour, I'd just like to quantify exactly what it is.
> 
> I'm already thinking it'll be a good replacement for anything British (Brown, IPA), but thinking of sticking with Bairds for my malty continental lagers and APA/AAA.
> 
> Goomba



The only comparison i can make is between the Bairds and TF Maris Otter.

My Landlord recipe used Bairds MO and needed Munich to bulk up the malt backbone.

I now use the TF MO and no munich is needed as it packs a bigger malt punch. Is that the quantification you were after? I would assume the same general comment could be made between the 2 perle malts.

OT - another fan of Simpsons MO as well as their crystals.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (16/8/11)

DrSmurto said:


> I now use the TF MO and no munich is needed as it packs a bigger malt punch. Is that the quantification you were after? I would assume the same general comment could be made between the 2 perle malts.



Absolutely DrS. Thank you for that.

I'm finding Bairds Perle can be used for continental lagers, but you're right, for an APA, where I want some malt backbone to balance out the bitterness, I'm almost always adding Cara-something (usually Caramunich I).

I would assume the Floor Malted aspect of it would add a further flavour?

I'm throwing up the idea of whether to knock out an ESB of sorts with Willamette, and it would certainly fit the bill.

Goomba


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## drsmurto (16/8/11)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> Absolutely DrS. Thank you for that.
> 
> I'm finding Bairds Perle can be used for continental lagers, but you're right, for an APA, where I want some malt backbone to balance out the bitterness, I'm almost always adding Cara-something (usually Caramunich I).
> 
> ...



Floor malted plus williamette in an ESB sounds like my kind of beer. :icon_cheers:


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## RdeVjun (16/8/11)

Generally concur with the sentiments above, however TF Perle I am yet to use. I've used several sacks of Bairds Perle now, find it a fairly 'neutral' base malt IMO but not in a limp- wristed/ used- car salesman way, it is not as malt- forward or sweet as their GP and has a flat spectrum of quite clean, fresh malt character as opposed to the more the obvious nutty or biscuity emphasis of other base malts, so I guess it perhaps has a little more flexibility. It accepts most spec malts without prejudice, but with them at low rates or on its own can be wanting for inspiration. (Pardon all of the vague expressions, professionals probably use a more concise lexicon...  )
I'm not overly surprised that continental lagers are possible with it, that would make some sense to me, golden ale certainly does, I've used it in ESBs, ordinary, stout, mild, just the usual suspects.
Will I use Bairds Perle again? Not likely in the next few months, there's another four sacks of other malts to get through before I make that decision, I'd probably be inclined to try some floor- malted stuff, but I can understand why some brewers might seek it out.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (17/8/11)

RdeVjun said:


> ... find it a fairly 'neutral' base malt IMO but not in a limp- wristed/ used- car salesman way, it is not as malt- forward or sweet as their GP and has a flat spectrum of quite clean, fresh malt character as opposed to the more the obvious nutty or biscuity emphasis of other base malts, so I guess it perhaps has a little more flexibility. It accepts most spec malts without prejudice, but with them at low rates or on its own can be wanting for inspiration.



My thoughts precisely. Great base - I've used it in Continental Lagers, APA/AAA, Brown Smoked English Style Malt with First Gold & Bobek, basic Nelson Sauvin flavoured Ale.

I'm of the opinion that if I had a sack of it, and I was looking for biscuit or nut flavour, I'd just get some spec malt to fit the bill.

I read about GP being more sweet, and TBH I'd not want any base malt sweeter than Perle. I'm not a mouth puckering bitterness person, but I'd not like anything too sweet.

@DrS - thanks for saying that, if you like the idea, it's going to be good.

Not sure if I'll have time to brew today (house/yard work), and if I do it's going to be my roggenweizen first.

Goomba


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## RdeVjun (17/8/11)

Sweet... or not, as the case may be!  
I meant to mention, earlier this year I used Bairds Perle and Willamette NZ flowers for dry hops in an English IPA which placed runner up at a local best- of- show type comp, for a non- IPA brewer (and seldom dry hop either) it was a very pleasing beer in more ways than one. FWIW I thought the NZ flowers were quite OK last year, I note CB has the new season in now, so I'll give them a go- Willamette is a delightful variety IMO, should be excellent in that ESB when you get to it. :icon_cheers:


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## Bribie G (17/8/11)

This morning I've just run up a Bairds Perle based ordinary bitter for a forthcoming comp and as LRG said I upped the maltiness with half a kilo of BB Caramalt. The boil smells like the steam that drifts out of the Female Angels' shower block B)


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (18/8/11)

I don't mind the BB Caramalt after my first use of it.

My continental lager was/is:

5kg Bairds Perle
.2kg BB Caramalt

20g Smaragd 8%AA at 60m
30g Smaragd 8%AA at 20m

on 12g Packet of CB swiss lager yeast

Cheap as cheap quaffer, and it's not a bad brew.

Had another forum member pop over yesterday to buy something I'd advertised on gumtree and gave him and his mate a sample. He's a K&K brewer and I think his main reason for accepting was to see "how this Boil in a Bag thing" produces a beer. 

He hung around for 3/4hr & we shot the breeze (lucky boy is having someone finance a braumeister for him). Usual questions, how long AG (2yr), did I K&K (10yr), would I go back to K&K (Hell, No!). Mentioned that if AHB had been around and I knew how "non-scary" AG was, I'd not have 10yr of K&K/Extract under my belt, but 10yr of AG, instead.

When I mentioned that this was one of the most basic and cheap beers (probably the most basic and cheap) I've ever produced, he was reasonably impressed.

Really basic beer, cheap and if I'd made a mistake, nothing to hide behind. But as I've said - great base malt.

Goomba


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