Malt Brands, What's The Diff?

[boobiedazzler]

With several different base malt brands on the market, Im wondering what some of the differences are between them. The cost factor varies a lot, so what's the difference with pale/ale malts for example. Floor-malted I can sort of understand, if the process of getting the endosperm activating differs. But what else is the difference with the other brands, is the magic in the kilning, the botanical genetics, the regional growing influence on the extraction efficiency, or something else? And is the preference driven by the end flavour, or the mashing characteristics, or something else? Im cutting my teeth on Joe White Ale malt exclusivly as my base for the time being, but once I get some repeatable recipes down pat, I might try some other brands if there are clear arguements for the more expensive brands.

 

[Stuster]

Different malts do taste different. That's the basic difference.

Which one you prefer of course depends on your own taste buds as well as the style of beer you are making. How it's processed by the maltster matters, as does the origin of that grain (like terroir). Most brands are fully modified so they can all convert just fine though there may be some variation in terms of what mash temp suits which malt to get the attenuation level you are after. But the flavour is the big thing most people are looking for in the different brands. A good Maris Otter will make a better bitter than a JW Pils would, but might not make a good pale lager (though I've never used it for that... ). Weyermann make some great malts and I really like their Munich for example. JW Munich is not quite as good IMO but it's certainly a very tasty malt too.

JW Trad ale malt is a fine malt and it's good for a range of styles. Certainly the other malts are more expensive, but it doesn't mean they make better beer. I'd go ahead and make beers with that and then when you fancy a change try a bag of something else. :beer:

 

[redunderthebed]

I don't think you have to be too fussy i just used the brand that the local store stocked (brewmaker malt made by a store in Adelaide fyi) and it has made a nice brew. :beer:

 

[manticle]

As stuster said - they taste different. Joe white vienna tastes different (raw and in a beer) to Weyerman's. The rest is up to your discretion and can only come from you knowing what beer you want to make and what malt suits it best.

I've not yet come across a malt that's inadequate (mostly use JW base malt, a little bit of UK marris, some weyermans and some dingemans) but some are better suited to certain brews than others.

 

[boobiedazzler]

Stuster, you mention Munich - I can potentially appreciate the kilning of spec malts being a bit of a unique dark art, but as for base malts, isnt Ale Malt pretty much the same preparation regardless of brand ?

What are people's experience with the fressness of base malts, surely an Aussie product would tick all the boxes by comparison to a lower-selling German product that may have been sitting in warehouses around the world for eons.

 

[sama]

is the price of weyerman to jw reversed in weyermanns homeland ...ie. is jw malt expensive in germany? Is it blasphemy to suggest they even consider our lowly colonial malts?

 

[Murcluf]

To me the question is abit too much of a generalised it would be like asking a mechanic

With several different car brands on the market, Im wondering what some of the differences are between them????

Think it is better to get an understanding of the types of malt before worrying about the difference between brands. As for brands its horses for courses I perfer JW over BB for my bases except for English styles I go for Bairds.

This could become death by a thousand posts. I suggest checkout Maltsters websites and reading some good brewing books like designing great beers will take you a long way to understanding more about malts.

 

[Bandito]

Rule No. 1 = aviod the brewcraft malts at all costs. They are crap.

 

[fraser_john]

JW Trad ale malt is a fine malt and it's good for a range of styles. Certainly the other malts are more expensive, but it doesn't mean they make better beer. I'd go ahead and make beers with that and then when you fancy a change try a bag of something else. :beer:

I have used JW Trad ale malt for ever, but am starting to become disillusioned with it, it lacks malt body in english and american pale ales. I plan on starting to mix in 40% Marris Otter in the future until I use up all the JW stuff I have and then no longer buy it.

 

[hoohaaman]

I buy powells exclusively as base malts,and use weyerman or dingerman as special malts

 

[dabre4]

I mainly use Joe White as a base malt and use often use Weyerman for special malts. Personally for Pale malt, e.g American Ales, or Lagers, I think you would have to have a pretty amazing pallat to tell the difference between somthing like Weyermann and Joe White. English ales is a different story, and using Marris Otter as a base make a big difference.