Weyermann Pilsner Vs. Premium Pilsner

[Florian]

Hi Guys

I have been spending a big part of last night searching this forum and googling for specifics between the two mentioned grains.

Here is what I've found so far:
Both are made from German two row Barley.
The Pilsner is listed as 3-5 EBC and recommended for Pilsner beers
The Premium Pilsner is listed as 2-3 EBC, mainly made from the barley varieties Barke and Scarlett and recommended for Pilsner beers with extra light colour

So from what I've found it seems that the only real difference is that the Premium Pils is lighter in colour, but is that really all?
Surely there would be a difference in flavour, too?

Could anyone with more knowledge or experience please enlighten me?

Thanks,
Florian

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Hi Guys

I have been spending a big part of last night searching this forum and googling for specifics between the two mentioned grains.

Here is what I've found so far:
Both are made from German two row Barley.
The Pilsner is listed as 3-5 EBC and recommended for Pilsner beers
The Premium Pilsner is listed as 2-3 EBC, mainly made from the barley varieties Barke and Scarlett and recommended for Pilsner beers with extra light colour

So from what I've found it seems that the only real difference is that the Premium Pils is lighter in colour, but is that really all?
Surely there would be a difference in flavour, too?

Could anyone with more knowledge or experience please enlighten me?

Thanks,
Florian

Contact the supplier, I guess you got it from a local supplier. While you are on the case get the Wey Floor malt Pils spec's as well. The floor pils is from CZ as far as I know.
GB

 

[Florian]

Guess I was more after difference in flavour, not sure if I would be able to read that from a spec sheet.

You are partly correct on the floor malted pils, it it is made mainly made from the Hanka variety, which originates from Bohemia which is basically the western two thirds of the Czech Republic. However, all Weyermann grains are exclusively grown in Germany.

 

[Fourstar]

without seeing spec sheets i'd say the malt would be the cream of the crop, much like how vinyards reserve their best grapes for their vintages etc.

upon looking at the specs, the protein solution seems to be lower in the premium so i would assume this would be better for single infusions as well.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Flavour is to hard to define given the variables of water: ph, mash temps etc. I know I like the Floor pils best but thats how I roll.
GB

 

[Florian]

Thanks for your input guys! I usually do triple infusions plus mash out with my pilsners.
I used to think cream of the crop for the premium too, just judging by the name, but just can't find any reference to it. Would the difference in colour justify the addition of premium to the name?

Anyway, found an old quote from Tony:

The Pilsner malt makes a nice crisp beer, clean with a sweet bready hint that just screams German Pilsner
THe Premium Pilsner is a lighter coloured malt with similar flavour characteristics to the Pilsner malt.... but lighter. ITs not my favorite malt but very nice stuff.

 

[hockadays]

i could be wrong but I thought from memory the premium may be slightly more modified. I've used both and find they are pretty close. The bohemium is a bit different though

 

[Bribie G]

<big note>

I will personally be meeting a member of the Weyermann Family next week at Beervana festival in Wellington - he's flown out from Germany and is doing a Wey Malts masterclass so I'll try to get into his ear and ask. Few things I'd like to know as well.

</big note>

:icon_cheers:

 

[Florian]

Congratulations Bribie!

This could be him:


Thomas Kraus-Weyermann

Think I might just get a sack of each and do a side by side to find out for myself. Can always use the non premium in beers that don't require a lighter colour anyway.

 

[Bribie G]

Yes that's the guy.

Cheers
Michael

 

[Florian]

Wow, I guess the Weyermanns are happy that he married into the family, considering he tripled the capacity and expanded the business world wide. Without him, we might not even have their malts over here. Am sure you will get a lot of useful and interesting information out of him.

 

[MHB]

I think from memory it goes like this:-

Pilsner North GermanView attachment WM158Mel_Pilsner_Malt.pdf
Bohemian South GermanView attachment 40294
Premium Czech grain Malted at Bamberg (my personal favourite)View attachment 40295
Floor Malted well it's just that, View attachment 40293
The Weyermann website has this to say
"Made in an original floor malting facility from Bohemian spring barley produces authentic traditional, Bohemian-style malt flavours and aromas suitable for all lagers and ales"

Their all lovely Malts

MHB

Oh yes three of the guys from Weyermann are at Malt Shovel Brewery 9 Sep for a Guild presentation will be well worth getting along to if you can.
M

 

[Florian]

Thanks for the info, MHB.

Interesting that they say on the BoPils spec sheet that they use czech-grown barley, but on their german website say that they are exclusively german-grown. (" ausschlielicher Verarbeitung von Braugersten, Brauweizen, Brauroggen aus zertifizierten Saatgutsorten, die keinerlei gen-technischen Verfahren unterzogen worden sind und ausschlielich aus deutschem Anbau stammen ")

Also, according to their sheet, the premium is german-grown.

As I said, will do a side by side for a north german pils and report back in about 4 month time

The Malt showel is near Sydney, isn't it? Won't make it down there unfortunately.

EDIT: just found it on their english site too, under products>quality: "Exclusively German-grown, top-quality, non genetically-modified crop varieties of barley, wheat and rye planted specifically for brewery use"

 

[Bribie G]

Had a chat with the formidable Thomas Kraus-Weyermann today.

Their mainstream pilsener malts are sourced from contract farmers, mostly within 100k of the maltings
The premium pilsener is around 1.5 - 2.0 EBC lighter than the standard pilsener and is produced for brewers looking for a very pale beer. Apart from that and farm differences aside, same specs.

They were getting a lot of enquiry about floor malted product. There's none left in Germany and Thomas was keen to introduce true Czech malts as used in Pilsener Urquell etc, so they looked around the Czech Republic and located the very last floor maltings, which were about to close, bought and renovated them and now do floor malted. All hand turned, no little electric ploughs etc, and they only use old trad Bohemian barley grains. This malt is not well modified and needs the rests and decoctions etc etc so for experienced hands only.

Also gleaned:

Their regular pilsener malts are fine for adjuncts and will take up to 30% maize etc.
Their cara range are drum roasted, not kiln roasted which means that every grain is identical to every other grain, as opposed to crystals and caras of other companies that are kilned in a stack where the bottom layers are different to the top layers

Carapils can be used up to 30% of the grain bills with no problems

The Weyermann family all live in an apartment block on site and are well known to hop out at 4 in the morning to attend to production issues. They are all graduates of schools such as Weihenstephan etc. and the kids can't come into the business unless they get the degree.
Their products are transported all over Europe in their own company owned bulk carriers so that they never get contaminated by lesser product.

This man is actually a machine, it's good that we can never again go to war with Germany or he'd have it all over us. Incredible dude

 

[bradsbrew]

How did you remember all that whilst half tanked Bribie? I am half you're age h34r: and would've needed to record that to remember.

Thanks for the info mate.

Brad

 

[Bribie G]

Did I actually write the above? Man that's good information, I'll have to bookmark that post :icon_drunk:

 

[Nick JD]

Did I actually write the above? Man that's good information, I'll have to bookmark that post :icon_drunk:

30% Carapils? I want some beer with my froth. :icon_cheers:

 

[Bribie G]

That's what I thought, but Carapils is mashed "in the husk" then dried but not drum roasted - it's the only one that isn't treated further after the "mashing" stage, and is turned out on a different production line from the other Caras - so although it is great for head retention and body it's also sort of like a malt extract in a grain casing. I'd never thought about it like that before, but that's what the Man told us :icon_cheers:

Buying 5k from CB it works out very cost effective, I'm dying to try a 30 percenter and hope I don't drown in a wave of foam when I tap the keg :lol:

 

[mika]

Wouldn't be worried about foam from using 30% carapils, but from my experience, you're going to end up with a pretty sweet beer regardless of how low you mash.

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

So basically the premium pilsner malt would be better suited to a Peroni or Heinekin style lager over the standard Weyermann pilsner malt, is this right?

I also imagine they'd work well in a 50/50 grist to just lighten up a lager too?