Base grain for most brews?

[liams1989]

Morning all.
I’ve nearly taken the plunge with a brewzilla setup but thought I’d check the prices of all the ingredients. For some reason I thought all grain brewing was going to be a cheaper exercise but looking at all the recipes they all seem to want a different pale malt.
If buying in bulk the grain price isn’t so bad.
Does anyone use the same pale malt for their base when brewing different recipes? And if so which one?

 

[RichardM]

I use Maris Otter for everything except lagers

 

[labrewski]

I tried using only hook head and maris otter and I've made plenty nice beers from them

 

[Dads_Ale]

Maris Otter for me

 

[An Ankoù]

Looking through earlier editions of Wheeler's books, we have Maris Otter, Halcyon, Pipkin, Golden Promise, etc etc. Later editions pretty much specify simply "pale malt". Local brewers used what they could get from their local malster, I think, and many of these malts are no longer easily available.
Get a full sack of a good malt. I use Crisp's Best Pale Ale or Hookhead Pale depending on who I'm ordering from. I really only use MO for Summer Lightning (I'm not even sure that Hopback use MO all the time). And I'm moving over to using Chevallier for my very best pales and bitters and even in a mild.
I hope Crisp keep the Chevallier line going as it's lovely stuff, but it's getting a bit expensive.

I've got some malts I need to use up as their getting a little old: Bestmalz Red-X and Simpson's Imperial in particular. Both of these are fully diastatic and I thinking of using up to 90% in dark beers. I rather fancy the Red-X might give a Guinness clone that slighly sour, flavour which is so hard to find otherwise.

 

[Tommo 2]

Looking through earlier editions of Wheeler's books, we have Maris Otter, Halcyon, Pipkin, Golden Promise, etc etc. Later editions pretty much specify simply "pale malt". Local brewers used what they could get from their local malster, I think, and many of these malts are no longer easily available.
Get a full sack of a good malt. I use Crisp's Best Pale Ale or Hookhead Pale depending on who I'm ordering from. I really only use MO for Summer Lightning (I'm not even sure that Hopback use MO all the time). And I'm moving over to using Chevallier for my very best pales and bitters and even in a mild.
I hope Crisp keep the Chevallier line going as it's lovely stuff, but it's getting a bit expensive.

I've got some malts I need to use up as their getting a little old: Bestmalz Red-X and Simpson's Imperial in particular. Both of these are fully diastatic and I thinking of using up to 90% in dark beers. I rather fancy the Red-X might give a Guinness clone that slighly sour, flavour which is so hard to find otherwise.

Hi An Ankoi could you give me the recipe for your version of summer lightning please mate, love that beer.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Summer Lightning Recipe
22 litres
4800g Maris otter
200g Wheat malt or Torrefied wheat
45g Challenger hops at 60 minutes
25g EKG at 10 minutes
Yeast, a Nottingham style yeast, I use Crossmyloof Midland or Wilco Gervin
OG 1050
FG 1010
ABV 5.2%

 

[An Ankoù]

Hi An Ankoi could you give me the recipe for your version of summer lightning please mate, love that beer.

It's a SMaSH with Maris Otter and EKGs to an OG of 1050 and 38 IBUs. Hopback have, in the past, bittered with challenger and left the EKGs for a late addition and dry hopping. So in a 20 litre batch, 7g EKG last 15 mins, 15g at flameout and 7g dry hops.
Earlier recipes use 4% medium crystal malt.
It might be good to ask Cheshire Cat, too, as it's his favourite and since I haven't tasted a Hopback pint for 7 or 8 years, my recipe may have drifted a little.

 

[Nottsbeer]

Hi,
I do small brews and tend to stick to MO. However, I would recommend getting a good storage barrel/container as you inevitably end up with different grains, such as different grades of crystal etc. Mine have kept well. You can also purchase small bags of grains from suppliers...most have minimum order values which put me off, however CML don't and they seem to have a good range. Finally, there are a couple of collective buying groups (Cheshire one is currently taking orders) which have good options, worth checking them out. Good luck.

 

[An Ankoù]

Nice one CC. We crossed in the post.
Looking back at my notes for 2020, I see my formulations were informed by one Gillian Grafton who was a pioneer in the field. Ever come across her?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Nice one CC. We crossed in the post.
Looking back at my notes for 2020, I see my formulations were informed by one Gillian Grafton who was a pioneer in the field. Ever come across her?

No I haven't but before I came on this forum Graham Wheeler was the only "expert" I'd heard of.

 

[The Baron]

Just buy one 25Kg of any base Pale Malt you will be fine as thats how most brewers start and still do some of us

 

[MickDundee]

I mainly make APA/IPA, lagers, wits and English pales/bitters, so I try to have a stock of pale and lager malt in as my main base malts (and I’ll buy things like Vienna or wheat as I need it).

I’ve ended up with a load of cheap/freebie grains this year, but before that my plan was to get a bag of each from Crafty Maltsters every 6 months or so.

 

[An Ankoù]

Nice one CC. We crossed in the post.
Looking back at my notes for 2002, I see my formulations were informed by one Gillian Grafton who was a pioneer in the field. Ever come across her?

 

[The Baron]

If you buy I bag of malt just make SMASH beers to start with as it will get you into a method/routine that will suit you is my advice. Lots of good SMASH recipes out there and plenty on this forum

 

[An Ankoù]

No I haven't but before I came on this forum Graham Wheeler was the only "expert" I'd heard of.

Sorry that was 2002, not 2020. I don't think she wrote books, rather she was a home brewer or doing something to do with beer at university. But her blogs were always very informative and Summer Lightning seemed to be her holy grail.

 

[Tommo 2]

No I haven't but before I came on this forum Graham Wheeler was the only "expert" I'd heard of.

Hi Cheshire Cat could you please give me your version of summer lightning please mate An Ankou thinks your version maybe more up to date as you have a liking for this brew also , cheers

 

[The Baron]

Hi Tommo CC as already posted the recipe in a slightly earlier thread
Ps its good

 

[labrewski]

Summer Lightning Recipe
22 litres
4800g Maris otter
200g Wheat malt or Torrefied wheat
45g Challenger hops at 60 minutes
25g EKG at 10 minutes
Yeast, a Nottingham style yeast, I use Crossmyloof Midland or Wilco Gervin
OG 1050
FG 1010
ABV 5.2%

Like the the sound of this beer any dry hop needed

 

[Tommo 2]

Hi Cheshire Cat could you please give me your version of summer lightning please mate An Ankou thinks your version maybe more up to date as you have a liking for this brew also , cheers

Ooops sorry see you have posted your recipe higher up on the thread , but thanks anyway ( still a bit groggy after a heavy session yesterday )