Base Malt for IPAs and Pale Ales

[Braufather]

Is using pilsner more authentic as its closer to american 2 row. Or is maris otter superioir and the reasons its not used stateside so much more to do with availability. My thinking is maybe pilsner for strong IPAs but MO for session strenght IPAs or Pale ales where more malt character may be needed.

Reason i ask is that i am considering getting a grain mill and then will probalby commit to a 25kg of malt that i would use as base malt for everything untill its gone. So, need to decide weather to get a pilsner or maris otter. (recipes will be all of the above). If i go for pilsner i can always add munich when needed.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Buy 2 galvanised dustbins and buy both grains. That's what I ended up doing.

 

[Sadfield]

Maris Otter is a two row variety, although probably kilned a touch darker than American 2 Row. Extra Pale MO or a generically labeled British Pale Malt might be a better, more versatile option. These are usually a variety like Planet, Propino, Optic, etc.

 

[Braufather]

do you have a link Cheshire Cat? are they air tight?

sadfield- now 3 options! i've used extra pale MO before, pilsner before and regular maris otter but havnt tried regular pales other than a German one once.

 

[The Baron]

if you are doing a malty backboned IPA then MO is the one to go with. I use Irish minch and that is not as malty as MO so you could use than for a less malty backbone and pale ales. I tend to use minch and add some munich for maltiness

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Bought from B&Q not airtight but they are vermin proof.

 

[Keruso]

Is using pilsner more authentic as its closer to american 2 row. Or is maris otter superioir and the reasons its not used stateside so much more to do with availability. My thinking is maybe pilsner for strong IPAs but MO for session strenght IPAs or Pale ales where more malt character may be needed.

Reason i ask is that i am considering getting a grain mill and then will
probalby commit to a 25kg of malt that i would use as base malt for everything untill its gone. So, need to decide weather to get a pilsner or maris otter. (recipes will be all of the above). If i go for pilsner i can always add munich when needed.

I tend to use Pilsner when recipes ask for US 2 Row, I find it gives a cleaner more crisp beer. I have also used MO and Golden Promise which give a bit more smooth and malty taste. If I were to buy one base grain in bulk I would go for a pale low color ale malt.

 

[chthon]

Actually, Maris Otter is just a variety of barley. Depending upon the malting it can become more like a pilsner malt (kilned light), at around 3,5 EBC, or a pale (ale) malt (kilned at a little higher temperature), at around 6-7 EBC.

I suppose that at 3,5 EBC this Maris Otter malt will behave more like a pilsner malt with more conversion enzymes and a lighter taste, and Maris Otter pale malt will behave more like another pale ale malt, with another taste and less conversion capacity.

 

[Sadfield]

There's always Chevallier, the original IPA malt.

I've had great IPAs made with Vienna, so pretty much anything goes. It's nice to get a sack of something and get familiar with it, tweaking the grist for different styles. It helps in getting predictable efficiency and gravities, too.

 

[Hoddy]

Golden promise for me. Holds up well as the main base malt for super hoppy pales and IPA's.

 

[Neil Adgie]

One of my favorite beers is a Blonde that uses both Maris Otter and Heidelberg (Pilsner Malt) as the base as is consistently good.

 

[Hengoedbrewer]

I was going to ask the same question. I have only done 2 BIAB's, an IPA and an Oatmeal Stout, and used MO for both. I'm planning number 3 and started looking for ingredients. I had stuck with MO again, via the Malt Miller, but was wondering if something would be a more suitable base malt for a hop forward (hopefully) beer with Citra and Cascade?

 

[jMac]

You can always mix your base malts. I use a 2:1 ratio MO to lager malt (cheaper than pilsner and maybe more akin to American 2-row) in my APAs.

x

 

[dwhite60]

Here in the states you can get 25 kg of "2 row brewers malt" for about $35. Same amount of MO will cost at least $55 if not more.

I think MO makes a better beer as it provides a grainier flavor than two row brewers malt. You can use 75 percent two row and 25 percent light Munich and come close to MO flavor. Close but not the same.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[Braufather]

Here in the states you can get 25 kg of "2 row brewers malt" for about $35. Same amount of MO will cost at least $55 if not more.

I think MO makes a better beer as it provides a grainier flavor than two row brewers malt. You can use 75 percent two row and 25 percent light Munich and come close to MO flavor. Close but not the same.

All the Best,
D. White

That’s what i was suspecting. That people this side of the pond following a US recipe would mix pilsner or larger with Munich when they could just use Maris otter which this is trying to replicate in the first place.