Difference between lager and pilsner malt

[jceg316]

I know this has been asked many times but there's never really a satisfying answer. I'm gonna buy a 25kg sack of pilsner malt as I usually do but lager is about £10 cheaper. I'm not going for any type of authenticity here as I like to brew my own creations rather than recreate certain beers, so with that out the way is there a difference in flavour, sugar in the grain etc?

Lager malt is UK grown pilsner from what I can tell, what would be good is that I can switch to lager malt to save money and the transportation.

 

[MyQul]

Never used either but from the looks of the brupaks grain guide they are, as you say, extremely similar

http://www.brupaks.com/BRUPAKS GRAIN GUIDE WEB.htm

PILSNER MALT ( Germany, Belgium, Czech)​

Usually produced from German, Belgian and Czech barley, Pilsner malt can be used on its own, provided the pH of the mash is correct, or in combination with other grains to produce the classic Continental lager beers. The malt is kilned slowly from 50°C to 60°C to completely dry it before it is toasted at 80°C. The inclusion of a small amount (3% - 5%) of acid malt is highly recommended when brewing Pilsners.
Colour 2.5 EBC; Maximum Percentage 100%

LAGER MALT ( UK) ​

Lager malt is the British version of Pilsner malt. It is kilned at slightly higher temperatures, from 55°C to 82°C, and can be substituted for Pilsner malt if that is unavailable. Again, the inclusion of acid malt is desirable.
Colour 3 EBC; Maximum Percentage 100%

 

[jceg316]

I'll go with the lager malt. Once I've made my first batch and am drinking I'll write back here if there's any noticeable difference between lager and pilsner.

 

[Scroopster]

I'll go with the lager malt. Once I've made my first batch and am drinking I'll write back here if there's any noticeable difference between lager and pilsner.

What were your findings in the end?

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[jceg316]

What were your findings in the end?

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I must have forgotten to reply. But since writing that post in 2015 I've used both lager and pils interchangeably and not noticed any difference. I usually buy lager malt as it's UK made and travelled less, and often cheaper. GEB sell Irish lager malt for really cheap, which I've used and it's great.

 

[Clint]

Could this Irish lager malt be used to brew American style pale ales?

 

[jceg316]

Could this Irish lager malt be used to brew American style pale ales?

Yes. Lager malt is lighter coloured than pale malt, so if colour is an important factor for you just bear that in mind. Because the flavours come from the hops in my IPAs, I've not noticed a huge difference in flavour between pale malt and lager when in IPAs. I think the beers made with lager malt have a slightly more pronounced malt flavour, but it's very small.

 

[Pawlo7671]

I only buy the pilsner malt in 25kg sacks, @ £19.00 its cheap. I use it to brew IPA's no problem, I just chuck in 500g crystal 40 to get the colour right

 

[MyQul]

@jceg316 thread from the dead here, I've just bought 10kg of hook head lager malt from hbc which I'll use for my bike pirate blonde ales but I'm planning on having a go a a helles. The flavour predominantly comes from the malt on this style , I know you say you're IPA's are predominantly hop driven but have you made and low/no flavour addition beers with lager malt?

 

[jceg316]

@jceg316 thread from the dead here, I've just bought 10kg of hook head lager malt from hbc which I'll use for my bike pirate blonde ales but I'm planning on having a go a a helles. The flavour predominantly comes from the malt on this style , I know you say you're IPA's are predominantly hop driven but have you made and low/no flavour addition beers with lager malt?

I only get lager malt (over pilsner malt) these days, and I do make lagers/pseudo lagers and malt forward beers with them. A few months ago I also got a grain mill and since I got that properly working the malt really shines through. I really like helles, it tends to have less bitterness than pilsner, I've made a few with lager malt and they've come out great. As I buy my malts from GEB, I get Crisp Europils which is the same as Lager malt.

 

[BeerCat]

If i am brewing a German style beer i try and use German malt but otherwise its very similar. Only because i am trying to learn more about different malts than anything else. I made a kolsch with MO recently and i was surprised how nice it was. I think i noticed better lacing when using Bohemian pilsner but cant be sure until i try again.

 

[MyQul]

Cheer's for the replies chaps :hat:

Pilsner malt can be as much as double the price of lager malt. It cant be that much better can it? I've done a bit of google about it and there doesnt seem to be a huge amount of difference