Base Malt comparison project

Sunfire96

Sunfire96

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I wanted to start a thread to track the progress of the base malt project that I'm doing. Here's the recipe I'm using: sessionable, hoppy, but no dry hops, and relatively equal Ca, Cl, and SO4. Same recipe and process, same amount of base malt but a different base malt each time. Starting with MO, Golden Promise, and pale ale malt. Then 2 row vs pilsner. Followed by Vienna vs light Munich. Maybe even 2 different darker Munichs! Who knows, maybe I'll get bored after the golden promise :D

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1288247/mo-no-chill
 
Sunfire96 said:
I wanted to start a thread to track the progress of the base malt project that I'm doing. Here's the recipe I'm using: sessionable, hoppy, but no dry hops, and relatively equal Ca, Cl, and SO4. Same recipe and process, same amount of base malt but a different base malt each time. Starting with MO, Golden Promise, and pale ale malt. Then 2 row vs pilsner. Followed by Vienna vs light Munich. Maybe even 2 different darker Munichs! Who knows, maybe I'll get bored after the golden promise :D

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1288247/mo-no-chill
Click to expand...
I like this idea! The recipe looks good - I think I'd like to try something like it at some point! If I did I'd probably only change the yeast strain as I'm not sure about Kveik yeast... does the lutra kveik strain ferment clean?

I look forward to hearing about the results you come up with and which base malts you find you really like!
 
Blackmuse said:
I like this idea! The recipe looks good - I think I'd like to try something like it at some point! If I did I'd probably only change the yeast strain as I'm not sure about Kveik yeast... does the lutra kveik strain ferment clean?

I look forward to hearing about the results you come up with and which base malts you find you really like!
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Yea I don't blame you for avoiding kveik lol lutra is cleaner than Voss kveik, I know that much from experience but i wouldnt call it clean :) While I do have ferm temp control, it's the same fridge I use to serve and if I use kveik then I can ferment in the kitchen and keep the pipeline constantly going all summer :D kveik is least offensive with citrusy hops and Citra is my favorite hop
 
Sunfire96 said:
Yea I don't blame you for avoiding kveik lol lutra is cleaner than Voss kveik, I know that much from experience but i wouldnt call it clean :) While I do have ferm temp control, it's the same fridge I use to serve and if I use kveik then I can ferment in the kitchen and keep the pipeline constantly going all summer :D kveik is least offensive with citrusy hops and Citra is my favorite hop
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Good things to know! Keeping the pipeline going is important. - At one point I bought a good bit of Kveik to try but it is still in my fridge. I'd had a couple local brews that had used it (Voss Kveik) and I could taste a similar taste in each that I didn't hate but always noticed - It was something that once it was on my pallet I couldn't ignore - sort of like sulfur in a lager but not nearly as offense :)
 
Blackmuse said:
Good things to know! Keeping the pipeline going is important. - At one point I bought a good bit of Kveik to try but it is still in my fridge. I'd had a couple local brews that had used it (Voss Kveik) and I could taste a similar taste in each that I didn't hate but always noticed - It was something that once it was on my pallet I couldn't ignore - sort of like sulfur in a lager but not nearly as offense :)
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To me the Voss kveik has a noticeable "twang" to it; a little bit tangy, a little bit citrusy, a little bit mystery flavor. If the Lutra conditions long enough the twang becomes harder to detect, especially in a heavily dry-hopped/whirlpooled beer
 
Now Munich v Vienna that is one I'd love to test but I'll forgive you for using 34/70 not Lutra in that one.

I'd love to know if you can make out a discernable difference in a triangle test.
 
Following...
I'm curious to find out if you notice a difference ;)
 
Sunfire96 said:
I wanted to start a thread to track the progress of the base malt project that I'm doing. Here's the recipe I'm using: sessionable, hoppy, but no dry hops, and relatively equal Ca, Cl, and SO4. Same recipe and process, same amount of base malt but a different base malt each time. Starting with MO, Golden Promise, and pale ale malt. Then 2 row vs pilsner. Followed by Vienna vs light Munich. Maybe even 2 different darker Munichs! Who knows, maybe I'll get bored after the golden promise :D

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1288247/mo-no-chill
Click to expand...
I'd be very surprised if you get that calculated bitterness with 1/2 oz total addition, no chill or not.
My 2 cents
 
@Sunfire96 this is a great project. Wouldn't it be better to do in the winter so you don't have to use Voss? That way you could use a clean yeast like Cellar Science Cali or Us05 maybe BRY-97 to really let the malts shine.
 
Lol I didn't expect this thread about comparing base malts to turn into a discussion on yeast so fast.

If anyone wants to try this idea out for themselves then use whatever yeast you'd like. Lutra kveik suits my current goals and process. Plus the last 4 beers that I made were with Lutra and they turned out great!
 
Sunfire96 said:
Lol I didn't expect this thread about comparing base malts to turn into a discussion on yeast so fast.
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Sorry. I was just curious about Lutra vs Voss... I say crank out the beers! I'm curious to see what you make of the comparisons! I have done at least one of the aforementioned comparisons and am curious if yours lines up with what I found. (I'll say nothing until after reading your comparisons :)
Sunfire96 said:
To me the Voss kveik has a noticeable "twang" to it; a little bit tangy, a little bit citrusy, a little bit mystery flavor. If the Lutra conditions long enough the twang becomes harder to detect, especially in a heavily dry-hopped/whirlpooled beer
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"twang" and tangy would be the words I was looking for! I probably should have tried it for myself but can't seem to get past my love for certain other strains!
 
I'm curious about the difference between MO, Golden Promise and pale ale (North American I'm assuming). I've never done a beer with 2 row pale ale, but I do notice a difference between MO and Golden Promise. MO is much fuller and bready then Golden Promise, so I wonder if GP is closer to pale ale then MO. I often blend MO and GP to lighten up the MO.

Good luck with this and thank you for doing it!

Brew on.
 
HighVoltageMan! said:
I'm curious about the difference between MO, Golden Promise and pale ale (North American I'm assuming). I've never done a beer with 2 row pale ale, but I do notice a difference between MO and Golden Promise. MO is much fuller and bready then Golden Promise, so I wonder if GP is closer to pale ale then MO. I often blend MO and GP to lighten up the MO.

Good luck with this and thank you for doing it!

Brew on.
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For some reason my LHBS doesn't carry American pale ale malt :confused: but they do carry The Swaen ale malt from the Netherlands. I've used it in an IPA and liked it, so that's my pale ale malt of choice. They also carry Dingeman's pale ale malt but it's more expensive.

I've heard some people say they definitely detect a difference between MO and GP and others say it's too similar for them to tell apart. I've very curious which camp I'll be in! I'm also curious about the difference between 2 row (1.8L) and pilsner malt.
 
Blackmuse said:
Sorry. I was just curious about Lutra vs Voss... I say crank out the beers! I'm curious to see what you make of the comparisons! I have done at least one of the aforementioned comparisons and am curious if yours lines up with what I found. (I'll say nothing until after reading your comparisons :)

"twang" and tangy would be the words I was looking for! I probably should have tried it for myself but can't seem to get past my love for certain other strains!
Click to expand...
No worries! Just thought it was funny :D

I will say, at least with Lutra, a long conditioning time and lots of hop aroma/flavor seems to help eliminate/complement the twang. I just brewed a honey lime amber with Lutra and detected zero twang. Like I said before, citrusy flavors seem to work well with it
 
The pale ale batch is cold and carbonated, but I can't currently taste or smell anything so I'll have to wait to give my first impressions :) I'd like to brew the MO batch tomorrow, and should have both on tap by next weekend. Fingers crossed my taste buds are awake by then!
 
Sunfire96 said:
The pale ale batch is cold and carbonated, but I can't currently taste or smell anything so I'll have to wait to give my first impressions :) I'd like to brew the MO batch tomorrow, and should have both on tap by next weekend. Fingers crossed my taste buds are awake by then!
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My video will post in a couple of weeks but spoiler Munich was my favorite followed by pale 2 row. I didn't like pilsner at all although it was creamier, and wasn't a huge fan of vienna either
 
NorthWest Small Batch Brewing said:
My video will post in a couple of weeks but spoiler Munich was my favorite followed by pale 2 row. I didn't like pilsner at all although it was creamier, and wasn't a huge fan of vienna either
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Interesting. Did you use regular 2 row (<2 L) or a pale ale malt?
 
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