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Author Topic: Pale barley brand and price  (Read 4284 times)

Offline imperialstout

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Pale barley brand and price
« on: January 03, 2013, 02:49:59 pm »
Have just increased the ability to brew once a month and am thinking of buying pale grain in bulk. Can get 50 pounds of Muntons pale for $50, Weyermanns for $71 and Maris Otter for $77.

I realize everyone has their opinions, which is just what I am asking for.

What do you like / don't like about the above grains?

Offline Kaiser

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2013, 02:53:48 pm »
I don't like the price of Weyermann malts and the fact that I can't get it through our club bulk buy. Otherwise its very  high quality malt.

I have found less different "stuff" and dust in Weyermann malt than I have found in other malts.

I have yet to make a clear beer with Maris Otter malt w/o the need for fining. I have tried 2 different brands so far (Bairds and Fawcett)

Kai

Kai

Offline imperialstout

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2013, 05:05:35 pm »
Haven't thought of "other stuff" in the grain. It is definitely something to look for. Depending on volume, what flavor is the "stuff" adding to the brew. Something to consider.

Offline tygo

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2013, 06:29:15 pm »
I have yet to make a clear beer with Maris Otter malt w/o the need for fining. I have tried 2 different brands so far (Bairds and Fawcett)

I haven't used Bairds but I've used Fawcett and Crisp.  I've found more yeast driven distinction in the clarity of beer than I have from the malt.  Burton ale yeast for example I can never get to clear properly.  1469 on the other hand will drop bright for me with no problems.
Clint
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Offline kmccaf

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2013, 06:59:04 pm »
I have yet to make a clear beer with Maris Otter malt w/o the need for fining. I have tried 2 different brands so far (Bairds and Fawcett)

I haven't used Bairds but I've used Fawcett and Crisp.  I've found more yeast driven distinction in the clarity of beer than I have from the malt.  Burton ale yeast for example I can never get to clear properly.  1469 on the other hand will drop bright for me with no problems.

Well that explains my confusion when I read people stating how Maris Otter also produces hazy beers. I only ever use 1469. Such a great yeast.

Otherwise, to answer the OP. I've used Munton's Maris Otter, and Fawcett's Maris Otter. I don't know which brand your Maris Otter is, but I think having 50lbs of it around is usually a good idea. I liked Fawcett more than the Muntons. Muntons was fine, but Fawcett had more of that gram crackery goodness that I like. However, that is a pretty hefty price for a 50lb sack of it.
Kyle M.

Offline imperialstout

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2013, 07:41:57 pm »
Didn't know there were  Munton's Maris Otter and Fawcett's Maris Otter. Thought Maris Otter was a distributor, like Muntons or Weyermanns. After I posted saw an article on Wiki that said Maris Otter is a type of grain developed by a British doctor. It became a leading grain for English beers then fell into disfavor as quality went down. Thought the article said another company bought the rights to the seeds and the name, improved the product to its original quality, and market their Maris Otter pale malt under the company name, Maris Otter. I would think then that Maris Otter is a type of grain only sold by the Maris Otter Company. Correct me if I am wrong but according to the article any one else selling Maris Otter is selling a knock off, maybe of lesser quality. Someone else posted that while the base malt is important the Crystal and other malts added in smaller quantities have more impact on the color and flavor of the beer. I don't really know. If what everyone is selling is Maris Otter I might as well by the $50, 50 pound bag.

You mentioned  "However, that is a pretty hefty price for a 50 lb sack of it." I assume you meant $77 is too much for 50 pounds of Maris Otter. That's what I thought too. Have found it in the $40 range on line but then there is $30 shipping. No bargain there. What should I be paying for quality pale malt?

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2013, 09:12:51 pm »
You will get the imported malts in a 55 Lb sack = 25 kgs.

Maris Otter is the variety. It is owned now by Warminster maltings, which has the seed stock. It is grown across the UK by farmers, who then sell it to various malsters. Lets see - Crisp, Muntons, Simpsons, Baird, Fawcett, Glen Eagles and the mentioned Warminster.

The haze has to do with the growing season the last few years resulting in more nitrogen in the malt, which causes haze. Most of what we buy today is a blend of maybe 70% MO and 30% other varieties that have lower nitrogen, which gets the nitrogen value down where it does not cause haze. This caused a big discussion in our club, as it was noticed we are now getting a blend, not straight MO.

Find a malt you like for the money and stick with that until you want to experiment. Look at the Lovibond of the malt, in general you will get more flavor (toasty and bready) if the malt has a higher rating. For example Weyermann makes Pilsner, Pale, Vienna, and Munich from light to dark. MO malt can be from around 3 to 4.5, and there is even a Low Color MO that is about 2. The 4.5 is tosty-malty, the 2 is sweet malty-low toast.

Hope this helps.


Jeff Rankert
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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2013, 11:51:43 pm »
Maris Otter is the variety. It is owned now by Warminster maltings, which has the seed stock. It is grown across the UK by farmers, who then sell it to various malsters. Lets see - Crisp, Muntons, Simpsons, Baird, Fawcett, Glen Eagles and the mentioned Warminster.
I want to add that malting makes a huge difference in the finished product, so MO from the different companies will likely taste noticeably different.  I have most experience with Crisp and Fawcett, and like them both.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline firedog23

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #8 on: January 04, 2013, 04:20:46 am »
I am stationed over here in England and have been buying 25kg sacks of Simpsons MO for a while now and it has been the best base malt I have used. From experience and friends/connections who are commercial brewers over here, Muntons is difficult to get a consistent/good product out of if you are a second tier sized brewery so I assume the homebrew product is not much different. Crisp and Simpsons on the other hand supply many of the smaller breweries and go out of their way to provide a great product.

I pay around 32 pounds for a 25kg bag of MO.

Also, with Simpsons, I have not had any clarity issues and stopped using finings last summer and now I get clear beer through time and temperature and getting my process down.

Tim
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Offline dak0415

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2013, 06:59:30 am »
I have used Munton's Maris Otter and Fawcett Golden Promise.  With both I have had problems with the beer clearing (w/o fining).  Munton's pale is my go-to malt and, although very dusty from the bag, actually smells better (biscuity) than the MO.  It also clears very well.  Munton's pale is the Pearl variety, but, according to the head brewer at Fullers, all the British "Pale" malts are pretty much the same (interchangable).
Dave Koenig
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Offline gmac

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2013, 07:21:30 am »
I use Weyerman Pils and Munich and Munton's MO because I tracked down the distributer here in Canada and have been buying direct from them for around $45/25kg.  I'm very happy with the quality of both.  I have had some cloudiness with the MO but I've come to accept it and expect to fine all my British beers (unless I wait a long time - or just don't care and drink them a bit hazy). 
If the Weyerman is pale malt, I'd be inclined to go with the Muntons due to the price difference. Course if it was me I'd go look for a cheaper source of North America pale malt.  I like MO for British styles, Pils and Munich for European styles but for most of my beers (pale ales, IPA's, wheats), I'm happy with more local malts.

Offline gymrat

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2013, 08:20:45 am »
I buy Rahr 2 Row through midwestsupplies for under $35 per sack plus $18 shipping. I think $53 for 50lbs is very reasonable and I am very satisfied with the product.
Ralph's Brewery
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Offline imperialstout

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2013, 04:39:47 pm »
Thanks for all the great advice. The Maris Otter for $77 is by Crisp, if that makes a difference. Will see what grain the $50 Muntons is. $77 may be expensive but I live in Maine and need to buy local as most on-line vendors charge $30+ shipping. Right now leaning toward buying the Crisp MO for $77 from a new LHBS shop. If I have questions they have answers. The $50 Muntons comes from a local health food store and they know nothing about brewing. It is in my interest to help keep the new LHBS in business.

Having said all that, what domestic branded grains are of good quality. Never considered exactly what grain I was buying before but now brewing once a month and buying in bulk, exactly what the grain is for the money is a consideration.

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Pale barley brand and price
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2013, 06:01:28 pm »
Crisp MO is one of my favorites, it is good stuff. Have a bag in the garage that I picked up 3 weeks back.

Jeff Rankert
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