[chumley]

I'm not Jeff, but my local hardware store sells 55 lb. sacks of Munton's Maris Otter blend that is 2.1°L.  I have an English summer bitter on tap right now with it that is pretty good.  Not as much biscuit flavor as Crisp or Fawcett, though.

Hardwood store? Where do you live? My hardware store has a crappy malt selection. Lots of tool etc. though.

I live in Helena, Montana.  The only LHBS in town closed its doors a few years ago, so our local Ace hardware store began selling brewing supplies to fill the void.  So far its working pretty good. They don't have a selection like the online retailers, but what they do have is fresh and reasonably priced.

It wasn't a great stretch for them to get into the brewing supply market.  Years ago, when Montana legalized medical marijuana, the hardware store got in heavy with indoor growing systems. 

[kramerog]

Let me add one more note regarding mash temps.  Typically MO has a DP of ~50 while  regular 2-row has a DP of ~140.  These differences are not real important, perhaps completely unimportant, if you are mashing at 158 F or above.  If on the other hand you are mashing at 149 F to get a dry finish or because you have a lot of adjuncts needing conversion, MO by itself won't get what you want since it doesn't have beta-amylase in the first case and may not have enough DP for the second case to convert all the starch into sugar.

[denny]

MO doesn't have beta amylase?   

[morticaixavier]

MO doesn't have beta amylase?   

+ 

as far as I know MOST cereal grains have plenty of beta amylase. it's the alpha amylase that's hard to come by and makes barley particularly well suited for starch liquification

[Slowbrew]

MO doesn't have beta amylase?   

+ 

as far as I know MOST cereal grains have plenty of beta amylase. it's the alpha amylase that's hard to come by and makes barley particularly well suited for starch liquification

That was my understanding too.  Northern Brewer has a short lab report on each grain and it lists alpha-amylase as equal to 0.  It makes no mention on beta.

It wouldn't work as a base malt if it had no beta-amylase would it?

Paul

[denny]

MO doesn't have beta amylase?   

+ 

as far as I know MOST cereal grains have plenty of beta amylase. it's the alpha amylase that's hard to come by and makes barley particularly well suited for starch liquification

That was my understanding too.  Northern Brewer has a short lab report on each grain and it lists alpha-amylase as equal to 0.  It makes no mention on beta.

It wouldn't work as a base malt if it had no beta-amylase would it?

Paul

That's what I'm thinking, Paul.

[hopfenundmalz]

MO doesn't have beta amylase?   

+ 

as far as I know MOST cereal grains have plenty of beta amylase. it's the alpha amylase that's hard to come by and makes barley particularly well suited for starch liquification

That was my understanding too.  Northern Brewer has a short lab report on each grain and it lists alpha-amylase as equal to 0.  It makes no mention on beta.

It wouldn't work as a base malt if it had no beta-amylase would it?

Paul

There are way too many 0's in that table to take it as authoritative and complete. 0 Protein, 0 Diastatic Power raise suspicion. That says it should not convert, but it does.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/english-maris-otter.html

[Slowbrew]

MO doesn't have beta amylase?   

+ 

as far as I know MOST cereal grains have plenty of beta amylase. it's the alpha amylase that's hard to come by and makes barley particularly well suited for starch liquification

That was my understanding too.  Northern Brewer has a short lab report on each grain and it lists alpha-amylase as equal to 0.  It makes no mention on beta.

It wouldn't work as a base malt if it had no beta-amylase would it?

Paul

There are way too many 0's in that table to take it as authoritative and complete. 0 Protein, 0 Diastatic Power raise suspicion. That says it should not convert, but it does.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/english-maris-otter.html

I agree but haven't got time at work to find a better report. 

Paul

[jimmykx250]

Guys i brew BIAB style and usually mash at 152 for 90 min. Do i need to jack up the temp? m still learning!

[hopfenundmalz]

Guys i brew BIAB style and usually mash at 152 for 90 min. Do i need to jack up the temp? m still learning!

No - British Malts are malted to work in a single infusion in the 149 to 152 - ish range. You are then in what is called the brewer's window, where both Alpha and Beta are working (if there are Alpha and Beta - I kid).

[klickitat jim]

Guys i brew BIAB style and usually mash at 152 for 90 min. Do i need to jack up the temp? m still learning!

No - British Malts are malted to work in a single infusion in the 149 to 152 - ish range. You are then in what is called the brewer's window, where both Alpha and Beta are working (if there are Alpha and Beta - I kid).

Maybe this is why some people mash hop? Get your alpha and beta from the hops?

[Stevie]

Enzymes (malt) v. Acids (hops). Sorry if I am being obtuse and unable to detect your humor.

[klickitat jim]

Enzymes (malt) v. Acids (hops). Sorry if I am being obtuse and unable to detect your humor.

I forgive you

[hopfenundmalz]

Enzymes (malt) v. Acids (hops). Sorry if I am being obtuse and unable to detect your humor.

I forgive you

And I forgive Jim!!

[klickitat jim]

This thread is getting dangerously warm n fuzzy