[Robert]

An unlikely source: Sunset Hydroponics. It was the best price I could find.

https://www.sunsethydro.com/search?q=full+pint+&type=product


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What else did you buy from there?

Just the Full Pint and Simpson’s Med Crystal. ...Honest Ossifer...


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Yeah but you're on a watch list now!

[hopfenundmalz]

An unlikely source: Sunset Hydroponics. It was the best price I could find.

https://www.sunsethydro.com/search?q=full+pint+&type=product


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What else did you buy from there?

Just the Full Pint and Simpson’s Med Crystal. ...Honest Ossifer...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah but you're on a watch list now!

Aren't we all?

[Robert]

An unlikely source: Sunset Hydroponics. It was the best price I could find.

https://www.sunsethydro.com/search?q=full+pint+&type=product


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What else did you buy from there?

Just the Full Pint and Simpson’s Med Crystal. ...Honest Ossifer...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah but you're on a watch list now!

Aren't we all?

OK EDIT that to: Yeah but you're on YET ANOTHER  watch list now...

[goose]

It's like I say about Maris Otter...there are differences in barley varieties, but it's what the maltster does that really makes the difference.

Yep.   Both barley and maltster matter.  The local malthouse I'm currently gaga about is using Ohio-grown KWS Scala.  It's some of the best malt I've ever had, surpassed only, possibly, by an import or two, but nothing domestic in my experience (I haven't tried either of the two in question here.)  OTOH I had previously tried some malts from another startup in the area, using the exact same barley variety also Ohio grown, and you couldn't pay me to use their malt again.  Another surprise is that the good maltster is using a modern, automated, German drum malting system, and the one with such poor results is doing "traditional," manual floor malting.   Then again, the one maltster went to school in Germany to learn the trade, and the artisanal guy is self taught.  Anyway, seeing a particular variety advertised, or tags like "floor malted," doesn't mean a lot.   You have to try the product to find out how it performs.  A good maltster will get the most out of any raw material, and the finest barley can be sub-optimally processed.

Rob, I am intrigued.  Where did you get the Ohio grown KWS Scala?

[Robert]

Rob, I am intrigued.  Where did you get the Ohio grown KWS Scala?

West Branch Malts.

 https://www.westbranchmalts.com/

 The Pilsner and Pale are available by the pound/ounce or by the sack at Grape and Granary and Vine n Hop.  Products seem to be rolling out sequentially, as they've only been in operation for a little over a year.  Vienna and Munich have apparently not been released yet, but I was at Vine n Hop recently and she showed me samples with lab analyses, as well as of another product or two in development.  Most of the production, it seems, is going to breweries, but the price to homebrewers is shockingly low for a craft malt -- cheaper than Briess or Rahr by the bag at the shops -- in part because these shops don't have to pay shipping, I guess.  V n H is practically next door to the malthouse, and Randy drops off at G&G on his way to Akron breweries (can't recall which ones I've been told are using this.)

[goose]

Rob, I am intrigued.  Where did you get the Ohio grown KWS Scala?

West Branch Malts.

 https://www.westbranchmalts.com/

 The Pilsner and Pale are available by the pound/ounce or by the sack at Grape and Granary and Vine n Hop.  Products seem to be rolling out sequentially, as they've only been in operation for a little over a year.  Vienna and Munich have apparently not been released yet, but I was at Vine n Hop recently and she showed me samples with lab analyses, as well as of another product or two in development.  Most of the production, it seems, is going to breweries, but the price to homebrewers is shockingly low for a craft malt -- cheaper than Briess or Rahr by the bag at the shops -- in part because these shops don't have to pay shipping, I guess.  V n H is practically next door to the malthouse, and Randy drops off at G&G on his way to Akron breweries (can't recall which ones I've been told are using this.)

Thanks!  I will have to investigate a bit more.  Debating about substituting maybe the West Branch Pilsner or Pale malt for Briess 2 row in my Amarillo IPA but don't want to significantly alter the flavor under penalty of neutering from my wife (it's her favorite beer), but if I can make it a bit more economically, I would entertain trying it.  I will have  to taste some of both at the Grape or at V n H.  I have a gift card from Wizard of SAAZ for my gold medal Wee Heavy and might have to use it at V n H to get a bag of one or the other.