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Author Topic: American 2-Row vs. British Pale  (Read 23938 times)

Offline Pawtucket Patriot

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American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« on: January 02, 2010, 11:09:51 am »
Are they different enough to justify buying both in bulk?  I bought a 55 lb bag of each last year and need to make another bulk grain purchase because my supplies are running low.  Historically, I have brewed my American beers with the 2-row as a base malt and my British beers with the Pale.  I'm not sure if there is enough of an appreciable difference to justify buying 55 lb bags of both.  Your insights/suggestions are appreciated!
« Last Edit: January 02, 2010, 11:55:59 am by Pawtucket Patriot »
Matt Schwandt | Minneapolis, MN
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Offline bo_gator

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2010, 02:41:46 pm »
I personally buy CMC 2 row pale and TF Maris Otter, and could not imagine life without them both,but then again I also keep German and Belgian Pilsner malts too  ::)
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Offline k4df4l

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2010, 05:23:02 am »
 I bought a 55 lb bag of each last year and need to make another bulk grain purchase because my supplies are running low.

Did you brew anything with close enough recipes between the two sacks that you could draw a conclusion? 

Offline majorvices

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2010, 06:24:34 am »
I love Thomas Fawcett Maris Otter - wouldn't do without it. That said, if you are not making English style beers US pale 2-row is all you need.

Offline babalu87

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2010, 06:37:04 am »
Definately worth getting at least both

Got a sack of Golden Promise the last group grain buy , they were out of Optic :(
I really liked the beers when Optic was the base malt.
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Offline Pawtucket Patriot

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2010, 10:25:28 am »
 I bought a 55 lb bag of each last year and need to make another bulk grain purchase because my supplies are running low.

Did you brew anything with close enough recipes between the two sacks that you could draw a conclusion? 


Not really (unfortunately).  My British beers are fairly, well, British (i.e., english yeast, lower attenuation, etc.) while my American beers tend to be very American (i.e., American yeast, higher attenuation, hoppier, etc.).  I could probably try brewing my next British beer with American 2-row as a base malt (since that is the less expensive of the two malts) and evaluate any differences.  But I do like the idea of having both types of malt around, if for no other reason than for authenticity's sake (and I'm probably answering my own question here).
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Offline k4df4l

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2010, 03:47:43 am »
 I bought a 55 lb bag of each last year and need to make another bulk grain purchase because my supplies are running low.

Did you brew anything with close enough recipes between the two sacks that you could draw a conclusion? 


Not really (unfortunately).  My British beers are fairly, well, British (i.e., english yeast, lower attenuation, etc.) while my American beers tend to be very American (i.e., American yeast, higher attenuation, hoppier, etc.).  I could probably try brewing my next British beer with American 2-row as a base malt (since that is the less expensive of the two malts) and evaluate any differences.  But I do like the idea of having both types of malt around, if for no other reason than for authenticity's sake (and I'm probably answering my own question here).

In that case, it sounds like you definitely want another sack of each!

Offline a10t2

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #7 on: January 04, 2010, 12:45:44 pm »
Regular US pale malt vs UK pale malt, I don't think there's much difference. US 2-row vs Maris Otter though, definitely. I keep both on hand.
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Offline blatz

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #8 on: January 04, 2010, 12:50:22 pm »
For the past 3 years, I've made all my ales with TF Maris Otter, and I rarely, make a british style - only an occasional ESB. 

never saw any reason to have am 2-row on hand...
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Offline denny

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2010, 12:52:50 pm »
Regular US pale malt vs UK pale malt, I don't think there's much difference. US 2-row vs Maris Otter though, definitely. I keep both on hand.

I'm confused.....isn't MO a 2 row malt?  Can't it be kilned any way the maltster wants?  Isn't "regular US pale malt" a 2 row malt, too?  Can't it be kilned any way the maltster wants?  So what is it that makes MO better than US 2 row malt, assuming they're kilned the same?  Is it the malt variety?  If so, is there any reason MO couldn't be grown in the US?
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Offline a10t2

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2010, 01:50:38 pm »
MO is a 2-row variety, but I don't think it's grown in the States, at least not in any significant quantity. IIRC domestic 2-row is all Harrington and Klages. Most (maybe even all?) commercial MO malts are also floor malted as opposed to using drums. I don't know if the majority of the flavor difference comes from the different raw product, or the different malting technique, though. It could be a "whole is greater than the sum of its parts" thing, for all I know.
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Offline denny

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2010, 03:36:29 pm »
I was under the impression that only 1 or 2 maltsters were still floor malting.  And why would that make a difference, and what would the difference be?  I swear I'm not being difficult, just trying to understand.
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Offline a10t2

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2010, 03:50:50 pm »
I know Fawcett and Crisp are both floor malted, so even if some have switched over to drums at least a few of the heavyweights are still doing it. I don't know what the effect would be, but there must be *something* to it, or else everyone would have switched to the cheaper techniques.
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Offline blatz

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2010, 05:26:06 pm »
  And why would that make a difference, and what would the difference be? 

brew the same beer twice - once with american 2-row, once with MO - certainly not scientific due to all the other variables, but you'll get a good comparison.  ;)
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Offline bluesman

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Re: American 2-Row vs. British Pale
« Reply #14 on: January 04, 2010, 08:33:50 pm »
  And why would that make a difference, and what would the difference be? 

brew the same beer twice - once with american 2-row, once with MO - certainly not scientific due to all the other variables, but you'll get a good comparison.  ;)

I need to do just that.

As I understand it, MO is a two row winter barley that's a cross between Proctor and Pioneer. It's claim to fame is it's ease of manufacturing and it's superior flavor. I've been using it and really like it, but I want to do a side by side comparison to American 2 row maybe a Breiss product.
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