BeerBorg

A few days ago I posted in the Brewhouse that I was going to focus on different base malts beginning in September. This is the same idea I used this past year with hops; formulate a simple recipe and then change that one ingredient to learn more about it and get ideas on how to incorporate that knowledge in future recipes. I consider Hopsperiment a big success; one I'll probably revisit, since I obviously couldn't utilize every hop strain out there.

So this thread will be dedicated to my efforts at understanding the different base malts (and maybe some specialty grains down the road). Here's the recipe for a 2.5 gallon batch:

4.5# 2-row
0.25# 20L

0.33 Oz. Hallertau - 60 minutes
0.33 Oz. Hallertau - 20 minutes
0.33 Oz. Hallertau - 5 minutes

S-05 yeast

I am kind of straddling the fence over whether to use S-05 or S-04, so any comments or suggestions would be welcome.

I chose Hallertau hops because they're gentle and rather non-invasive, and will make a smooth, drinkable blonde session ale. The 20L is more for color and body than anything else, and I don't believe an amount that small will compromise what the base malt delivers. In subsequent batches, I'll substitute the same amount of Vienna, or Munich, or Maris Otter, etc. Once I've run through the base malts, I may choose a specialty grain, like honey malt, add that, and, with my new-found knowledge of the base malts, decide which base might best suit that specialty grain.

This should be fun and educational, and it will be very interesting to see the diversity one can come up with.

S-05 is very clean and crisp.

Yes, I'd agree on the 05. The S-04 can throw some fruit and maybe influence the result. Although, I'd probably be better with the MO, that's not what this expbeeriment is about, right?

When you get to the Munich, just be aware that although it can self convert, it can barely do so. What that effectively means is that you should do a starch test, OR you should simply just mash for 90+ minutes to be sure OR you can toss in some amylase enzyme to help it out without affecting the flavor.

I don't personally think the yeast matters as long as you keep using the same type and fermenting at the same temp. But I think I would personally would go with S-04. Yes you will get a bit more yeast influenced flavor with S-04, but unless you ferment on the warm side it will be pretty mellow and only noticeable as being slightly more complex. I don't think fermented 64 or < it will detract from what changes the different grains bring, and it might produce a more interesting brew. It will certainly floc out much harder and take out more haze, so you will be able to "see" what the malt brings to the party better with it.

Thanks for the responses. I was leaning more toward S-05, so I think I'll go with my gut there.

It's good to know that about Munich malt, also. I'll be doing these recipes BIAB, so a 90-minute mash may be a little tougher, although there's really no reason I couldn't schlep out the mash tun for it, just to be sure. The temperature at fermentation will probably be mid-60s, but it depends on the time of year. I don't have as much control over that as I might like, but when all is said and done, I'm making beer; not sending a rocket to the moon.

A note on the Munich malt. I have had no issues with mashing. The grades I have done this with are 10, 20, 30. A bittering charge and noble hops for finishing make a very nice beer. As Mashani mentioned a starch test should be done.

I usually start with what ever is appropriate for the style 04, 05. or 06, indeterminate style gets 05 . Your wanting to look at the hops, so I'd go with 05 'cause it's neutral. Finding just the right yeast is the last change I make a brew anyway.

mashani wrote:When you get to the Munich, just be aware that although it can self convert, it can barely do so. What that effectively means is that you should do a starch test, OR you should simply just mash for 90+ minutes to be sure OR you can toss in some amylase enzyme to help it out without affecting the flavor.

I was at my LHBS today, buying the ingredients for the first batch of this recipe, which will be 2-row for the base malt. I asked about the conversion properties of Munich, and the guy there said it really depended on the maltster, and that he had never experienced a problem with Munich converting properly. As I thought about it, I realized I hadn't either (and, in fact, I was also buying the ingredients for a fiver of Fogbank Amber Ale, which is primarily Munich with a little bit of Victory as base malts. I've made it before, and didn't have a problem meeting my projected OG.

I'll do a starch test, because why not, but I'm not too worried about it.

It really depended on the maltster

Sure, that is potentially true. Not just the maltster, but the type of Munich malt. The darker stuff has less ability to convert then lighter stuff. Time to convert is also highly dependent on your mash temps. If you mash at 154 it's going to go quicker then if you mash at 147.

If you look at DP numbers, and are looking at a light colored European malt, You might see "150" which sounds like a lot. But it's not what you think if you are used to American malts. That 150 would be measured in Windisch–Kolbach units (WK). To figure out what that is in degrees Lintner, the formula is WK + 16 / 3.5. So 150 WK = 47 degrees Lintner. Some light Munich is as low as 40 degrees Lintner. Some darker stuff is lower then that. Compare that to a normal pale malt or 2-row, which tends to be anywhere from 100-140 degrees Linter depending on how highly modified it is.

The darker Munich across the board tends to have even lower enzymatic potential, 10L+ (might be labed as "Munich type II") is going to be more finicky, and especially the 20L+ stuff is going to be a real problem if it fully converts at all without something else in the mix. I would not use darker stuff and expect it to do well on its own.

And I would never use any adjuncts with Munich without something supplementing it. (luckily you do not have this issue with your Maltsperiment).

Also since we are talking Munich, if you really want to Maltsperiment, I would suggest you try a couple or more different kinds of Munich.

IE try a batch with Dingmans Belgian Munich and compare to another one you make with some other type of Munich. You will find that Dingmans has quite a different character. You would also likely notice the difference between Briess and a good German Munich.

All good to keep in mind. I don't know about the availability of the different varieties of Munich at my LHBS, but I'll ask about them, for sure.

I made the Fogbank this morning (10# Munich, 2# Victory, and what should have been 0.5 Oz. of Chocolate, but for some reason I asked for 0.5# of Chocolate, so it may actually be a brown ale, but it'll be beer, at any rate). I mashed at 156 or so, and it came in with an OG of 1.062. So the conversion seems to have taken place quite well.