Munich Malt

[smuggles]

Hi guys,
Just wondering what difference there might be between Thomas Fawcett Munich Malt and Weyermann Munich Malt. The information on The Malt Miller states that 100% of the Weyermann malt can be used, but suggests only using up to 20% of the Thomas Fawcett malt.
If anyone can shed any light on this it would be much appreciated.

[borischarlton]

Smuggles,

The first thing is that the description is the opinion of the maltster and as it is "the home brewer" that is using it their are no rules, it is just a guide. Secondly, the two products are poles apart in terms of colour, smell and flavour. Basically, they are alike in name only and the same can be said for Vienna malt.

Rob

[mysterio]

Yes, we had speculated on here that the British malts were somewhat different from the Weyermann malts. For example I make quite a lot of Vienna lagers and Oktoberfest lagers, and I found even using about 30% of British Munich malt and the rest lager malt would give a very malty, chewy beer (in a nice way), even maltier than German Dunkels. I would be too scared to use 100% British Munich malt as I think it would be over the top.

We haven't really been able to verify this until Rob started making the Weyermann malts available, I recently made a 100% Weyermann Vienna malt beer (or slightly less than 100%) and it was nothing like a 100% British Vienna malt beer, as Rob says, the colour smell and flavour are poles apart. The Weyermann all-Vienna beer was straw coloured. I compared it to a Schiehallion (Scottish lager) and it was even lighter than that. So with that experience I would be very comfortable making an all Weyermann Munich malt beer, maybe even boosting it with some melanoiden or cara-aroma.

They are both very high quality products as you would expect from Weyermann and Fawcetts but you have to know how to use them.

[Barley Water]

I don't have any experience using the British Munich or Vienna malts but I have used both verions of the Wyerman malts many times. A 100% Munich (I think I used 50% dark Munich and 50% light Munich if I remember correctly) with just a small touch of Melonodin and Carafa II for color makes a hell of a Munich Dunkel. Also, 100% Vienna with just a touch of color adjustment with Carafa makes a really nice Vienna lager. I need to think about messing around with both to see if I can make a decent Bock bier, I just don't have a hankering for something that strong most of the time (and it's very dangerous to serve beer like that on draft, way too easy to top off one time too many times and end up over-served).

[lancsSteve]

I've used 100% fawcett's Munich in a bock and 50% / 50% fawcetts vienna / munich in GW's Zum Ueridge Alt recipe. I wouldn't CHOOSE to do that again as they really were so malty they were cloying and not German at all.

I'#'ve only used the weyermna vienna alongside carrabohemian and it was superb, would second all the above comments and caution using UK munich malt in high quantities - Rob's estimations seem about spot on from my experiences in cloyingness.

I'm going to be going weyerman only from now on as Rob's made them available... Along with a load of other AMAZING malts (yay for Rob!)

[boingy]

Not sure I like the idea that there is such a huge variation in malts that carry the same name. In simple Boingy world, pale malt is pale malt and likewise for the other malts. Most recipes don't specify the source of the malt....

[WishboneBrewery]

interesting read chaps, cheers

[smuggles]

Thanks for all your replies, very interesting. Looks like it's time to start experimenting.

[Scotty]

Thanks for all your replies, very interesting. Looks like it's time to start experimenting.

That's what it's all about smuggles!

Thanks for raising the topic. It isn't something that had crossed my mind but it now opens up another avaenue in brewing.

Cheers!

[leedsbrew]

Most recipes don't specify the source of the malt....

quite a lot state to country of origin though boingy! Thats usually a good indicator!

[lancsSteve]

In simple Boingy world, pale malt is pale malt and likewise for the other malts. Most recipes don't specify the source of the malt....

Simple boingy world sounds like a nice place to be - but people like Rob have come along and intruded and made it more complicated.

Is 'lager malt' just lager malt or is there a BIG difference between czech floor malted pilsener, premium pilsener and bohemian pilsener and UK lager malts.

What about all the different types of UK pale malt (optic / golden promise / marris otter / halcyon etc.)

I'm glad that nice malts are available and will try to pick something that has a good rep and get a sack of it in - and am much happier ordering a weyerman pilsener malt or munich than a UK lager malt or 'munich' as I love many of the pilseners and dunkels made in germany with weyerman malts but shudder at the UK 'lagers' made this way. However am quite aware that this may just be fetishising the foreign/exotic as better.

[Spud395]

Interesting topic lads, and one I had wondered about in the past as well.
I'm very partial to the sweetness/maltiness/body up to a Kg of Munich in an ale, but was wondering how the hell 100% munich beer would work.
I guess I know the country of orign of the Munich I have now.
I find this can be a problem if you are buying grain in quantities of less than 25Kg.
I've bought malt before with no indication of the maltster

[Manx Guy]

Interesting...

I have used both UK and German Munich and it will be interesting to see the results in two different beers
Currently neither are ready (Vienna and my Oktoberfest) so I guess only time will tell...

I reviewed my recipe and found that in My Oktoberfest I used 1 kilo UK (Fawcets) Munich together with 500g of Weyermann Munich in total the Munich part of the grist is just over 28% with the UK Munich making up 18% of the grist...

In my Vienna the UK Munich makes up 11% of the grist...

I hope I've got away with it...

I should have energy to sway and swing my litre stein after a couple of these...

Guy

[leedsbrew]

Yet pdtnc did his Munich 5000 with (IIRC) 100% British Munich and it was awesome!

[mark]

I think that 100% British Munich would make a great mild.