Fermentable substitutions

[cathlabrob]

Hi all,
I am new to all grain brewing after making mini mashes for about 12 years. I am getting ready to purchase fermentables for my first batch and am trying to follow a recipe for “Not Not Corona” by Short Circuit Brewing via the Brewfather recipe. However, the specified brand name Pilsner malt, flaked maize, and Munich malt are not sold by Midwest Supply. They have others, but the specifications are different as to color or bitterness. My question is there a good Internet resource for comparison of the different fermentables so I can pick similar grains from a different company so that I can get close to the intended recipe? I am also learning Beer Smith software so if I can find something close by comparison, I can enter it and adjust the recipe until the IBU’s and color are close.
Thanks for any resources!
Rob

 

[McKnuckle]

Midwest Supply's website has Weyermann's Munich products (classic German maltster) and several Pilsners such as this one. You'll find both of these under the base malts section.

Flaked maize is here.

What are the brands specified in the recipe? Sometimes they matter, but often they don't.

 

[cathlabrob]

Midwest Supply's website has Weyermann's Munich products (classic German maltster) and several Pilsners such as this one. You'll find both of these under the base malts section.

Flaked maize is here.

What are the brands specified in the recipe? Sometimes they matter, but often they don't.

Thanks McKnuckle. The recipe called for Bairds or Adventguard malts. I’m guessing they may diifer a bit in color and flavor. I’m just a little gun shy since I don’t have anyone to ask and my local brew store went out of business.

 

[McKnuckle]

Interesting. Bairds is an English maltster, known for Maris Otter and various crystal malts and such, where the authenticity of the products is best for the style. You can seek similar products from other English producers like Fawcett, Crisp, or Muntons.

Avangard is German. Weyermann would be fine to replace that. So would Franco-Belges.

Typically, something like pilsner is going to be very consistent, within a point or so on the Lovibond (color) scale. It's always expected to be a very pale, continental European base malt. Munich can vary, and there are both light and dark versions, but it too is a malt produced in a specific way, so it should not vary so much as to be out of place. Try to match the Lovibond specification of the stated malt with something else. Just use Google and look at the maltsters' own sites.

This being said, every batch of malt has variations, so they will often state a range and it's not super critical. It's doubtful that you'll destroy a batch simply by using another maker's product, unless the recipe is really explicit that a particular ingredient is critical to the outcome.

 

[cathlabrob]

Interesting. Bairds is an English maltster, known for Maris Otter and various crystal malts and such, where the authenticity of the products is best for the style. You can seek similar products from other English producers like Fawcett, Crisp, or Muntons.

Avangard is German. Weyermann would be fine to replace that. So would Franco-Belges.

Typically, something like pilsner is going to be very consistent, within a point or so on the Lovibond (color) scale. It's always expected to be a very pale, continental European base malt. Munich can vary, and there are both light and dark versions, but it too is a malt produced in a specific way, so it should not vary so much as to be out of place. Try to match the Lovibond specification of the stated malt with something else. Just use Google and look at the maltsters' own sites.

This being said, every batch of malt has variations, so they will often state a range and it's not super critical. It's doubtful that you'll destroy a batch simply by using another maker's product, unless the recipe is really explicit that a particular ingredient is critical to the outcome.

Thank you, I am feeling better about this. I’ll note the recipe IBU and color and find similar products. Possibly have to adjust amounts to match goal. It would have been nice to have the exact ingredients for my first all grain brew with new equipment.