Weyermann floor-malted pils

[h-bar]

I'm planning on brewing a Munich Helles in a couple of weeks. My LHBS has Weyermann pilsner malt, but not the floor malted kind. Does that really make a difference? I've heard that floor malting does something special to the grain and is supposed to be really good. Should I order it online, or just go with the regular pils?

 

[shelly_belly]

I haven't tried the floor malt yet but their regular pils is very good.

 

[ajdelange]

I've tried it a couple of times and found that the beer (a Pilsner) was a bit more of everything I wanted at first. Drunk side by side with a similar Pils made from their pneumatic malt the floor malted was definitely more pleasing. As time passed and the beers continued lagering/ageing they began to drift together and eventually the pneumatic beer was definitely preferable. The extra richness of the floor malted stuff gradually disappeared. I guess if you are going to drink it all of pretty quickly (a couple of months) I'd say give the floor malted stuff a shot. OW, stick with the pneumatic. Clearly there is some personal preference he so it is probably best to say you should try it and see if you like it.

One other factor is worth mentioning. The DI mash pH of the pneumatic malt is 6.62 while of the floor malt it is 5.86. This can make an appreciable difference in mash pH.

 

[h-bar]

I did not know about the DI mash pH difference! Out of curiosity, why is that? I typically use brewersfriend for my mash pH and water calcs, I'll have to make sure it is taking that into account.

 

[ajdelange]

I did not know about the DI mash pH difference! Out of curiosity, why is that?

I'm curious too IOW I haven't the faintest idea!

 

[h-bar]

The brewersfriend calculator doesn't show a difference between pils and floor malted pils. Maybe I need to find a new calculator! It calcs the DI mash pH for pilsner as 5.76.

 

[lhommedieu]

Weyermann's floor malted pilsner is undermodified and is thus suitable for decoction method mashing. Use their regular pils if you plan on infusion mashing or step mashing to make your Helles.

I am just starting to learn the decoction method and have used their floor malt once so far. I plan on using it again this month. If you do a search on HBT for "Weyermann floor malted pilsner decoction method" you'll find posts about the malt by those far more qualified than me.

http://www.weyermann.de/downloads/pdf/Voigt_Poster_Trends in Brewing Ghent 2010.pdf

 

[ajdelange]

The brewersfriend calculator doesn't show a difference between pils and floor malted pils. Maybe I need to find a new calculator! It calcs the DI mash pH for pilsner as 5.76.

There are two problems with mash pH calculators: the algorithms and the data fed into the algorithms. I've got a solid algorithm but good data is hard to get i.e. it takes a lot of work (about a day's worth) to get a complete characterization of a malt and that's the particular malt of a particular type from a particular batch from a particular maltster in a particular season. Weyermann's regular and floor Pils just happen to be malts (a sample of each) that I have completely characterized.

So there you have it: three Pilsner malts (the two Weyermann offerings and whichever Kai measured and used in Brewer's Friend with values of 6.62, 5.86 and 5.76. Other maltsters' products are going to fall within (and perhaps without) this region.

 

[ajdelange]

Weyermann's floor malted pilsner is undermodified and is thus suitable for decoction method mashing.

I decoct them both for the melanoidins.

 

[h-bar]

I think for convenience of buying, I'll get the regular pils at the LHBS. I typically hit my target pH when I use brewersfriend, so maybe I won't worry about it too much.