brewark
Brewer
I got a bargain on some "Full Pint" malt. Has anyone used it? Does anyone have a spec. sheet to enter it into Beersmith?
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"Full Pint" Malt?
- Thread starter brewark
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brewfun
Grandmaster Brewer
I haven't used it, but I've been hearing about it. It's an interesting story about the development of new barley varieties, which in the past would simply be blended with lots of others to be just "2-Row." We probably wouldn't know about it, except that the Craft industry is interested in single variety malts (like Maris Otter, Golden Promise and others).
It started as a disease resistant test barley that didn't make it past early malting trials. It was relegated to being a crossbreed variety to confers it's disease resistant traits, with the non descript label of BCD-47. Barley varieties get replaced over time as diseases overcome them. Metcalf is the major malting variety now, having replaced Klages, which was the star in the 80's and 90's.
In 2012, an Oregon farmer was looking for a variety with exactly the traits of BCD-47, scaled up the seed and shopped it around for brewery trials. Sierra Nevada Brewing and New Glarus Brewing took on some trials for Full Pint and the only specs I know of come from their tests. Full Pint was featured at GABF 2015, this past week and perhaps updated specs will soon follow.
Flavor analysis called Full Pint, "Salted Popcorn" and full bodied. But, keep in mind, these are early trials and different flavor profiles often emerge once the variety is optimized for production malting. A daughter variety apparently named Full Stein is already being crossbred and researched.
The 2014 analysis averages look like:
Friability: 54%
Extract: 80.5%
F/C difference: 1.7%
Total Protein: 11.3%
Soluble Protein: 4.2%
Diastatic: 155o Lin.
Color: 1.8 Lov.
Again, Great Western hasn't published their specs. The above is based on in house malting by the breweries involved. This means that extract, protein and color are all probably going to change as Great Western dials it in.
It started as a disease resistant test barley that didn't make it past early malting trials. It was relegated to being a crossbreed variety to confers it's disease resistant traits, with the non descript label of BCD-47. Barley varieties get replaced over time as diseases overcome them. Metcalf is the major malting variety now, having replaced Klages, which was the star in the 80's and 90's.
In 2012, an Oregon farmer was looking for a variety with exactly the traits of BCD-47, scaled up the seed and shopped it around for brewery trials. Sierra Nevada Brewing and New Glarus Brewing took on some trials for Full Pint and the only specs I know of come from their tests. Full Pint was featured at GABF 2015, this past week and perhaps updated specs will soon follow.
Flavor analysis called Full Pint, "Salted Popcorn" and full bodied. But, keep in mind, these are early trials and different flavor profiles often emerge once the variety is optimized for production malting. A daughter variety apparently named Full Stein is already being crossbred and researched.
The 2014 analysis averages look like:
Friability: 54%
Extract: 80.5%
F/C difference: 1.7%
Total Protein: 11.3%
Soluble Protein: 4.2%
Diastatic: 155o Lin.
Color: 1.8 Lov.
Again, Great Western hasn't published their specs. The above is based on in house malting by the breweries involved. This means that extract, protein and color are all probably going to change as Great Western dials it in.
brewark
Brewer
Yeah I read that "salted popcorn" quote which seems to get a lot of play because there isn't much else out there.
So I don't think I'll use it in a Pils.
But a PA or IPA might work just fine.
Working on the brewstand this last weekend. When that's finished I'll be brewing a batch.
So I don't think I'll use it in a Pils.
But a PA or IPA might work just fine.
Working on the brewstand this last weekend. When that's finished I'll be brewing a batch.
brewfun
Grandmaster Brewer
It sounds like an interesting base malt for any golden colored Belgian Style. Able to retain body, but be very attenuated.
brewfun
Grandmaster Brewer
A brewery in their build out stage has sent me a sample bag of Full Pint Malt.
Here is the description from the grower:
Th e new standard for brewing pale ales and British specialty beers; Lamonta is a complex North American craft malt that is golden, sweet, and slightly biscuity.
Mecca Grade Estate Malt is grown, raised, and malted on our family farm. Our single-variety, Full Pint, expresses a nu tty, graham-cracker quality that is unique not only to the variety, but to our location, farming practices, and malting process.
Turns out it's insanely expensive at 3x the going rate of other pale base malts. ...And that's bulk wholesale! It costs more than any specialty malt, imported or domestic. Wow!
Still, it's becoming popular, with contracts for the 2015 crop going quickly. Apparently, Deschuttes has a contract for a sizable amount to make a special release, or two, in 2016.
I'm making a series of test batches to see how well it yields and how it tastes. So far, my observation is that the grains average 10-20% smaller than Rahr or Great Western two-row. The taste is a little drier and more biscuity than either of those two. The one thing I noticed was a lot more husk for the size of the grain.
Aside from that, I couldn't help but giggle when they use "Mechanically Floor Malted" as a slogan. The mechanical augers used in that process are found in virtually every malting company.
Here's the specs that they have provided.
Moisture ....................... 4.6%
Extract FG, Dry Basis ...... 80.8%
Extract CG, Dry Basis ...... 79.9%
Extract FG/CG Di erence ... 0.9%
Color ........................... 3.0º Lovibond
Protein ......................... 10.5%
Diastatic Power (Lintner) .. 162
Variety ......................... Full Pint
Vintage ........................ 2014 Harvest
Freshly-Malted:...............July 27, 2015
Attached is a picture of the bag, and the specs in .bsmx format.
I'll post what I make and tasting notes, as I get to those points.
Here is the description from the grower:
Th e new standard for brewing pale ales and British specialty beers; Lamonta is a complex North American craft malt that is golden, sweet, and slightly biscuity.
Mecca Grade Estate Malt is grown, raised, and malted on our family farm. Our single-variety, Full Pint, expresses a nu tty, graham-cracker quality that is unique not only to the variety, but to our location, farming practices, and malting process.
Turns out it's insanely expensive at 3x the going rate of other pale base malts. ...And that's bulk wholesale! It costs more than any specialty malt, imported or domestic. Wow!
Still, it's becoming popular, with contracts for the 2015 crop going quickly. Apparently, Deschuttes has a contract for a sizable amount to make a special release, or two, in 2016.
I'm making a series of test batches to see how well it yields and how it tastes. So far, my observation is that the grains average 10-20% smaller than Rahr or Great Western two-row. The taste is a little drier and more biscuity than either of those two. The one thing I noticed was a lot more husk for the size of the grain.
Aside from that, I couldn't help but giggle when they use "Mechanically Floor Malted" as a slogan. The mechanical augers used in that process are found in virtually every malting company.
Here's the specs that they have provided.
Moisture ....................... 4.6%
Extract FG, Dry Basis ...... 80.8%
Extract CG, Dry Basis ...... 79.9%
Extract FG/CG Di erence ... 0.9%
Color ........................... 3.0º Lovibond
Protein ......................... 10.5%
Diastatic Power (Lintner) .. 162
Variety ......................... Full Pint
Vintage ........................ 2014 Harvest
Freshly-Malted:...............July 27, 2015
Attached is a picture of the bag, and the specs in .bsmx format.
I'll post what I make and tasting notes, as I get to those points.
Attachments
meccagrade
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Hey, I had this thread on "Full Pint" pop up on my Google alerts this morning, and thought it'd be good to chime in. I am the owner, farmer, and maltster at Mecca Grade Estate Malt. The best place for information about what we do can be found at:
www.meccagrade.com
It's a fairly extensive site, including descriptions on our farming practices, malting process, and products. I've been intentionally vague describing the "Mechanical Floor-Malting" process because it is proprietary, and does not use any mechanical augers to turn loosen the grain bed. In fact, we are the only ones malting grain this way, and know that it greatly improves the quality and consistency of our product.
As a startup craft malthouse, we knew there was no way we could compete with larger malt houses on price, nor would we want to. What we are doing is making sure every step of our process, from planting all the way to malt, is unique and not reproducible by anyone else but us.
We also work closely with Oregon State University on breeding barley. Beersmith recently posted an excellent interview with Dr. Pat Hayes from OSU explaining the work that goes into developing new barley varieties. Brewers will soon have access to some extraordinary varieties that have been bred specifically for craft beer.
I'm an avid homebrewer, and as many of you know, there are still quite a few old wives' tales around brewing practices. There are even more when it comes to malting. Up until the past couple years, the story had been that variety had no impact on flavor. This is true if you look at the current roster of North American varieties that have been bred to perform in large malt houses/breweries and are for the most part...flavor neutral...but through the work of craft maltsters along with universities and breeders taking a risk on some of these oddball varieties, we are working to unlock an untapped world of flavor.
We know that there are huge flavor differences between hop varieties, even across environments. Would Cascades grown in Yakima taste the same if they were grown in New Zealand?
Another thought: If variety has no impact on flavor, why is Great Western and Briess looking for Full Pint acreage?;-)
So, even if a malt comes from a single variety, where it is grown and how it is malted make for completely different products. Maris Otter will taste different coming from different farms as well as malt houses. Because most malt houses are blending to spec, it might be harder to taste this flavor difference. We are a batch system malthouse that does not blend malt to produce an acceptable average.
For even more infornation on the craft malt revolution, I'd also ask you to check out the North American Craft Maltster's Guild online.
We are in the middle of a paradigm shift when it comes to malt. I try my hardest to keep those interested informed with the straight and honest scoop. If any of you have questions, never hesitate to email or call. All my contact information can be found on our website.
Cheers!
www.meccagrade.com
It's a fairly extensive site, including descriptions on our farming practices, malting process, and products. I've been intentionally vague describing the "Mechanical Floor-Malting" process because it is proprietary, and does not use any mechanical augers to turn loosen the grain bed. In fact, we are the only ones malting grain this way, and know that it greatly improves the quality and consistency of our product.
As a startup craft malthouse, we knew there was no way we could compete with larger malt houses on price, nor would we want to. What we are doing is making sure every step of our process, from planting all the way to malt, is unique and not reproducible by anyone else but us.
We also work closely with Oregon State University on breeding barley. Beersmith recently posted an excellent interview with Dr. Pat Hayes from OSU explaining the work that goes into developing new barley varieties. Brewers will soon have access to some extraordinary varieties that have been bred specifically for craft beer.
I'm an avid homebrewer, and as many of you know, there are still quite a few old wives' tales around brewing practices. There are even more when it comes to malting. Up until the past couple years, the story had been that variety had no impact on flavor. This is true if you look at the current roster of North American varieties that have been bred to perform in large malt houses/breweries and are for the most part...flavor neutral...but through the work of craft maltsters along with universities and breeders taking a risk on some of these oddball varieties, we are working to unlock an untapped world of flavor.
We know that there are huge flavor differences between hop varieties, even across environments. Would Cascades grown in Yakima taste the same if they were grown in New Zealand?
Another thought: If variety has no impact on flavor, why is Great Western and Briess looking for Full Pint acreage?;-)
So, even if a malt comes from a single variety, where it is grown and how it is malted make for completely different products. Maris Otter will taste different coming from different farms as well as malt houses. Because most malt houses are blending to spec, it might be harder to taste this flavor difference. We are a batch system malthouse that does not blend malt to produce an acceptable average.
For even more infornation on the craft malt revolution, I'd also ask you to check out the North American Craft Maltster's Guild online.
We are in the middle of a paradigm shift when it comes to malt. I try my hardest to keep those interested informed with the straight and honest scoop. If any of you have questions, never hesitate to email or call. All my contact information can be found on our website.
Cheers!
brewfun
Grandmaster Brewer
meccagrade said:
Welcome! And thanks for chiming in! I've done my best to represent what has happened with this malt, so far. It's great to hear from the source.
That's good to hear. I hope you also noticed the paragraph preceding my comment, which dealt with taste. After all, that's the important concern, isn't it?
Those of us interested in new products are also interested in the techniques used. Being vague is perfectly acceptable, the Belgian Trappist brewers have been very good at it for a long time. Perhaps a better phrase is capable of communicating your unique process? I've heard the phrase "Mechanically Floor Malted" more than a few times over the last two decades and augers are the typical tool.
No matter what, your innovation and contribution to better beer flavor is very welcome.
Well, here is a place where we might disagree a little. And I surely wish we could discuss this over a pint.
8) Price pressure is felt in all products, including malt. Perhaps that's not a market force you're feeling, though? If I'm informed correctly, you have buyers ready to purchase nearly 100% of your 2016 crop. If that's true, of course take it! You have every right to sell for as much as the market will bear.
Unfortunately, most breweries have market price pressure in spades. We all want to make something unique, and certainly malt choice is highly involved with that. So, maybe the proper comparison is against other varietal base malts.
The (apparently non-negotiable price) I've been made aware of is 35% more than Glen Eagle Maris Otter (Floor Malted, too), one of the most expensive base malts available. Compared to just that malt, Meccagrade Full Pint adds more than $12 to each keg for a standard craft beer of ~6% abv. Since I have to make 3x to 4x that cost back to be profitable, that would make my cost to a retailer quite a bit higher than my competitors.
If the flavor justifies the cost, then I'm in. Being an early adopter of a new malt is a gamble, but if the taste sets a brewery apart in a meaningful and consistent way, it's a good bet.
OTOH, I still have to be able to afford new tanks in order to grow, and the difference in your malt cost vs. GE Maris Otter adds up to a new tank as fast as 18 batches. That's a real dilemma, especially since the brewery I'm testing the malt for is in Oregon and WANTS to use your malt as their house base grain.
Your point is well made by the availability of Maris Otter (which you mentioned), Optic, Halcyon, Golden Promise and several other varietals already on the market.
There is a place for high end base malt varietals, IMO, and it has a lot of potential yet to be explored.
meccagrade
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Thanks for such a thoughtful reply! I'd love to have a pint with you sometime and talk about malt...one of my favorite things to discuss (along with Star Wars, much to my wife's chagrin!). I'm excited for you to brew with the malt, and look forward to your thoughts. As I mentioned before, if you have any other questions, or just want to talk, please feel free to contact me.