American 2-row?

[Grolon]

Ok so I am fairly new to this all grain brewing

I have noticed a lot of recipes for pale/blonde ales using American 2-row. Unfortunalty I dont seem to be able to get hold of his grain (I use hop and grape).

Any ideas what I can use in its place??

Thanks in advance.

[Parp]

I'd imagine any 2-row UK malted barley would do the job.

Maris Otter being most people's first choice.

Good supplier ;

http://www.barleybottom.com/menu/product/&ID=58

[rick_huggins]

Don't mean to hijack, but is pale malt really that much different from pale malt 2 row?

[adm]

I think that our UK pale malt IS 2-row barley. I don't know if you can even get 6 row barley here for malting - I think it's mainly used as a feed crop if it's grown at all.

American 6-row barley is a bit higher in protein than 2-row and has more diastatic power, but seems to be less well thought of.

I've never used it so can't really give you any real fact based opinion on the subject.

[Whorst]

Maris Otter. Like Elvis, it's King.

[Barley Water]

I have used all three and I guess I would have to agree with Whorst, MO is the king. First of all, MO is a little bit darker than either American 2 or 6 row. The reason I like it so much though is because it has a very distintive taste relative to the that of the other two. When making British beers, only MO will do however if you want an American ale, you might consider American 2 row or 6 row malt. Most American pale ales and IPA's are basicly hop delivery vehicles to at least some extent and most use 2 row malt because malt flavor is not featured. 2 row is also cheaper than MO so the craft brew industry tends to use it for economic reasons. The only beers I have ever used 6 row malt in are a CAP and a Cream Ale. In both cases, I was using in the neighborhood of 20% corn grits and doing a ceral mash. 6 row is supposed to be able to convert alot more adjunct and it is also traditional in both those styles. In my opinion, it is somewhat "harsh" in that there is a higher % of husk material in the grain and I suppose that results in just a little more tannins ending up in the finished product. For that reason, I have lately taken to mixing 6 row and either 2 row or sometimes German pils malt when making these types of beer.

[steve_flack]

I've used UK lager malt as a replacement for American two row. It's a 2 row malt, a bit paler than MO and in my experience gives a bit higher attenuation than MO.

[Grolon]

Slightly off topic.............. but can anybody recomend a nice pale or blonde ale?

I am finding the amount of recipes out the overwhelming............. what to go for........

[garwatts]

Slightly off topic.............. but can anybody recommend a nice pale or blonde ale?

I am finding the amount of recipes out the overwhelming............. what to go for........

GW's book contains some good ones (in fact I think they are all good ) Deuchars is nice, Archers Best is also a favourite of mine. Hop Back Summer Lightening seems awfully popular as well....
What to go for? Go for the lot - just one at a time

[adm]

How about (for 5 gallons):

Pale Malt of your choice - Maris Otter or Lager malt for lower colour 4-5Kg depending on the strength you want. 4Kg will get you near 4% and 5Kg nearer to 5%
Crystal malt (optional) 250g - will give a bit more colour and caramel taste.
Wheat Malt or Torrefied Wheat 150g - gives better head retention

Now of course, the big question is what type of hop experience are you looking for ? Do you want a typically soft and floral English type taste and aroma - if so use Fuggles or Goldings hops. If you want a more citrussy type effect, look at using Cascade or Styrian Goldings perhaps. If you want a more "lagery" feel, then Saaz or Hallertau should be on your shopping list. Once you've decided what type of taste you are looking for, then you need to think about how bitter you want it.

Same question on the yeast - try S04 for an English taste or US05 for a more american taste. If you're after a Belgian pale style, then you might want a liquid Belgian yeast.

Let me know a bit more about what you're after and I'll knock up some suggested hop schedules for you....

[flytact]

Sorry to drag this back on topic, but I just did a brew that used both MO and American 2 Row (from Canada ). This was purely out of necessity not recipe.
Anyway the 2 Row had a more robust, "grainy" flavor, not as subtle as the MO. I prefer MO but it can be cost/availability prohibitive at times over here.

[Whorst]

There's a domestic pale ale malt I get that's about 3L. It's nice, and half the price of Maris Otter. I mix the two 50/50 or 80/20 depending on what I'm brewing.