Maris otter substitution advice

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leojez

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Hello! I'm just starting with all grain and as I'm located in Portugal, it isn't always a case of being to able get what is available in the UK.

The biggest headache is getting a good pale ale base malt, such as maris otter. I'll be brewing some pale ales, IPAs, bitters and porters.

There are a couple of main online suppliers here and these are the options they have given me, but I'm not sure which would be the best substitution.

- Bestmaltz Best Pale Ale 5-7 EBC
http://www.bestmalz.de/en/malts/best-pale-ale/

- Pale Ale EBC: 9
http://www.lojadocervejeiro.pt/en/maltes-base/9-pale-ale.html

Would either be a decent substitution for maris otter do you think?

Thanks in advance!
 
I dont usually buy marris otter because the irish malt I buy from GEB is cheaper than MO but you can approximate MO by adding biscuit malt as MO has a biscuity flavour. I normally add 5%. I think you might be about to do something similar by adding munich malt iirc if you dont have access to bisuit malt. If you google 'Marris Otter substitute' you'll get lots of hits (as I mention I looked into do exactly the same thing you want to as I'm a cheapskate and wanted to use the cheaper irish malt)
 
I wouldn't worry to much to begin with. No reason you need MO for your brews. The yanks use lots of two row for there ipa's, pales, porters etc.. And I think thats more similar to pilsner(may be completely wrong!!).
Just make a brew and see how it go's.
 
"Maris Otter" is just a variety of winter (sown in autumn rather than spring) barley that just happens to make very good malting barley when grown in England (the nitrogen levels are right for one). It is probably a hopeless variety to grow in Portugal (or Ireland, USA, etc.), hence you don't find it.

Do as the Americans do and import it from England at great expense, or use the best malt available locally.

It's not the grain that really makes the difference, it's what the maltsters do with it. And in England they tend to turn most of it into what's best for the UK markets (i.e. Pale Malt) and that's what they are best at making. In Portugal (or USA, etc.) the best malting barley might end up as lighter coloured "lager" malt, or "Pilsner" malt.
 
Overall I would do with what others have said and use what you can get your hands on. I only try to mimic Marris Otter for my English Bitters as MO is very style approprate this type of beer. For any thing else such as pale ales, porters etc I dont bother and just use the Irish Ale malt (or even the Irish Lager Malt if thats all I have) 'straight'
 

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