Galena
Landlord.
How big a difference do you think there is between Muntons Maris Otter and Pale Planet? The planet is £2 cheaper per 25kgs but is there any real difference that I would notice?
Maris Otter or Planet?
- Thread starter Galena
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I'm my experience, it depends on what you are brewing. If you are brewing something with loads of speciality malts, like a porter or stout, probably not a great deal
If you are brewing a pale ale which was 100% pale malt, then the MO will be slightly darker and more 'malty' tasting. Most of it is personal preference. I find I can tell the difference between MO (in a pale ale) and your more run of the mill modern malts such as Planet, but I struggle to detect a difference between Golden Promise and something like Planet. Other brewers will have other opinions.
Your best bet is to buy one, then next time the other, and see which you prefer.
If you are brewing a pale ale which was 100% pale malt, then the MO will be slightly darker and more 'malty' tasting. Most of it is personal preference. I find I can tell the difference between MO (in a pale ale) and your more run of the mill modern malts such as Planet, but I struggle to detect a difference between Golden Promise and something like Planet. Other brewers will have other opinions.
Your best bet is to buy one, then next time the other, and see which you prefer.
Cheshire Cat
Landlord.
Buy the best ie MO for the sake of £2
This would definitely be my choice too. If you are making beer for your own consumption, why would you care how pale it looks?
Last week I found myself handling a range of base malts as I repackaged several sacks - part of a bulk buy for our brewing club.
We had Marris Otter, Bohemian Pilsner, Europils, Clear Choice.
They all smelled different.
One of our club has been furloughed, and has generously set up a base malt comparison experiment (same SMASH recipe, same single early hop addition, same neutral yeast - only difference the base malt).
When we have tasted, and pulled together any data (which is likely to be qualitative), I'll ask permission to post it to this forum.
Best wishes
MArtin
We had Marris Otter, Bohemian Pilsner, Europils, Clear Choice.
They all smelled different.
One of our club has been furloughed, and has generously set up a base malt comparison experiment (same SMASH recipe, same single early hop addition, same neutral yeast - only difference the base malt).
When we have tasted, and pulled together any data (which is likely to be qualitative), I'll ask permission to post it to this forum.
Best wishes
MArtin
Galena
Landlord.
I wouldn't to be honest, I was thinking more of flavour
Galena
Landlord.
Thanks, I was planning on doing a few smash recipes to train my taste buds on different hops, but then I also want to use the base malt for bitters and IPA etc so I guess I will go with the MO for now.
Galena
Landlord.
I would be interested to see the results. I am thinking of doing a series of Smash brews to try out different hops and appreciate the differences, then it dawned on me perhaps the same would be needed for different malts, so unless in a position like yourselves this could take a long time.
Sadfield
Landlord.
Planet, save £2 and don't buy into the myth that MO is more expensive because it's better. It's more expensive as it is not grown in large quantities any more. Planet is the replacement for Propino and is the most widely grown variety. It has a more balanced flavour profile, suiting both hoppy beers and, as mentioned, ones using speciality malts. Gives better extract than MO, too. Brewing exclusively Bitters would be the only reason to choose MO.
Galena
Landlord.
Planet, save £2 and don't buy into the myth that MO is more expensive because it's better. It's more expensive as it is not grown in large quantities any more. Planet is the replacement for Propino and is the most widely grown variety. It has a more balanced flavour profile, suiting both hoppy beers and, as mentioned, ones using speciality malts. Gives better extract than MO, too. Brewing exclusively Bitters would be the only reason to choose MO.
Thanks that is good info. Thinking of nipping over this week and getting a sack from Staffordshire Brewery as their prices look good and no delivery charge, are they currently selling to the public do you know (only asking because of your location)?
Sadfield
Landlord.
Not sure. They normally require that you phone in advance before collecting anyway, to double check stock and to have it ready when you arrive. Good price and helpful people.
Now, that is interesting.Planet, save £2 and don't buy into the myth that MO is more expensive because it's better. It's more expensive as it is not grown in large quantities any more. Planet is the replacement for Propino and is the most widely grown variety. It has a more balanced flavour profile, suiting both hoppy beers and, as mentioned, ones using speciality malts. Gives better extract than MO, too. Brewing exclusively Bitters would be the only reason to choose MO.
Is selling MO to homebrewers more about some form of historic snobbery, then?
They taste slightly different and suit differing beers, but I imagine there is a certain amount of misguided snobbery.
Sadfield
Landlord.
Not sure it's sold out of snobbery as it's an ingredient that has it's place in the same way Goldings and Citra do, despite different price points. Judging by the previous recommendations to choose MO over Planet, with no justification as to why it's a better choice, suggests it may be purchased with a degree of snobbery.
I could swear I could smell freshly milled malt as I was reading this thread! I tend to favour Simpsons Golden Promise these days, on the basis that if it good enough for Timothy Taylor's Landlord its good enough for me.
Sadfield
Landlord.
Responding to a request for a better version of the image above, hope this one comes out better. The image was cut from a pdf I no longer have and can't find on muntons site, but it is available here > https://www.scribd.com/document/210369088/Muntons-Craft-Brewers-Guide
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Thank you
David_M
Active Member
I paid them a visit at the start of June. Phoned in advance, paid in advance and the grain was brought out on a trolley when I arrived, left near my car for me to pick it up and throw it in the boot.
Nice socially distanced transaction.
5 sacks of grain and 2 packs of bottle caps should keep me out of mischief for a while
Galena
Landlord.
Cheers, by coincidence I have just been over today, its only about 35 mins from my home so worth it. Only picked up a single bag of grain as I'm just getting in to it. It's a shame they only do crushed not that I need anything but crushed at the moment but if I ever start crushing my own I'll have to find a new supplier.
The transaction was done exactly as with yourself. Prices seem very good too unless I am missing a trick
David_M
Active Member
£20.90 for 25kg of MO seems ok to me. It takes me just over an hour to get there from north Manchester so never buy less than 3 sacks. MO not always in stock but happy to mix and match. Speciality malts take longer to get through but sit happily at ambient temperature in my shed/workshop/brewhouse.
