Nick Carr on April 3, 2020 0 Comments Two-row pale, sometimes called “Brewer’s Malt” or simply Two-row, is by far the most used base malt in the U.S. It is a light-colored malt, lighter than “Pale Malt,” generally around 1.8 Lovibond (very light gold) and has a sweet, clean, smooth, slightly cracker-like flavor profile. Unlike Maris Otter or Simpsons Special Promise, American two-row is not a particular variety of malt in itself. Instead, Two-row can be made from several different types of barley and often appears as a mix of two or more barley varieties grown in North America. As an example, Rahr Malting makes their two row using Harrington and Metcalf while Cargill’s two-row is a mix of the barley varieties Metcalfe and Copeland. At one time, the bulk of both the U.S. and Canada’s barley acreage was dominated by one variety, Harrington. It was licensed in 1981 and for the next 20 years, it was the most planted variety of two-row in both the U.S. and Canada. But, things change and newer, better varieties get developed. Other varieties that have done well include AC Metcalfe, Copeland, Conrad, and Moravian 69. Twenty different two-row varieties were approved by the American Malting Barley Association for 2017 planting. There were only four varieties that made up more than 10% of the overall U.S. two-row acreage in 2016. They are a mix of old (AC Metcalfe, Moravian 69, and Hockett) and one new variety (ABI Voyager). ABI Voyager acreage has steadily grown over the last four years and the variety seems poised to become a dominating presence in the U.S. There is little information about ABI Voyager other than that it was developed by Busch Agricultural Resources and it has resistance to the disease spot blotch which may allow it to be grown farther east than other two-row varieties. Another newcomer that is growing in demand is the variety AAC Synergy. Origin: North America Malt Type: Base Malt Average Percentage Used: Up to 100% of the grain bill Diastatic Power: Diastatic power will be around 140OL (Lintner). Two-Row Pale malt has well above the recommended minimum of 35oL to allow self conversion. Its high diastatic power makes it an excellent base to power both malt and adjunct brews. Lovibond: Can range from 1.5oL to 2.5oL (Lovibond) depending on the batch and maltster Color it contributes to the beer: With an average rating usually somewhere around 1.8oL there will be little color contribution to a finished beer. If two-row is the only thing in your malt bill expect a pale straw to slightly golden color. Also, remember that color can be affected by boiling times, oxidation, fining, water chemistry, and other factors. Flavor: Light, clean, smooth, grainy, crackers, light honey Storage/Use Within: You should store two-row pale malt in a pest-free, dry environment at a temperature below 90oF; preferably between 50oF and 70oF. Use your two-row pale within 6 months of purchase especially if already milled. Availability (Malt): Two-row pale malt is easy to find online and every homebrew supply out there will carry it. Maltsters that make it include: Cargill Malting (Cargill Two-Row Pale Typical Malt Analysis Sheet) Briess Malting (Briess Brewers Typical Malt Analysis Sheet) Great Western Malting, organic and non-organic (Premium Two-Row Typical Malt analysis sheet) (Organic Premium Two-Row Typical Malt analysis sheet) Horton Ridge- Organic and Floor Malted Rahr Malting Availability (Extract): Pale extracts are widely available in both liquid and dry form, both on the internet and at homebrew supply stores. Note that many extracts labeled as pale, are actually around 4oL and may contain a small amount of dextrin malt for added mouthfeel (Briess, as an example). There is some ultralight extract that is made with 100% two-row, which might be worth checking out if you’re trying to stay really light color-wise. Possible Substitutions for Two-Row Pale: Remember, two-row pale is often found under the names two-row or brewer’s malt. Pilsner malt Lager malt Brewing With Two-Row Pale: Think of this as the cleanest canvas possible when it comes to brewing. It can be used as the base malt in just about any style. However, it is most often associated with American styles and can make up 100% of the malt in an American Pale Ale, American IPA, or American Blonde. Consider it at the shallow end of the malt complexity pool, providing a very light and delicate touch of malt character in the form of subtle sweetness and a smooth crackery edge. As mentioned earlier, it is also a good base malt to use when using adjuncts. Its high diastatic power allows it to reliably convert adjunct quantities as high as 40% of the grain bill. It’s time to bring on that American Lager recipe. Beer Styles it’s often used in: American Two Row can find a place in many styles requiring a mild malt canvas. But it is most often associated with American Styles like those listed below. American Lager Cream Ale American Amber American Blonde American Pale American Brown California Common American Stout American Porter American IPA Specialty IPAs Double IPA American Strong Ale American Barley Wine Commercial Using Only American 2-row Malt: Go West! IPA from Anchor Brewing Company (USA) Drop Dead Blonde from Stevens Point Brewing Company (USA) Session Pale Ale from Stevens Point Brewing Company (USA) Commercial Examples Using American 2-row and Other Malts: Anchor Steam from Anchor Brewing Company (USA) – Also uses Caramel malt Torpedo Extra Pale Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (USA) – Also uses Caramel malt Wildflower Wheat from Marble Brewing Company (USA) – Also uses Wheat and Honey Malt White Rascal from Avery Brewing Company (USA) – Also uses Wheat Briney Melon Gose from Anderson Valley Brewing Company (USA) – Also uses Malted White Wheat Summerfest from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (USA) – Also uses Pilsner and Munich Blood Orange Blonde from Anchor Brewing Company (USA) – Also uses Pilsner Malt Summer Time Kolsch from Goose Island Brewing Company (USA) – Also uses Wheat Brooklyn Lager from Brooklyn Brewing Company (USA) – Also uses Munich and Crisp Malt Saga IPA from Summit Brewing Company (USA) – Also uses Caramel Malt Pintail Pale Ale from Karl Strauss Brewing Company (USA) – Also uses Caramel 60 Special Lager from Stevens Point Brewing Company (USA) – Also uses 6-row Bright Side from Treaty Oak Distilling Ranch (USA) – Also uses 1% Vienna and 1% Honey Malts
