





Author: Malcolm Frazer

Marketed as a premium 2-row malt, Maris Otter has solidified its place in the hearts of professionals and homebrewers alike who claim it imparts a unique rich biscuit-like character not often found in standard American 2-row varieties. As John Mallett points out in his recent book, Malt: A Practical Guide from Field to Brewhouse, Maris Otter is an English heritage variety viewed by many as being superior to other malts due not only to its flavor characteristics but the fact it “releases its extract into wort more easily during lautering.” To be clear, Maris Otter is the name of the barley variety that different companies then take and malt, whereas domestic/American 2-row is the generic term used for malt produced from various barley varieties including AC Metcalfe, CDC Meredith, Expedition, and a whole host of others.

As a homebrewer who has touted the superior quality of Maris Otter for years, I began to wonder if my adoration for this more expensive malt was based on positive attributes I was actually able to taste, a prideful nod to my British heritage, or an appeal to authority.

| PURPOSE |

To evaluate the differences between Maris Otter and domestic 2-row malts when used to make an otherwise similar beer.

| METHODS |

Given the widespread belief any true-to-style English ale requires the use of a traditional English malt, I figured I’d brew up one of my favorite styles from across the pond for this xBmt, keeping it on the less bitter end of the IBU scale in order to let the malt take center stage.

Dual Citizen Extra Bitter

Recipe Details Batch Size Boil Time IBU SRM Est. OG Est. FG ABV 5.5 gal 60 min 35.3 IBUs 9.0 SRM 1.058 1.020 5.0 % Actuals 1.058 1.015 5.7 % Fermentables Name Amount % Maris Otter OR Domestic 2-Row 11.375 lbs 91.46 Gold Swaen© - Red Malt 7 oz 3.52 Carastan Hugh Bairds Carastan - 35L 5 oz 2.51 Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L 4 oz 2.01 Special Roast 1 oz 0.5 Hops Name Amount Time Use Form Alpha % Goldings, East Kent 20 g 60 min Boil Pellet 5 Magnum 15 g 60 min Boil Pellet 14 Styrian Goldings 20 g 1 min Boil Pellet 3.8 Yeast Name Lab Attenuation Temperature West Yorkshire Ale (1469) Wyeast Labs 69% 64°F - 72°F

I didn’t make a starter for this batch, as I’d recently harvested a good amount of WLP002 English Ale yeast that I would split equally between the batches. The night before brewing, I measured out the grains and observed a subtle difference in color between them.

I proceeded to mill both sets of grain into separate labeled buckets, where they would remain until dough-in.

The following evening, I returned home from work to a kettle of warm strike water, thanks to my helpful-to-the-cause wife. Despite reported differences in potential extract and the impact either malt could have on mash pH, I made no adjustments because I wanted any differences between the beers to be due to the grain alone. Such parameters may be corrected for in a future xBmt. I staggered the start of each mash by about 20 minutes, hitting my target saccharification temperature on each.

I took pH measurements about 10 minutes into each mash that showed a slight difference, though nothing I’d consider drastic.

Following a 60 minute rest, I began wort collection via a standard batch sparge process and noticed no difference in lautering, which I found interesting due to the fact Maris Otter is admired by some professional brewers for its purported ease of releasing wort. Then again, this is homebrewing. Both batches were boiled for 60 minutes with hops added at the prescribed times.

At the completion of each boil, I rapidly chilled the worts to 62˚F/17˚C then took hydrometer measurements and noticed the Maris Otter batch clocked in barely higher than the 2-row wort.

Two temperature controlled fermentors were filled with either wort where they were hit with 60 seconds of pure oxygen before being pitched with equal amounts of WLP002 English Ale yeast slurry. I set the temperature controllers to 66˚F/19˚C and left the beers alone to work.

Airlock activity was noticed the following day and I observed nothing remarkable during fermentation. At 6 days post-pitch, both beers showed a significant drop in airlock activity, so I raised the temperature to 70˚F/21˚C where they sat a few days in order to minimize the chances of any diacetyl and to encourage complete attenuation. Similar hydrometer measurements taken two days apart confirmed both beers were finished fermenting and that one was slightly different than the other.

Out of curiosity, I took pH readings of the finished beers before cold crashing and again noticed a small difference.

I cold crashed the beers, fined with gelatin, transferred to kegs, then let them force carbonate and condition in my keezer for about a week before presenting them to tasters.

| RESULTS |

Forty-seven people of varying experience levels participated in this exBEERiment. Each taster was blindly served 1 sample of the Maris Otter beer and 2 samples of the domestic 2-row beer in different colored opaque cups then asked to select the unique beer. At this sample size, at least 22 accurate selections (p<0.05) would be required to achieve the threshold for statistical significance. In all, 25 (p=.004) of the participants made the accurate selection, meaning they were reliably able to distinguish a beer made from Maris Otter malt from one made with domestic 2-row.

Those who were correct on the initial triangle test were then asked to compare only the two different samples, still blind to the variable in question, and select the one they preferred. Interestingly, preference were evenly split with 10 tasters choosing the Maris Otter beer and 10 saying they preferred the domestic 2-row sample, while four people felt there was no difference and one noticed a difference but had no particular preference.

My Impressions: I cocked up my first go at the blind triangle – such a muppet, but English as I am, argued the toss. I let them warm up, as you should, n’ gave it another go. Aces the rest of the way, never missed it again. Who’d drink English-ish beer cold anyway? Wankers.

I perceived the beer made with domestic 2-row as having a lighter malty bread character that allowed the hop flavor and the esters typical of UK ales to come forward. For that reason, it tasted very English to me. I experienced the Maris Otter beer as being more nutty and slightly sweeter with a generally maltier profile. It also tasted very English, albeit for a different reason, the malt character as opposed to the hops and esters. To be honest, having compared beers from so many other xBmts that I perceived as being more starkly different than these two, I thought early on this would fail to achieve significance. To me, they were different, but I often feel that way, and then panelists show me that perhaps my insider knowledge may have biased my ability. Ultimately, these beers were closer than I thought they’d be, I expected the difference to be more noticeable than it was. I would venture a guess that a brewery relying solely on Maris Otter could slowly dial back their usage and most customers wouldn’t bat an eye.

| DISCUSSION |

I have zero issue admitting a sense of British pride may play into my love of Maris Otter. I was born there and raised here in the good ol’ U.S. of A and served in the world’s finest navy. In England, my family takes the piss by referring to me as the Yankee Doodle, and in America I am the Limey, isn’t that always the way. I won’t say I prefer one malt over the other, as that’s too absolute. When making beer that would benefit from the profile that MO provides, I do take some solace in that it may actually bestow a noticeable difference. For a West Coast IPA, I’ll still lean on domestic 2-row and continue using it for the heavy lifting in most beers I brew. If I desire a malty essence despite a lower gravity, as with most of my session beers, especially UK inspired styles, I will continue to rely on Maris Otter.

I solicited an additional opinion on Maris Otter from a trusted source. Too good to paraphrase, I’ll close with his response:

It just seems to be very well suited to making the type of pale malts that express well as typical English malt flavor. Malty fullness, great mid-mouth body and a slightly drying finish with a hint of biscuit. This flavor, when well deployed, allows the brewer to leave a touch of sweetness in the beer without it being sating or overtly obtrusive. This property works so well as a critical component for a quaffable, lower gravity beer. As pilsner malt it would probably not be quite so sublime but that is not what I would use it for.

Lastly, it embodies a link to history, which is both subjective and intangible. That said, our overall experience of drinking beer is inherently subjective. The history makes me feel good and drinking beer makes me feel good. It does add value to my experience.

Cheers,

John Mallett

Bell’s Brewery Inc.

Author of Malt: A Practical Guide from Field to Brewhouse

Cheerio!

Have you done similar comparisons, have a strong opinion either way, or have questions about base malt? Please leave a comment in the section below!

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