Maris otter is the autumn variety of barley, and it is widely used in the product of malt, which is used by the brewing industry. It is known for its biscuity and sweet flavor. To illustrate, it tastes like biscuit malt and has a hint of Munich malt as well. For the most part, it’s used in the brewing industry, but if you don’t have access to it, let’s check out some amazing substitutes that you can try to replicate the flavor and texture!
Maris Otter Substitutes
- 2-Row
2-row is one of the most popular malts out there and is an all-purpose variety. It is basically the American malt with a low rating ranging from 1.7 degrees L to 2.0 degrees L. For this reason, it tends to add a light blond color to the beer. As far as the flavor is concerned, it adds a sweet and clean malty flavor to the wort.
This is the ale-style malt that can be used as a base. In addition, it has a rich flavor or malt with nut and biscuit hints. Similarly, it adds a rich and pale golden color to the drink. This is the most common base malt, and there are various varieties of 2-row available, such as from Germany, Scotland, England, Belgium, Canada, and Finland.
It can be used for any beer style you want. The quality of the malt is amazing, but it varies with the manufacturer. But on average, the diastatic power ranges from 50 to 150 degrees. In addition, it’s recommended that you add the mash to the mixture to make it more effective.
- Golden Promise
Golden Promise is the second variety of malt that can be used to replace Maris Otter. It’s a traditional variety of barley that can be grown in Scotland and is the most expensive one. It is known to add mellow wort to the drinks, and the flavor is sweeter and cleaner as compared to Maris Otter. The Loviband range of the malt starts from 2.1 to 2.8. However, it might be darker as compared to 2-row.
This base malt is widely used in the traditional Scottish ales, but it works well for English-style ales as well. This variety of malt is the early-maturing barley and is used as Maris Otter in Scotland (yes, it’s the equivalent). It has the SRM value fluctuating between two and three while the diastatic power is 75 degrees. On top of everything, it has a 100% batch mix, promising the best performance.
- Pale Ale Malt
This malt variety is known for Loviband range of 3.5 degrees and is known to be darker as compared to 2-row malt. In addition, it has a nuttier and fuller flavor. In addition, it adds character and depth to the ales, making it a great choice for people who like rich beverages. It’s a promising choice for porters, American amber ales, and British ales.
It has over 100% usage and leads to dark and rich beers. It has the diastatic power of 85 and can add nutty and biscuit-like flavor to the beer. For this reason, it has become a rich malty base for the beers. It’s recommended that you purchase the high extract and fully modified variety of pale ale malt. In addition, it has enough enzyme level that includes the specialty flavor of the beer without increasing the brewing cycle.
- Briess Caramel Malt
It is known to have the Loviband range of 40 degrees and is a promising choice for amber ales and pale ales. In addition, it can be used in the darker varieties of beer, and you will absolutely love the caramel flavor and appearance it adds to the beer. Briess caramel malt is also called briess crystal 40L. To illustrate, this is the drum-roasted malt that improves the foaming in beer. It can enhance the viscosity of the beer and adds golden hues to the flavor. It has a subtle sweetness and often tastes like candy!
- Pilsen Malt
Pilsen malt is known to have Loviband range of 1.2 degrees, and it has the lightest color. It tends to create a light-colored beer and has a crisp and clean wort. In addition, the malty flavor is malty. It can be used for any beer style but goes well with lagers the most. It’s a promising choice for malt-based beer because it adds a clean character that helps enjoy the full flavor of malt!