Vienna malt's DP?

[andrewmj]

G'day
A quick question. I am hoping to making a vienna beer with 75% vienna, 25% munich malt. question being does in general vienna malt have a high enough enzyme content to fully convert this mash. Here in Australia currently using malts from Joe white (probably haven't heard of them), but I can't find any data on their malt. Does anyone have any background knowledge, especially Cargill guru.

[RaySherwood]

Vienna malt should definitely self convert, as should the Munich, so a blend of the two won't be a problem. Vienna should actually have enough DP to convert other grain as well but I'm not sure at what %. Your malt supplier should have more info.

Good luck,
Ray

[bigfatjoe]

Aside from concerns about high dry malt dp's you should also check into the beta glucan content of such, or at least not be surprised if the brew lauters slowly. The high air on temps applied early in the kiln process, necessary for color/flavor development, also rapidly denature many of the enzyme systems, including glucanase. It's not unreasonable for high dry malt glucans to approach or exceed 200 ppm, which at 75% of the grist will make a really really long day. As an example, our Munich malt glucans range from below 100 up to over 200. Other suppliers have similar ranges so it's not a supplier issue.

[damoller]

I use Vienna malt as a base in a few beers and even with a 75% Vienna base, some munich and caramel malts. I have never had any problem lautering. I have used these recipes on over 5 different systems and lautered well!

[Graydon]

Andrew
All of the responses posted here are correct that you should not have a problem with Vienna malt. My concern would be that if it is made from barley grown in Australia you will have to be very carefull about testing your convertion. While brewing in Asia I used Australian malt and found that my mash pH should be 5.2 and that an extended mash time helped. Australian malts react very differently than what we recieve in the states. Talk to your supplier and check the liquor in your mash(gravity) before you run off.

Good luck

graydon