A characterful base malt, Maris Otter provides a full, rich, “malty” foundation to a wide range of beer styles. It is the ideal base malt for English Milds, Brown Ales, ESBs, Pale Ales and Barley Wines and adds depth to many other styles including porters, stouts, and IPAs.
Beyond it’s rich flavor, Maris Otter also has many ideal brewing characteristics. It has plump grains, is low in protein and has high diastatic power all which help producing good yield even without precise temperature control.
Now considered a heritage variety, Maris Otter was bred in 1965 at the British Plant Breeding Institute (PBI) in Cambridge, England by Dr. GDH Bell and selected for it’s flavor and process characteristics as a malt in brewing particularly for use in brewing cask ales. This sets it apart from almost all other barley varietals which are bred for agricultural characteristics such as disease or drought tolerance and yield. It is a 2-row winter barley born of a cross between two older PBI varieties, Proctor and Pioneer.
After a few decades wide cultivation, cross pollination and uncontrolled seed replanting, the Maris Otter crop yielded uneven quality which lead to a decline in reputation and acreage. In 1991, H Banham Ltd and Robin Appel Ltd formed a consortium to restore the quality and consistency of the variety to satisfy demand from real ale brewers. This consortium now controls the supply of seed and ensures it is grown only under suitable growing conditions.
Simpsons Finest Pale Ale Maris Otter is "the Rolls Royce of malts for the traditional brewer". A heritage varietal of 2-Row, Maris Otter is a perfect base malt for English styles, but can be used for almost any recipe. It will contribute a light golden color with hints of bread crust and nuts.
Origin
United Kingdom
Suggested Styles
Up to 100%, suitable for most styles
Specs
| Color (°Lovibond) | 2.2-3.0 |
| Extraction Efficiency | 81% |
| Diastatic Power (°Lintner) | 50-75 |
| Protein | 8.1-9.7% |
Simpsons Malt
Producing over 250,000 tons of malt per year, Simpsons is "the home of good malt". James Parker Simpson opened his malting business in 1862 and in the following decades the family business has grown into one of the leasing suppliers for brewers and distillers in the UK and around the globe.