Vienna Malt
The toasted-bread base malt of Vienna lager.
What it tastes like
Vienna malt is a step up in kiln temperature from Pilsner — pale gold rather than straw, with a clear toast-and-bread character that defines Vienna lager and Märzen. It can be a base malt (used at 100%) or a flavor malt (used at 10-30% in pale beers for extra depth). The signature Oktoberfest amber-orange color comes from heavy Vienna and Munich malt usage.
Best in these styles
Tasting Tip
Devils Backbone Vienna Lager is one of the cleanest US examples. The toasty-bread note in the middle of every sip is Vienna malt expressing itself.For brewers — technical profile
Color (Lovibond)
3.5–4.5 °L
Color (EBC)
7.5–10
Max Use
100% of grain bill
Diastatic Power
Moderate (~50°L)
Where to source
Maltsters that produce or distribute this grain:
History
Vienna malt was developed by Anton Dreher in the 1840s, contemporaneous with the development of pale Pilsner malt. Together, Dreher's Vienna malt and Sedlmayr's Munich malt represented two of the first 'modern' kilning approaches that distinguished lager malts from existing brown English malts.
Other kilned malts
Aromatic Malt
Concentrated Munich character at higher color.
rich bread crustdeep maltsubtle caramel
Biscuit / Victory Malt
Toasted-bread character without crystallized sweetness.
toasted breadcrackerbiscuit
Brown Malt
The traditional malt of historical London porter.
toasted breadbiscuitfaint smoke
Honey Malt
Honeyed sweetness without crystallization.
honeyrich maltsubtle nut