You and Yooper have jogged my memory OMB. I remember using 6-row when I was starting out with extracts. Just exbeerimenting you know, and got big ugly protein breaks with just steeping it. Once I started all grain I didn't even consider it because of that. Good info thanks!

 

I voted for Vienna, but only because it tastes IMO best as a single malt for my IPAs.
(german) Pale Ale is okay, Pilsner too light, and Munich too dark / malty.

 

I'd go with Colorado Malting Company's two-row, most versatile malt I can think of. I'm even considering doing a Pilsner with it....

 

I use mostly 2 row, Breiss or Rahr, some M.O. I use 6 row in cream ales and my Ballantine IPA and XXX clones. I brew ales.

 

My three core malts are (All Warminster)

Pale Ale, Maris Otter & Mild Ale Malt.

I have a weakness for Mild Ale Malt Recipes. Like this one...

1949 Adnams XXXX
mild malt 8.75 lb
amber malt 0.50 lb
crystal malt 80L 0.50 lb
no. 3 invert sugar 1.00 lb
caramel 0.08 lb
Fuggles 90 min 1 oz
Goldings 60 min 1 oz
Goldings 30 min 1.oz
(Less hops if using pellets)
OG 1051
FG 1015
ABV 4.70
IBU 37
SRM 20
Mash at 148º F
Sparge at 170º F
Boil time 120 minutes
pitching temp 59º F
Yeast WLP025 Southwold

The mild malt really makes a big difference...

A Note... if you feel the urge to brew this lovely beer... Substitute the Invert sugar with 8oz Golden Syrup & 8oz Black Treacle + replace the Caramel.(its very dark) with 1oz Chocolate Malt & 1oz Roast Barley.

Edited to rectify cockups...

 

I was reading up on this recently and thought I'd add to the conversation. Malt spec sheets can have some cool information.

Almost all base malts are blends of two-row Spring barley varieties, of which there are probably thousands. Maris Otter is an exception in that it is a Winter barley. Maris Otter and Golden Promise are also exceptions in that the malts are not blended; both are named for the single barley variety farmed for the malt. GP is interesting in that it's an X-men grain: formed by random mutation after exposing another barley to gamma radiation that gave it superpowers for farming and malting.

Blending barley is a safe way to get consistent malts, much like blending whiskeys to get more consistent flavors year-to-year over large batches. Also worth noting about blending barley is that the grains are often sourced from different countries. Your German malt may contain grains farmed in France, Belgium, and the Czech republic.

Most of this doesn't matter to the brewer as the key malt properties of color and flavor come not so much from the source grains but from kilning, which historically is regionalized. However, modern technology allows the large malt houses wide control over kilning techniques. Vienna, regardless of where it's malted is cured at low temperatures and slowly dried at high temperatures with high moisture as was traditionally done in Austria. Likewise, anyone's Pilsner is kilned to replicate classic bohemian maltsters, all Pales are kilned to replicate classic UK techniques. Every malt house gets slightly different results, so you'll find variations even in the same German Munich between Weyermann, Bestmalz, and Schill.

6-row is uniquely American. During the Industrial Revolution, the quest for profit aimed US brewers towards lower costs. 6-row was cheap and the extra diastatic power allowed them to substitute cheap adjuncts with low DP like rice (Budweiser) and corn (Yuengling). The Europeans distanced themselves from this process and don't malt with 6-row, so it's not farmed there.

 

6-row has more complex flavor than 2-row, but it needs a more experienced hand to use - DMS, sparging astringency, crush size. It can work really well in SMASH beers to provide complex flavors and good body from the protein content.

Vienna is extremely versatile and can be used as a base malt in most styles. Vienna in a saison, mashed low, can provide for a delicious alternative to the (sometimes) boring, excessively dry saisons. It's a good option for session styles or simple imperial styles (DIPA) as well.