Alternative base malts for stout

I have used Vienna as a base for porters on a few occasions and had good results. I wouldn't hesitate to use a Munich either. You can certainly blend base malts to achieve an adequate amount of DP. As far as diastatic brown malt, personally haven't seen any, an Amber malt may be a closer alternative that will have some degree of DP and contribute a malt character that to me can be reminiscent of Brown malt. To figure your overall DP you just multiply each grains weight by it's DP and then divide total DP by total grist weight. If the total is in the 35 to 40 range you should be fine. Some 6-row will help bump that total DP number up and typically aren't too flavorful. That stout malt referenced above is made with the intention of keeping high DP in stouts that are adjunct heavy and so a good suggestion although I haven't used it and can't add anything about its flavor. Distillers malt also has great DP for maxing yield and will not give a ton of flavor if you want to try that base mixing idea..
But in direct response to the OP, Vienna? Absolutely. Sorry for the rambling.

 

Ron, is the Valley Malt brown malt a special order item?

I could not find brown malt listed on their website:

http://valleymalt.com/malts/

Cheers!

 

I know they make brown malt because they're making some specially for a project I'm working on.

 

Possible that they're making it ONLY for that project? Or that it's special order only?

 

Heh.... they make it because Ron asked them to for his project! I'm sorry, Ron, I love you but I can't help but giggle.

 

And it's diastatic?

 

That's the real question here. Brown malt is undeniably available, but is diastatic brown malt (with the enzymatic power to convert itself) available?

 

The one for the project isn't but I know Andrea has made diaststid brown malt. She and John Mallet had a beer made with it at the NHC in 2014 in Grand Rapids.