Alder smoked malt?

[jezbrews]

Is there any way to get hold of this in the UK? I can only get bacon flavou-sorry, beechwood smoked malt, and oak smoked. The latter might be nice but I'm really curious to make an alder smoked malt beer, especially using kveik yeast, but not exclusively. Are there other wood smoked malts like cherry or apple wood available in the UK that people know of? I just don't want Google to be inundated with results for beechwood!

 

[nickjdavis]

Not common I'm afraid. I've gone and bought my self a cold smoker and smoke my own malt using various flavours of wood dust.

Funnily enough the first one I did was Alderwood in a smoked Baltic Porter. Going to try Cherrywood next in an attempt to do a clone of Schlenkerla's Weichsel Rotbier.

 

[Sadfield]

Had the same issue, l could only find Beech smoked barley or oak smoked wheat. All the European suppliers that stock Viking Malts, stopped posting to the UK after Brexit. It's the will of the people. I'm now using 48% Maris otter and 52% Chipboard smoked chicken feed.

 

[LeeH]

Layers pellets = stuck mash. Should make you pee a nice golden yellow after a few pints though.

 

[Cwrw666]

I've used cherry wood smoked malt and it was lovely. Beech not so good and peat smoked malt pretty bad tbh.

 

[Bzee]

Not common I'm afraid. I've gone and bought my self a cold smoker and smoke my own malt using various flavours of wood dust.

Funnily enough the first one I did was Alderwood in a smoked Baltic Porter. Going to try Cherrywood next in an attempt to do a clone of Schlenkerla's Weichsel Rotbier.

can you explain more as the price of smoked malt is crazy, not that I'm gonna buy a cold smoker I was thinking maybe a colander of malt over remnant of living room fire and a bit of saw dust

 

[jezbrews]

can you explain more as the price of smoked malt is crazy, not that I'm gonna buy a cold smoker I was thinking maybe a colander of malt over remnant of living room fire and a bit of saw dust

Not sure how that would work as you'd be over-drying the malt. The smoking is part of the drying stage of the malting process... However I admit this is entirely theoretical so if someone has actually done this successfully I'm happy for theory not to live up to reality.

 

[jezbrews]

Not common I'm afraid. I've gone and bought my self a cold smoker and smoke my own malt using various flavours of wood dust.

Funnily enough the first one I did was Alderwood in a smoked Baltic Porter. Going to try Cherrywood next in an attempt to do a clone of Schlenkerla's Weichsel Rotbier.

I had the choice (budget restriction) between Schlenkerla's alder and cherry so went with the alder. I haven't had it yet, going to take it home so the missus can try (she likes the rauchbier Märzen), she also has a close Swedish friend and spent Christmas over there so I think she'd like to have something that was connected to northern European tradition of malting.

Unfortunately it does seem the case. Well, I'm looking to take on an allotment growing specialty grain to malt for myself, so we'll see!

 

[jezbrews]

I've used cherry wood smoked malt and it was lovely. Beech not so good and peat smoked malt pretty bad tbh.

Yeah I bet the cherry was great! Schlenkerla's is really the only smoked beer I've enjoyed.

 

[nickjdavis]

can you explain more as the price of smoked malt is crazy, not that I'm gonna buy a cold smoker I was thinking maybe a colander of malt over remnant of living room fire and a bit of saw dust

So some wood dust like this...

https://hotsmoked.co.uk/shop/smoking-woods/wood-smoking-dust/
Burned in a spiral tray like this (other cheaper versions are available)...

https://hotsmoked.co.uk/product/proq-cold-smoke-generator/
Inside a cabinet like this...

https://proqsmokers.co.uk/collections/cold-smokers/products/proq-cold-smoking-cabinet
All you have to do is make some wire mesh trays for your malt to rest on to a depth of maybe half an inch, allowing you to turn the malt and rotate the shelves around the cabinet so that it is reasonably evenly smoked. You don't really have to buy a smoking cabinet...I fashioned my first smoker out of a very large cardboard box....stuck some steel rods through the sides to act as shelves on which to rest my wire mesh trays.

 

[nickjdavis]

I had the choice (budget restriction) between Schlenkerla's alder and cherry so went with the alder. I haven't had it yet, going to take it home so the missus can try (she likes the rauchbier Märzen), she also has a close Swedish friend and spent Christmas over there so I think she'd like to have something that was connected to northern European tradition of malting.

Unfortunately it does seem the case. Well, I'm looking to take on an allotment growing specialty grain to malt for myself, so we'll see!

The normal Schelnkerla Rauhbier is decent enough, the Smoked Weizen has a little more character. The Eiche Oak Smoked Dopplebock is superb, as is the Fastenbier and my most recent tasting, the Weichsel Rotbier. Have some bottles of the Erle Schwarzbier (Alderwood) on their way to me as i type.

Yeah I bet the cherry was great! Schlenkerla's is really the only smoked beer I've enjoyed.

The Klosterbrau smoked beers are very good...especially the Bamberger Braunbier.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I've used cherry wood smoked malt and it was lovely. Beech not so good and peat smoked malt pretty bad tbh.

Peat can work but a little goes a long way - you only need 1-2%.

 

[Sadfield]

100% Peated malt is pretty nice, too. Love a Yeastie Boys Rex Attitude.

 

[Weatherman]

I made a smoked beer using a peat smoked malt (700g in 5.1kg grain bill) from the Greg Hughes book.

Then read it properly and it says beech smoked.

Far to smokey and it’s an acquired taste which is better than my usual beers that are usually just awful.

 

[MashBag]

I'm now using 48% Maris otter and 52% Chipboard smoked chicken feed.

I really wish I had seen a smiley face after that, 'cos now I think you are serious

 

[Sadfield]

MDF smoked Millet works, too.

 

[YeastFace]

Ply smoked rye?

 

[Sadfield]

https://brulosophy.com/2021/06/28/impact-peated-malt-has-on-an-american-porter-exbeeriment-results/
Peat malt is the most devisive and mysterious of malts.

 

[MashBag]

MDF smoked Millet works, too.

Wood glue and most soft wood is carcinogenic. Braver man that I.

 

[starseeker]

MDF also contains formaldehyde ,hopefully people are joking regarding using materials like this to smoke things ! Just go for a walk in a wood etc and collect some dead oak etc .