Rauchbier

[bacchus173]

Hi guys, Does anyone have an AG recipe for a smoked beer. I`ve never tried a smoked beer and am busting to try one. Any help would be gratefully appreciated. Happy brew days guys :thumb:

 

[TheMumbler]

Smoked Mild

If you want a really smokey one, I have a recipe for Schenkerla Marzen in qbrew, not sure where it came from but possibly Graham Wheeler's European Beers book

for 23l
5.5kg Rauch malt (Weyermann)
100g chocolate malt

30 ibus of Hallertauer 90 minutes

German Ale yeast

According to shenkerla the marzen is 100% bamberg smoked malt but it is certainly dark.

edit to specify type of rauchmalt

 

[Stihler]

Are you sure about the amount of Rauch malt in that recipe?

That would produce one seriously smoky beer.

Generally you don't use more than about a pound or so (0.45 kg).

- Scott

 

[zgoda]

It depends on how "smoky" is the malt. Of these I know, Weyermann's is only mildly smoky, BestMalz is moderately smoky like in Spezial and Steinbach is real beast, Schlenkerla type.

 

[PD]

there use to be a how to on brewing your first all grain recipes by one of the " old timers " of this forum.....( no offense intended ) and it was based on brewing a Rauchbier, unfortunately I cannot find it at the moment

 

[cnelsonplumber]

I have made This and slight variations a couple of times all have turned out well. :

 

[TheMumbler]

Are you sure about the amount of Rauch malt in that recipe?

That would produce one seriously smoky beer.

Generally you don't use more than about a pound or so (0.45 kg).

- Scott

Yes I am sure :)Have you ever tried Schenkerla Marzen? It is a seriously smokey beer :) They use 100% bamberg smoked malt as documented in their pdf which I linked to.

I have made a beer which was mainly but not entirely Weyermann Rauchmalz and while it was very smokey it was by no means unpalatable. The intention was a kind of smoked English thing. I suppose something like Brakspear Triple but smokey like Schenkerla.
23l
5.50 kg Rauch malt (Weyermann)
1.00 kg Amber Malt (fawcetts)
0.50 kg Flaked corn

40.00 g Bravo 90 mins
30.00 g Whitbread Golding 90 mins
20.00 g Bramling Cross 15 mins
25.00 g Bramling Cross 0 mins

Brakspear yeast (recultured)
half a protofloc

It was a lower gravity than I wanted preboil so I added some DME and possibly a bit of sugar (I would have to check my notes). It took a little while (around 6 months) to settle down to a good flavour. Blackcurrant and smokey is an odd combination. I'm not sure I would go for Bramlings again. That said I think it is the only recipe more than one other homebrewer has asked me for after tasting it.

It depends on how "smoky" is the malt. Of these I know, Weyermann's is only mildly smoky, BestMalz is moderately smoky like in Spezial and Steinbach is real beast, Schlenkerla type.

I am assuming Weyermann Rauchmalz as it is the only smoked malt that was widely available here (in the UK) when that recipe was punched into qbrew. You are right about the different malts, peat smoked is more smokey than the Weyermann (Beech?)smoked. I've never seen the other varieties you mention but I have been meaning to have a go with Oak or Birch smoked at some point. I'd love to have a go at home smoking but haven't found the time yet.

 

[Stihler]

...Weyermann's is only mildly smoky....

I've only used peat smoked malt and that was quite smoky.

One thing to keep in mind is that the hasher notes in smoked beers tend to mellow out a bit with some aging.

- Scott

 

[zgoda]

I don't like peat smoked malt, to me it smells like burnt rubber. All these German malts are smoked over the wood.

BTW, Weyermann makes smoked wheat malt, so-called Grodziski. Perfect for Grätzer/Grodziskie beer.

 

[TheMumbler]

Fining can drop some of the smokiness out too, or so I am told.

I don't like peat smoked malt, to me it smells like burnt rubber. All these German malts are smoked over the wood.

BTW, Weyermann makes smoked wheat malt, so-called Grodziski. Perfect for Grätzer/Grodziskie beer.

I am pretty sure the malt miller stocks that. Where would you get the yeast for a Grätzer/Grodziskie though? I think I'm right in saying that Ron Pattinson has had a go at making something reasonably authentic with a Dutch Brewery.

I don't have the faintest idea what one would taste like...

 

[zgoda]

I'm the one who has the original thing.

Seriously, all members of Polish Homebrewers Assoc. are entitled to 1 slant per year of original Grodziskie yeast.

Others here use Altbier and Kölsch yeast, with success. These strains are really close to original Grodziskie yeast.

Jopen Grätzer is very close, the only thing off is clarity. Original Grodziskie was filtered after fermentation, then primed with lager yeast, effectively making beer cristal clear.

Dry, highly carbonated, bitter, with smoky note.

 

[mortonbrew]

I love these smoke beers. Tried the schlenkerla rauchbier whilst on a trip to the dales. Great pub called the New Inn in Appletreewick. Some really obscure beers available, and all the better for it!

It was a taste sensation and I have loved it ever since. Once I get a few brews under my belt I would love to try one like this. :drink:

 

[TheMumbler]

I'm the one who has the original thing.

Seriously, all members of Polish Homebrewers Assoc. are entitled to 1 slant per year of original Grodziskie yeast.

That is cool

Do you have a recipe?

 

[zgoda]

Very simple. 100% wheat malt kilned over natural fire. 30-35 IBU from single addition of Lubelski or Saaz. OG 1.032, FG 1.008. Clean fermentation. Carbonated to ~3 vols co2 (like weizen). That's all of the recipe. :)

 

[jonnymorris]

I think it was BrewStu who wrote the How To around a Rauchbier. I followed it as my first AG last year. I'll post a link when I can find it...

Here you go but be warned, its smokey!
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=5683#p5683