Specialty Smoked Beer Ent Draught

Almost a year of brewing/development including two iterations I'm finally comfortable sharing this recipe. The rauch flavor was a bit heavy for me the first time around. I tuned it down and added a half pound of wheat for a heftier head and a bit more body. Tweak the rauch malt based on your personal tastes. All the hops are New Zealand hops. I carbed at 1.8 volumes.

I've found that I prefer the taste at warmer temperatures. I keep it in my cellar or entryway in the winter and it's great. Excellently paired with grilled foods or cured meats and cheeses. Bourbon folks will love this beer!!

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FERMENTABLES:
7 lb - Pale 2-Row (73.7%)
1 lb - Smoked Malt/Rauchmalt (10.5%)
0.5 lb - Torrified Wheat (5.3%)
0.5 lb - Chocolate (5.3%)
0.25 lb - Aromatic Malt (2.6%)
0.25 lb - Peated Malt (2.6%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - NZ Pacific Gem for 60 min, (AA 15, IBU: 28.85)
0.5 oz - NZ Pacific Gem for 2 min, (AA 15, IBU: 2.44)
0.5 oz - NZ Super Alpha for 2 min, (AA 13, IBU: 2.11)

MASH STEPS:
1) Infusion, Temp: 155 F, Time: 60 min
2) Infusion, Temp: 158 F, Time: 30 min

YEAST
Wyeast - Thames Valley Ale 1275

SECONDARY:
0.5 oz - NZ Super Alpha for 7-10 days
0.2 oz - Oak Chips for 7-10 days

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My sister is a HUGE LOTR fan and gave me the inspiration for this recipe, so I'd like to acknowledge her inspiration with a few excerpts from the books that she gave me to base my recipe on.

Hey ho, to the bottle I go

Hey ho! To the bottle I go
To heal my heart and drown my woe
Rain may fall and wind may blow
But there still be
Many miles to go
Sweet is the sound of the pouring rain
And the stream that falls
From hill to plain
Better than rain or rippling brook
Is a mug of beer inside this Took

The Green Dragon

Oh, you can search far and wide
You can drink the whole town dry
But you'll never find a beer so brown
As the one we drink in our hometown

You can keep your fancy ales
You can drink 'em by the flagon
But the only brew for the brave and true
Comes from the Green Dragon

Ent-draughts were the mysterious and potent waters consumed by the Ents. Though little is known about them in detail, they seem to have been made from river-water, but with unique and subtle flavours reflecting the Ents' association with trees and forests. The first time Merry and Pippin imbibed an ent-draught it reminded them of the smell of a distant wood brought from afar by a cool night breeze. The second time they drank the flavour was earthier and richer, more food-like.

Looks interesting. I've been trying to find/work on a smoked porter recipe with both Rauch and Peated malt, so I am glad I found this.

How noticeable is the peat? I emailed a local brewery here that made one of my favourite Wee Heavy's and he said to use about 8%. That is of course, on it's own there was no Rauch. Do you think that would be way too much for this?

Damoxemus said:

Looks interesting. I've been trying to find/work on a smoked porter recipe with both Rauch and Peated malt, so I am glad I found this.

How noticeable is the peat? I emailed a local brewery here that made one of my favourite Wee Heavy's and he said to use about 8%. That is of course, on it's own there was no Rauch. Do you think that would be way too much for this?

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I guess it depends on your personal preference. I find peated malt to be very phenolic even in small quantities. If your palate isn't prepared for a harsh, strong taste I'd avoid a higher percentage. I love this beer on a Wintery night but I'm hard-pressed having my girlfriend or buddies who drink "lites" to enjoy it.

I've found that rauch-malt does balance it out better than the peated-malt on its own. I like peated malt in small quantities in scotch ales and rauchbiers--not much else. I put a handful in a black-IPA and noticed it right away in a negative way, just too strong.

I think if you like peated malt, go ahead and add more, rauchbiers are probably one of the better circumstances to do it. Cheers!

Cool, thanks for the reply. I will probably keep the peat to a minimum this time, see how it goes from there.