Intense rauchbier using Best Malz rauch malt

I've made two smoked beers in the past using Weyermann and while they were very good, the smokiness just wasn't there for me. So this time I had easy access to Best Malz, and I used it thinking it would be somewhat similar to Weyermann. I was wrong.

I transferred it to secondary last night after 22 days in primary. I drank the sample I pulled off for a gravity check, and the aroma made my eyes water! It literally tastes like campfire; too intense for me, and I love me some Schlenkerla. I do not remember this kind of intensity at this part of the process last time.

So, opinions? Is this anyone else's experience with this malt? How long would you guess it should remain in secondary, and at what temperature? I'm planning on kegging, but wouldn't be opposed to bottling.

OG 1.052
FG 1.015
25 IBUs
77% rauchmalt
1 packet us05 + 1 packet us04 pitched at 67*F (I forgot to make the damn starter for the vial of WLP029!)

Fermented 65 - 67*F for the first week, 67 - 69*F for the next two weeks, currently in secondary at 68 - 70*F.

Thanks.

i would just let your sit for a while - 1 month maybe. maybe you want to add some residual sweetness to mask the smokiness or dry hop with a few oz's to balance things. wow this is great information for me, though. not good for you, 7ways, but i'm glad to finally see some good information about Best Malz Best Smoked Malt. i heard weyermann was a bit weak on the smoke and i'm aiming for something a bit more smoky than just "eh".

on saturday i brewed a smoked porter @ 1.080 w/ 57% best malz smoked malt & 35 ibu's. hopefully i'm right in that sweet spot. time will tell

"wow this is great information for me, though. not good for you, 7ways"

I laughed pretty hard when I read that. I'm keeping it at 36-38*F for a month or two, hopefully it will make a difference. I bet it will.

Please keep me posted about your smoked porter, I refuse to let this malt beat me, and I intend to use it again soon.

I've made a few smokebeers. The smoke does recede over time.

I agree, the Weyermann is weak. I don't think I'd go under 50% with that in a rauchbier.

You should try the Briess. It's different (cherrywood) and delicious.

What else are you guys using to get to 100%? Vienna, Munich?

sivdrinks said:

What else are you guys using to get to 100%? Vienna, Munich?

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smoked porter:
BZ smoked 57.7%
CM munich 30.8%
chocolate 6.4%
crystal 120L 2.6%
carafa III 2.6%

i'm curious what 7ways is using in his recipe as well. mine's not too smoky after 2 weeks, but it's still a little green & needs time. i could use more smoke; 57% ain't enough to battle the 10%+ dark malts. overall too bitter & roasty. not enough smokiness. not as balanced as i'd hoped. on another note- i read the BZ smoked is also cherrywood smoked, just as briess is.

Here you go jessup:

7 lbs. Best Malz smoked malt
1 lb Munich
1 lb Vienna
.5 lb carapils
.25lb Black Prinz

It was in primary for 19 days, and has now been in secondary at 38-40* for forty days. Just took a sample - still nothing but a smoke bomb. I'm getting impatient now. I need a quick fix because this is taking up extremely valuable fermentation space. Oak chips? Scotch? Vanilla? Tranfer to a keg and forget about it in the closet for 3 months?

If Best really does use cherry, that might explain my problem. I'm surprised they do not use beechwood. I really do not care for several commercial beers that are made with Briess cherry wood smoked malt, which is why I avoided it. Balls.

Please let us know, anyone, if you find out if the Best is cherrywood smoked. I did a smoked rye ale (5gals) with 2lbs of the Briess, and it was, like 7ways said, like a burned stick was in my glass. Second time, 1lb Briess (along with adding some crystal rye and chocolate rye) and it was MUCH better.

I want to do a rauchbier soon. I too love Schlenkerla, and heard they use 100% rauch malt. Jamil recommends 33-50%. I have a bunch of both Weyermann and Best malt on hand. I'm thinking of going 100% Weyermann rauch malt, until we have more info on the Best.

Denny

100% weyermann rauch will not get you to promised land. Maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of the smokiness of schlenkerla marzen.

My last attempt was the following:
90% Weyermann Rauch
7.8% Weyermann Lt. Munich
2% Weyermann Dehusked Carafa I
WLP820

I have also tried:
98% Weyermann Rauch
2% Weyermann Dehusked Carafa I

TheZer said:

100% weyermann rauch will not get you to promised land. Maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of the smokiness of schlenkerla marzen.

My last attempt was the following:
90% Weyermann Rauch
7.8% Weyermann Lt. Munich
2% Weyermann Dehusked Carafa I
WLP820

I have also tried:
98% Weyermann Rauch
2% Weyermann Dehusked Carafa I

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Was it good?

sivdrinks said:

Was it good?

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The 98% rauch recipe Ive tried with a few different yeasts, different mash temps, but all were lacking when compared to the marzen or urbock. Both in smokiness and taste. It was really just an experiment in maximum use of rauch.

The recipe where I added the munich is currently lagering.

I've read somewhere on the "internet" that weyermann rauch is a pilsner malt, where schlenkerla uses a smoked munich. Maybe this is why my attempts with weyermann all have a dry'ish smokiness, where schlenkerla has a sweet meaty bacony smokey aroma and flavor.

Just an FYI, weyermann has a smoked malt extract, and also an oak smoked wheat malt.

Weyermann

jessup said:

smoked porter:
BZ smoked 57.7%
CM munich 30.8%
chocolate 6.4%
crystal 120L 2.6%
carafa III 2.6%

i'm curious what 7ways is using in his recipe as well. mine's not too smoky after 2 weeks, but it's still a little green & needs time. i could use more smoke; 57% ain't enough to battle the 10%+ dark malts. overall too bitter & roasty. not enough smokiness. not as balanced as i'd hoped. on another note- i read the BZ smoked is also cherrywood smoked, just as briess is.

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Keep us updated. If you were just making a Rauchbier with the Best Malz do you think 60/40 smoked/Munich would be good?

The Best Malz I get comes in 55LB sacks and is AWESOME. Makes for very smoky beers. Seems to be fresher and thus smokier than the Weyermann stuff but I had figured it was because I was opening a fresh sack.

My last attempt at a schlenkerla esque marzen I used 71% smoked Best Malz. I love smoke and while it is not the exact same type of smoke and schlenkerla, it is quite tasty, but you have got to love that campfire in your mouth taste.

This Smoked Porter turned out excellent! A nice sipper & well rounded between the roast, crystal sweetness & rauch I was goin for! The BZ smoked is great, but next time I do plan on going heavier than 60% & really go full on smokey. A 60/40 BZsmoked & munich can def be excellent since no dark malts will cover up that delicious flavor + malty munich will round it out. I would recommend this recipe to anyone - since i have an extra keg i'm considering lagering 5 gal to drop a few grav points & go baltic.

I finally emailed Best Malz. It is in fact beechwood smoked. She said I'm not the first to contact them about it, and other brewers recommend using 30-40%. So there we are.

jessup said:

This Smoked Porter turned out excellent! A nice sipper & well rounded between the roast, crystal sweetness & rauch I was goin for! The BZ smoked is great, but next time I do plan on going heavier than 60% & really go full on smokey. A 60/40 BZsmoked & munich can def be excellent since no dark malts will cover up that delicious flavor + malty munich will round it out. I would recommend this recipe to anyone - since i have an extra keg i'm considering lagering 5 gal to drop a few grav points & go baltic.

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So at how many weeks were you happy with your smoked porter? In your initial post with the recipe you weren't too excited.

sivdrinks said:

Keep us updated. If you were just making a Rauchbier with the Best Malz do you think 60/40 smoked/Munich would be good?

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so i have just about a gallon of this left in a keg and it sure held up to the test of time. still very smoky even after about a year so the 60/40 is def good. may even be too smoky for some if using the subject BZsmoked. the batch got better over time but next time i might go 50/50. potent stuff - foot in mouth from earlier post in this thread.

I did a Tumbler inspired beer, but upped the Rauch to 15% with Best Malz and 4 months later (having a pint now) it's still noticeably smoky. Just entered it into a competition and there was definitely "noticeable smoke," even with 15%. I'll take the rest of the third sack I have and make a 50% beer, methinks.