Smoked Malts: Appropriate Amounts

Hello,

I was just hoping someone would could let me know the appropriate amount of smoked malt to use for a 5 Gallon batch of extract. This is an all extract PORTER recipe using steeping grains.

The recipe includes:

Smoked Malt
Black Malt
Chocolate Malt
Caramel Malt

Light Malt extract

How smoky do you like your beers? I would start out on the lowish side, say 1/2 pound of smoked.

Edit: I see that Daniels and Larson (Smoked Beer) start out at 1lb for a "hint of smoke", so revise my recommendation upward.

smoked malt needs to be mashed, there is an extract from weyermann but it is not easy to find.

20% is the lowest I would go for a Porter. 40% would be better IMO.

So this would absolutely have to be mashed? I won't extract any of the smoked character if i don't mash this?

You might but if you are using rauchmalt you will need 3-5 lbs of it, assuming you extract as much smoke flavor as in mashing. It is unlikely you are set up to do that and can't just mini-mash it.

Peat malt is a different story as you are talking ounces there.

I'd just figure out where to get the extract.

I thought I saw a Stone clone that used a couple ounces of peat. That's probably better for extract. 4-5 POUNDS of Rauch is about right for an all grain batch. No way to get enough smoke from just steeping a pound.

I agree with Bobby. I used about 50% Rauch malt in my last smoked porter and didn't find it smoky enough. I think it turned out to be around 5 lbs in the mash.

I have a Rauchbier that I used 2 lbs of Weyerman Rauchmalz.

It's not like the Schlenkerla in Bamberg, but it's smoky enough...

I know this is like 3 years old...in case someone is searching about this malt and finds this...like I did...


1 lb in a mini mash 5gal batch...is WAYYYY too smokey.

Not likely at all with the German rauchmalt. I used 1/2lb in a partial mash for my dark hybrid lager & it dissappeared. Now with the peat smoked,1lb would likely be too much. The breisse cherry wood smoked malt uses less than the wyermann's,but I think it was more than the peat. The beachwood smoked weyermann's is too light,& a lot needs to be used. Might try the breisse next time in my recipe.
Also,the German one is has low diastatic power,so some 2-row is def in order to get it to convert.

I don't know the brew store has them in 1 lb bags labeled "Smoked Malt". I don't mill my own grain so I don't have the bag to see exactly what it was. But it didn't smell like smoke when we milled it...and it doesn't taste like Peat smoke which I associate with Islay Scotchs (which I love).

This just tastes like cold campfire smoke.

I'm hoping my friends like it...cause it's taking up valuable keg space right now.

Rauchmalt,being beechwood smoked,smells like when I use ash wood in the bbq pit to me.