Peat Smoked Malt?

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JoCoPoboy

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Well I'm currently building a late winter holiday brew and Was wondering if i use 1lb of smoked peat malt would it affect the flavor to bad i don't wanna go over board with the smoke flavor or aroma but the idea of this brew is to make you feel like your drinking around the bonfire! so prehaps less or more I'm only brewing a 2 gallon batch (test Batch)
 
From my reading that's a bit much. I've read that the peat smoked malt is much smokier than regular rauchmalt, and just a little bit is needed, especially with your batch size. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Like tennesseean 87 said, peat smoked malt is a very different beast than regular smoked malt. The peat smoked will give you more of a mossy, ashy flavor/aroma. I've used 4 lbs. of smoked malt in a Munich lager and it turned out great! It tasted a little like bacon. :) I would say that the max of peat smoked malt, especially in a 2 gallon batch, should be around 1/4 - 1/2 lb. Maybe you could do 2 separate batches of 2 gallons each with 1/4 lb. peat smoked in one and 1/2 lb. in the other. Make everything else the same and use the same yeast. That would give you a good idea of how much you would need for a larger batch in the future.

Cheers!
 
Iv'e used peated barley in a few recipes,4 oz. per 5 gal batch is the general max.A little of this stuff goes a long way-too much and your beer will taste medicinal and may take months to mellow out.
 
I'm not sure peat smoked malt is really appropriate for any style, but a pound is going to be a LOT. Gordon Strong has a quote in his book where a guy used a full pound in a 5 gallon batch and said the beer tasted like an "open grave."
 
Different strokes for different folks. I have never used rauchmault, but I did dump 1# into a 5 gallon batch, and it has been a crowd favorite. The flavor isnt over powering, it kind of sits at the back of each gulp throwing briney mossy happiness at your taste buds.

I like the idea of doing a couple 2 gallon batches with varying degrees of peatyness. That will allow you to dial in the right amount.

The problem here is that different people have different fast criteria, and what works for me isnt necessarily going to work for others. I say cry havoc and let loose the dogs of brewsperimentation!
 
Peat malt is sort of like licking an ashtray. I like it in heavy amounts in my beer, but I think I'm an outlier that way. Some people think any is too much; then there's the guy that brewed a peated SMASH and liked it. One of my favorite brews had about 1/2 lb per gallon, but I could certainly see where not everyone would like it. If you want bonfire, you might consider Briess' Cherrywood-smoked malt or the Rauch beechwood malts, both of which are far milder. Just chew a little of each at the LHBS and see how they taste.
 
Using around 2.5% peat smoked malt in the grain bill is the safe zone. Anything north of 5% and you're probably treading in dangerous waters
 
I, too, would recommend against peat smoked malt. Briess (cherry wood) is very good, and you'll want to use 20% for a good subtle smokiness. 10% would be barely noticeable. Weyermann (beech) is much more subtle, and 20% is hardly noticeable. In fact, 100% weyermann isn't even that smoky if you have lots of other flavors like hops and spices. BTDT.

You can open up a bag of Briess and Weyermann and you'll see exactly what I mean.
 
Well here's the recipie


2# 2 row
1# honey malt
1# flaked oats
1# crystal 60
1#peat smoked

1oz Mt hood at 60mins

Cinnamon sticks at flame put
And maybe some brown sugar
 
I'm currently drinking a wee heavy with 2% peat malt. IMO it is good in small quantities depending on the style.
It's similar to the flavor of an Isla scotch -- very campfire/smoky like and a hint of brine/sea. Kind of reminds me of low tide in higher latitude areas.
I like the flavor but I can see how people wouldn't.
 
I recently made a wee heavy with 0.5 lb peated malt in a 5 gallon batch. It is a relatively high-gravity beer (OG 1.084) with a significant amount of crystal malt and relatively low attenuating yeast (~75%). It tasted delicious out of the primary, but there is a very pronounced peat flavor, more than I was shooting for. The residual sweetness and caramel flavors in my beer really helped to balance the peat... if I had added 0.5lb peated malt to a pale ale I think it would have been awful. And if I had added a whole pound to the batch I made I think it would also have been awful... in fact if I could do it over again I'd cut back to 4 oz... maybe 6 oz.

I'll agree with the others that 1 lb for a 2 gallon batch seems to be too much. Looking at your recipe I probably would use 2 oz or less for a subtle peat flavor... bring it up to 3 or 4 oz if you really want a prominent peat flavor.

On the other hand, you should take what I say with a grain of salt... I've only used peated malt in one recipe.
 
Doesn't sound like the OP is persuaded by our nearly unanimous advice. You can lead a horse to water...
 
Well I'm gonna go for it. who knows I could create a gold medal beer or an open grave but I can't know or learn if I don't try
 
Also, the grain bill from the previous page seems too small for a 4 gallon batch. If you're going to try this, I'd up the 2-row to at least 6 lb or so depending on how heavy you want the beer. For a winter holiday brew I'd say more is better... but then again, I like my strong beers.
 
if somebody is having tea for the first time and you ask, do you like your tea sweet? they say, 'i'm not sure...' do you then dump a half cup of sugar in their tea cup? or do you give them half a teaspoon and say, 'what do you think?'

similarly, standard advice is to start small and if you like the flavor, increase it in your next batch.
 
if somebody is having tea for the first time and you ask, do you like your tea sweet? they say, 'i'm not sure...' do you then dump a half cup of sugar in their tea cup? or do you give them half a teaspoon and say, 'what do you think?'

similarly, standard advice is to start small and if you like the flavor, increase it in your next batch.

+1 if you decide to go big your first time it might completly turn you off to the flavor.
 
Here is a link to the thread I made when I was building my peated porter: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/first-recipe-peated-porter-327012/

While it is good to take advice, I agree with the OP, you are never going to push the boundaries if you sort in other people's comfort zones.

My porter turned out great, and I wouldn't change a single thing about it.

I would say that you may want to make this a bigger beer, with some other lighter notes to it. Maybe bump up the honey malt... Also I dont think the cinnamon stick is going to have much of a chance compared to the peat flavor, but I could be wrong... It could he wonderful.

other than that I think it looks pretty good for a 4 gallon batch.
 
Well here's the recipie

2# 2 row
1# honey malt
1# flaked oats
1# crystal 60
1#peat smoked

1oz Mt hood at 60mins

Cinnamon sticks at flame put
And maybe some brown sugar

It this is a 4 gallon batch, OG will be around 1.040/1.045. Probably a lot lower than your target.

Peat malt flavor varies depending on how old the malt is. With fresh malt, 4 ozs in 5 gallons will give you a nice smoked flavor. Ever drink Stone Smoked Porter? 4 ozs fresh peated malt in 5 gallons will give you that much smoke. A lot of people will be turned off by more than that.

I also think 1 lb Honey malt is way too much. I'm not a fan of the malt, leaves the beer tasting way too sweet for me.

It is your beer, you are the one who will have to drink it. I think you are going to spend a lot of time making a beer that you will find difficult to drink. Good luck.

If you do end up making it, please post back with results. It will be interesting to find out how it turns out.
 
I do appreciate all the time and advice you guys gave found out today regardless of my choice all the grain has been bagged together so i guess i will have to bite the bullet on this one!
 
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