TrojanMan
Well-Known Member
I recently acquired a nitrogen tank and regulator (yay, garage sales!) in good condition and want to use it on a future kegged batch. I thought oatmeal stout would be a simple but tasty way to kick it off. Upon discussion with some friends, one remarked that they loved bacon and oatmeal. Bacon, eh? I can't really put bacon IN the beer but I can sure as heck hickory-smoke the grain, right?
The question is really about the proper application of smoke. I don't have a lauter tun yet (but I do have a large pot and immersion chiller and do full-volume boils) so I've not made much forray into all grain yet. I did two AG batches in a chest cooler but got very poor sparging and haven't revisited it yet. I'd need an Igloo or something and I'd have to make a false bottom to go all-grain properly.
So can I get enough smoke flavor into the beer using only the specialty grains and using extract for the fermentables?
Basic recipe would be something like:
2 cans pale malt
1/2 lb. chocolate malt
1/2 lb. 60L Crystal
1 lb. rolled oats
2 oz. Fuggles (1/2 bittering, 1 flavor, 1/2 aroma)
Prime the keg with only 1/4 cup dextrose, then purge and hold at 20psi with nitrogen for 2 weeks. Dispense with nitrogen at 10psi.
The question is, can I take the specialty grains (2 lb. total) and smoke them (cardboard box smoker) to get enough smoke flavor into the beer?
Other suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!
The question is really about the proper application of smoke. I don't have a lauter tun yet (but I do have a large pot and immersion chiller and do full-volume boils) so I've not made much forray into all grain yet. I did two AG batches in a chest cooler but got very poor sparging and haven't revisited it yet. I'd need an Igloo or something and I'd have to make a false bottom to go all-grain properly.
So can I get enough smoke flavor into the beer using only the specialty grains and using extract for the fermentables?
Basic recipe would be something like:
2 cans pale malt
1/2 lb. chocolate malt
1/2 lb. 60L Crystal
1 lb. rolled oats
2 oz. Fuggles (1/2 bittering, 1 flavor, 1/2 aroma)
Prime the keg with only 1/4 cup dextrose, then purge and hold at 20psi with nitrogen for 2 weeks. Dispense with nitrogen at 10psi.
The question is, can I take the specialty grains (2 lb. total) and smoke them (cardboard box smoker) to get enough smoke flavor into the beer?
Other suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!