Rauchbockish Thing

At Bird's request, here's what I plan to do on Saturday:

Rauchbockish Thing (until I get a better name)

6.5# Light Munich
4.5# German Pilsner
3.0# Weyermann Rauchmalt
0.5# Medium German Crystal
0.5# Belgian Aromatic (I wanted melanoidin malt, but no joy there)
0.25# Carafa II

0.75-1 oz. Sterling (5.34% AA) (60 mins)
0.75-1 oz. U.S. Perle (7.6% AA) (15 mins)

WLP838 (Southern German)

It'll be somewhere in the bock/doppelbock range, depending on what sort of efficiency I manage. Right now, I plan to double decoct it, but that depends on how early I can get started on Saturday, as we have plans that evening). The actual amount of hops will depend on my efficiency, taste of the wort, and whimsy come brewday. I may very well use Sterling througout, too, instead of Perle (but I love Perle, and I have a pound of it). Water profile will be in the wide area of Munich water, sorta.

This m-f'r will be fairly sweet, but I look to balance that sweetness with both hops and the smoke character. I'm shooting for smoke that is quite there and identifiable, but not bacony (like Schlenkerla, which is wonderful stuff, but not what I want to do). We'll see how it comes out.

I'll come up with a better name once I drink the finished stuff. With any luck, it won't be named something along the lines of "what the #&(% is this $#!+"


TL

BOY, that looks good. Rauchbier recipes are traditionally kinda similar to Oktoberfest recipes, aren't they? This seems to just kinda take that to the next level. Damn, I bet this will be good!

Some friends of mine that have managed to find a way to brew on a mass scale and have it distributed have a smoked bock that was f'ing tasty. their beer was more smoke than some would like but what you are planning with only 3lbs I predict is going to be out of this world.

the_bird said:

BOY, that looks good. Rauchbier recipes are traditionally kinda similar to Oktoberfest recipes, aren't they?

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Pretty much. The famous Bamberg "Rauchbier" is pretty much a Maerzen, or even just a dunkel, with some quanity of rauchmalt in it. Schlenkerla and Spezial are the two most famous outside of Bamberg, due to exports. Schlenkerla is the more available of the two, and it's a bacon bomb. I love the stuff, but is like a mug full of liquid bacon and beer (which leaves little question as to why I love the stuff).

I've never had a Spezial, but I understand that it's smoke is more subdued, while still in the forefront. That sounded more like something I would like five gallons of hanging out in my house, so that's what I'm shooting for.

As it's December, I thought I would go for the bock. I understand that rauchbocks are available in Germany, at least seasonally and most likely in Franconia. I've never had one, though, so let's go for it!


TL

I just brewed a smoked hefeweizen, which is a style that I've heard IS traditional but that I've only had at a local brewpub (and which was one of the best beers I've ever tasted). I need to get that kegged, actually. Traditional rauchbier will be up next.

I've never had one of those, although I have heard of them. I'm curious about how the phenols from the smoke work with those from the yeast, and I'd like to try it sometime.

In "Smoked Beers" from the Classic Beer Style series, I read that the phenols in mesquite smoke actually are quite similar from those in a German hefeweizen yeast, so the two might compliement each other well. Geez, I might have to home smoke some malt with mesquite. What a briar patch!


TL

I just had a smoked hefeweizen from Schlenkerla. It's like drinking liquid smoke. It just isn't my cup of tea. But some people like it.

Kinda reminds me of:

Try the new Brewmasters Reserve: Smoked Weissbock. Bamberg, the central town in the Franconia region of northern Bavaria, is home to one of the world’s most unique beer styles – smoked beer or “rauchbier”. The barley malt is dried over beechwood fires, taking on a smoky quality that infuses the beer brewed from it. Smoked lagers are common in Franconia, but there’s a further specialty as well – smoked wheat beer. Only the barley malt is smoked, while the wheat is malted normally. This gives the beer a lightly smoky quality which is a perfect complement to the fruitiness imparted by the weissbier yeast. These beers have inspired us to bring you something more special still – Brooklyn Smoked Weissbock. At the doppelbock strength of 8%, this beer is full-bodied and complex, retaining the light acidity of the wheat balanced against fruit. Underneath is the light beechwood smoke, making this a wonderful beer with to enjoy with food. The palate finishes dry and spritzy. Try it with any pork dish (especially barbecue), traditional Mexican dishes, robust seafood such as monkfish, and Chinese dishes featuring black bean sauce. Malt: German two row smoked barley malt, German wheat malt, Belgian aromatic malts, caramalt. Hops: German Perle ABV: 8%

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/brooklyn-smoked-weissbock/68713/9661/

If I can find the link, there was someone out in California who was selling grain that has been smoked over different types of woods (like apple and cherry). I'm unfortunately still living a smokerless existance so I'm reliant on purchased rauchmalt.

The smoked hefe I had was pretty subtle, which is what I'm going for. I think it was around 15% - 18% rauchmalt.

Tex, I'll play around with bottling from the keg; if I can get it right (and the beer's worthy), I'll send you a couple bottles.

That sounds like an awesome recipe, but why not use a bock yeast?

There are a few reasons why I went with 838 over a yeast called a "bock" yeast. Mostly, I've always wanted to use 838, and since this is a first time recipe for me, it seemed like a good time to get some. Also, I've heard more about 838 and not as much about 833, so I'm a bit moer comfortable there. Finally, my LHBS goes through a lot of 838, so I know this stuff is fresh. This yeast should handle the alcohol just fine, especially if I work up a good starter.

If this works out well enough. I probably will try it with another yeast or two sometime and find which works out best. It takes time and experimenting to work a recipe out just right. That's much of the fun!


TL

the_bird said:

Tex, I'll play around with bottling from the keg; if I can get it right (and the beer's worthy), I'll send you a couple bottles.

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Thanks, Bird! If this stuff comes out worth a flip, I'll make sure some finds its way to your doorstep, as well (if I can find some bottles around here! )


TL

Tex, do you have any experience using rauchmalt in hefeweizens?

Nope. I haven't even consumed such an animal. I look forward to it sometime, though.

The only other smoked beer I did was a Foreign Extra Stout with a slightly lighter dose of rauchmalt. That was mighty fine, I tell you. I may have to resurrect that recipe, if I can find it.


TL

TexLaw said:

Nope. I haven't even consumed such an animal. I look forward to it sometime, though.

The only other smoked beer I did was a Foreign Extra Stout with a slightly lighter dose of rauchmalt. That was mighty fine, I tell you. I may have to resurrect that recipe, if I can find it.

TL

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Damn, I'm looking for a recipe. Brooklyn Brewery does something similar and it was great. The banana esters go well with the smoke...

Well, as you see above, The Bird is about to keg one. He might have some tips, tricks, and traps to tell you about.


TL

I did a smoked porter a while back that was good. Too a while to age, I had too many conflicting late hop additions (hey, it was an early recipe!). I used a couple ounces of peat malt, next time will definately be rauchmalt (or ideally home-smoked ). Ended up, when all was said and done, not too far off from Stone Smoked Porter (which is also peated).

Best smoked beer I've had is Alaskan Smoked Porter, which is so hard to find (someone, I think Brewtopia, hooked me up). THAT'S a good beer!

I'll look for my smoked hefe recipe tonight, but I haven't tried it yet (I will tomorrow, albeit flat and warm!).

TexLaw said:

Well, as you see above, The Bird is about to keg one. He might have some tips, tricks, and traps to tell you about.


TL

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Man I need to pay more attention. Thanks Tex...

Hey Jay, wanna hook a brother up?

Soulive21 said:

Man I need to pay more attention. Thanks Tex...

Hey Jay, wanna hook a brother up?

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If you and SMWBO wanna drive down through MA back to Jersey, you can have some on draft

the_bird said:

If you and SMWBO wanna drive down through MA back to Jersey, you can have some on draft

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Oh I meant the recipe, but draft would be :rockin:

Tried my hand at a smoked porter keeping Alaskan in mind. I used ~3lbs of rauchmalt and it came out ok. Next time, I'm definitely upping the smoke though... I might even go with peat smoked instead. I love that "bacon bomb" from Bamberg, great stuff!!

That looks delicious.

Be careful with that peat smoked malt. It's really easy to go overboard with that stuff. I love my Islay Scotches and that bold peat reek character, but it doesn't always make it in a beer like that. Peat notes seem best when they are subtle. At the very least, start light and work your way up.


TL

Yes, I've been plenty warned about the peat smoked malt. I do intend to be quite frugal with it. I don't want to end up drinking charcoal!

Peat's OK if you basically want a few smokey, aromatic characteristics. The Stone SP uses it. You don't really want to TASTE it. Two, maybe three ounces per five gallons.

Just a report on this, as we are coming up on the three month mark and I drew a sample last night. It is coming along well, very well.

I triple decocted it, with a protein rest at 130F, saccharification rest at 154F, and mashout. I boiled for 90 minutes after a split batch sparge. I attempted to build some Munich water and also threw in some 5.2 Stabilizer for good measure. The OG came in at 1.077, so it just crossed the line to doppelbock land. However, everything else about it is still more bock than doppelbock, so I just call this one a bock that got a little big. It is smooth, though, and malty with definite decoction character.

Aroma is moderately malty with mild melanoidin and smoke. No roast beyond that smoke, though. Mild caramel notes that border on metallic (from kettle caramelization, decoction, and melanoidins). Very mild hop aroma, if any at all, there (it's actually a little hard to tell, or maybe that was just the beers from earlier in the night). No esters, diacetyl, or anything else I would not expect. I did not pick up any DMS, either. I was happy to find that at least some of the melanoidins came certainly from decoction, rather than only from the aromatic malt that I added merely as a bit of insurance.

Quite malty with mild caramel, melanoidin, and smoke notes. It is not at all sweet, though. No hop flavor that I could detect, even with that late addition. However, it could just be swept up a bit in the other facets or what I drank earlier in the night. Mild toasty notes also are there and blend well with the smoke. Clean, with a slight caramel finish.

It is clear and a deep, deep copper, almost bronze, with ruby highlights. I poured into a small glass, so I expect it will be a nearly opaque bronze in a proper mug. The head was off-white and finely textured, but it was not as dense as I intended, nor did it linger quite as long as I had hoped. That could be due to the small pour, or it could be something else.

It has a medium body, and I come away wanting a little more. No odd mouthfeel sensations are present.

I really like the way this beer is coming along. I do want a little more body in it, so next time I might eliminate or reduce the protein rest, and I also will raise the saccharification rest a couple of degrees. I also would like a richer maltiness to it, so I may shift the grain bill a bit more toward Munich and away from Pilsen. The smoke is very nice, present but in the background. If anything, it is almost too slight, but smoke has a way of coming on with time.

However, I will only make notes, rather than changes, for now. First, I had a different bock, an amber, two IPAs, and a small apfelwein before tasting this bad boy, so who knows what good I actually was at evaluating anything. Second, this beer is just coming up on three months since pitching, so it is just a toddler in "big bock" years. There is no telling what will happen over the next several months, but I expect both the malt and smoke flavors to grow at least a bit more. In any case, I expect to bottle some of this and set it aside for a good while.

I'll have to pull a better serving tomorrow with some brisket and see how they work, too. Ah, the toils of quality assurance!


TL

If you need any additional tasters, I'll PM you my address!

I'd love to get something like this brewed in the next few months. I think I would be a bit more aggressive with the rauchmalt; I'm thinking about basically 50/50 with Munich and rauchmalt (no Pils), maybe a pound or so of Caramunich for some sweetness. Bittering addition only. Probably try and hit a similar gravity, kind of in that range between bock and dopplebock. I'll decoct it, but I don't know if I'll do a single, double, or triple.

I lived/worked in Bamberg for 5 years. I've been to all the breweries there many many times.

Here's a recipe I found in my library: