Had to substitute peat for beechwood smoked

[oceanic_brew]

Hey everyone! just brewed up a batch of beer that I was planning on entering into the local Brewnosers competition in Halifax, NS in June.

Unfortunately when at my LHBS they were all out of peat malt (or so I thought) which is usually in my recipe so I used something I'm unfamiliar with instead.

Here's my recipe:

8.5 # Marris Otter
4. # Smoked Malt
1 #. Honey Malt
1 # Melanoidin
.5# flaked wheat
.5# flaked barley

1.5 OZ EKG at 60
1 OZ Williamette at 10
1 oz Hallertau whirlpool

Mash 152

Wyeast 1968

So here's my predicament. I made this beer before and after two months of aging with 3/4 oz of peat smoked malt it was absolutely delicious and had just the right amount of smokiness for me, however after doing some quick researching at my LHBS I was unable to come up with an appropriate substitute and after tasting the beechwood I decided 4 lbs would be a safe amount.

Now after doing more research I realize that it's actually on the low end.

Is there anything I could do like steeping some peat smoked malt or steeping more beechsmoked and adding pre-fermentation to up the smokiness?

Although judges scores aren't exactly what keeps me up at night I know for sure that entering into a smoked category is pointless (beyond the pleasures of unbiased feedback) if it isn't hitting the mark of commercial examples at least in regard to smoke.

Thanks!

 

[oceanic_brew]

Oh... I should mention that this is a 7 gallon targeted batch and I boil down about a gallon of the first runnings to a sticky slop and add it to the boil:

 

[dmtaylor]

You're not kidding? It's going to be plenty smoky with 4 lbs in there. Peat smoked malt is terrible stuff. It will taste better with the beechwood smoked anyway. You did fine.

 

[oceanic_brew]

Ok great! No I'm not kidding hahha many of the recipes I've found online called for near 50% which I'm sure would make a very smoky beer however my recipe is at 25%

The wort smells plenty smoky this morning.

 

[Chops1867]

I make a delicious smoke beer with 5.5 lbs smoke malt. It's a variation on one of passedpawn's recipies.
I say go for it!