Maltiness

[HankBeer]

Just started brewing this year - I wanted to make a really malty German-Style beer and kind of threw together this recipe. The maltiness and color were good, but I wanted a subtle smokiness that wasn't there, and it didn't seem to carbonate fully. I used one pack of ale yeast 05. I plan on using 1 to 1.5 oz more Smoked Malt next time and a liquid yeast with a starter. I started doing all grain recipes, but kind of want to hold on to one extract recipe for no particular reason (and may change my mind)... Any other suggestions on how to get a really malty (slightly smoky) German style beer?

First try 1.072 OG - 1.027 FG x 131.25 = 5.9% ABV

8 oz Crystal 40L
2 oz Black Patent Malt
1 oz Smoked Cherry Malt
5 lbs Light DME
3.15 lbs Munich LME
German Hallertau 1 oz
German Select 1 oz

Steep grains 30 min @ 160
Bring to boil - add all extract
Add Hallertau, .05 Select
After 30 min add rest of Select
Boil 15 min then cool to 70
1 week primary, 1 week secondary, 2 weeks in bottle

 

[BigEd]

Throwing together some of this, some of that and a touch of something else may be fun but it's not a practical way to make a beer taste the way you want it to. You will also need to define "subtle". A German Rauchbier is decidedly smoky and can be made with up to 100% smoked malt. One ounce of smoked malt with the possible exception of peat-smoked malt is just not going to make any noticeable impact on the flavor. If you have made the move to all-grain then this is the type of beer where it can make a big difference from extract. Try 10% rauchmalt, 40% German Munich and 50% German pilsner malt and see how that does.

 

[JordanKnudson]

Just started brewing this year - I wanted to make a really malty German-Style beer and kind of threw together this recipe. The maltiness and color were good, but I wanted a subtle smokiness that wasn't there, and it didn't seem to carbonate fully. I used one pack of ale yeast 05. I plan on using 1 to 1.5 oz more Smoked Malt next time and a liquid yeast with a starter. I started doing all grain recipes, but kind of want to hold on to one extract recipe for no particular reason (and may change my mind)... Any other suggestions on how to get a really malty (slightly smoky) German style beer?

First try 1.072 OG - 1.027 FG x 131.25 = 5.9% ABV

8 oz Crystal 40L
2 oz Black Patent Malt
1 oz Smoked Cherry Malt
5 lbs Light DME
3.15 lbs Munich LME
German Hallertau 1 oz
German Select 1 oz

Steep grains 30 min @ 160
Bring to boil - add all extract
Add Hallertau, .05 Select
After 30 min add rest of Select
Boil 15 min then cool to 70
1 week primary, 1 week secondary, 2 weeks in bottle

One way to gauge how close or how far off your smoked malt was would be to consider your black patent malt's contribution. That is a very potent malt (just like smoked malt can be), and you have double the amount of it in your brew that you do smoked malt. So, what did it do? Can you taste it? Strongly or just a hint? Is it only there to add color? If you determine what 2 oz of the black patent added, it might give you a jumping off point for whether you need a little more or a LOT more smoked malt. That's not to say that their contributions are equal, but they are both strongly flavored malts, so if the one used in higher quantities didn't add much, you know you likely want to go even higher than that amount when upping your smoked malt.

I agree with BigEd, too. In an AG recipe, 10% smoked, 40% Munich, and 50% Pils will give you a very German beer that also lets you get a better idea of how much smoke character you like, and you can go from there.

 

[HankBeer]

Thanks for the info, BigEd. I think I will try an all grain version with the ratios you suggested. I probably did get a little carried away trying to make up a recipe with no starting point.

I've only brewed it once so far, JordanKnudson, but agree with your point about changing a little at a time. I only brew a batch every other week so I think I got ahead of myself.

Do you all have any yeast recommendations for this style?

 

[JordanKnudson]

You can decide on the yeast strain based on what you're looking for. If you just want to brew a batch first just to evaluate the smoke character, use a clean strain (I'd say wlp090, awesome strain, but 001/1056/US-05 will work too). If you want to create some nice yeast character in addition, maybe try a British or continental strain. I really like WY1007 as long as you can keep your fermentation temp under control. Kind of tastes like a mildly fruity lager, but from an ale yeast.

 

[SpeedYellow]

Presumably you're using Briess smoked malt, and you won't taste any smokiness from that until you're up above 20% of grist. Yes, seriously. BTDT.

Otherwise, get rid of that Black Patent and Crystal malt -- neither of them belong in a German style beer. I'd suggest 20% smoked, 30% Munich, 40% pilsner/LDME, 5% cara-whatever and 5% Carafa II.