http://www.weyermann.de/eng/news.asp?go=ne&show=yes&idne=1639&umenue=yes&idmenue=39&sprache=2
I'm liking the idea of the oak smoked wheat malt!
I'm liking the idea of the oak smoked wheat malt!
You need that oak smoked wheat malt for making gratzer. It has a very different flavor from beech smoked malt. After reading the link I see they say that. If you can get your hands on the stuff or oak smoke your own wheat malt a gratzer is definitely worth trying. Very interesting blend of flavors. One of my favorite beers for sure.
I've never had a gratzer, but I have had some smoked hefeweizens (and made one a few years back). It's a style that I like quite a bit, but I understand that it's not for everyone (think you really want to be careful with the yeast phenals). I'm really interested in making that again with the oak-smoked malt. A while back I was thinking about home-smoking some malt with oak (I've got some chunks kicking around the shop), but I never quite got around to it.
Gratzer is a bit different. You want to use a neutral yeast strain so you don't have an issue with phenols or esters mixing with the smoke in a bad way. You also use a lot of hops and although bitterness and smoke generally do not go well together they go together exceedingly well in this beer style (and I am no hophead).
The only descriptions I have found of this style are really some reinterpretations. Sounds like it was originally very low gravity (under 1.03), although some brewers are making the style at around 1.045. I've seen reference to "apple" notes in the historical style, which I would assume is yeast-driven but which some brewers (or at least one) is using cinnamon and allspice to imply. From what I can gather, at least some of the "gratzers" being made today don't really seem to be very traditional.
Where have you had the style? Sounds like you might have found someone making a more-authentic version.
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