Use of smaoked malt in stouts and porters.

[msa8967]

The wife (the most important component of my brewing hobby) recently had a porter and a stout that contained some smoke malt. She really enjoyed and wants to know if I should think about adding smoked malt to my darker beers. Has anyone used cherry smoked malt in a porter/stout and liked it? If so, how much did you use? I was thinking of just using 4-6 oz to start but I have no experience with using this malt and need some guidance.

Thanks

 

[NTexBrewer]

http://byo.com/issues/item/858-hot-tips-for-making-great-smoked-beers

This article may be helpful to you.

Google: BYO Smoked Malt

You will get a lot of links that may be helpful.

 

[brewmax25]

it is really easy to get carried away when using smoked malt. Start small and slowly increase the amount you use. It may take a few recipes, but you will eventually find the perfect balance for you.

I made a smoked cream ale once to see how cherry smoked malt tasted. I certainly used a little too much but thats because I was LOOKING for the smoked flavor. I used about 18% smoked malt of the total grain bill. It was like drinking a freshly used smoker. Crazy flavor and just how I had imagined it to taste.

I brew an imperial stout that uses wyermanns beechwood smoked malt that is delicious. I use about 8% total in the grain bill.

 

[agrazela]

I recently made a robust porter with 1/2 lb cherrywood smoked malt in 5gal batch. To me, it was just a good, subtle hint of smoke, so subtle that I did not even label it as a "smoked" porter.

Wife took some to a coworker (also a homebrewer) and he referred to it as a smoked porter.

On the other hand, I expect it to be a few more weeks before this batch is truly prime and flavor melded.

Hope that helped.

 

[Calder]

I guess I must like smoke more than the other posters. I'd recommend starting with about 30% cherry smoked malt or about 3 lbs in 5 gallons for a nice smoke flavor. If you use peat smoked malt, start with about 4 ozs.

 

[dinnerstick]

i have no experience with cherry smoked malt, but i brewed a 1200 liter batch of a smoked porter for a local bar here, using ~30% weyermann's (beechwood) smoked malt. the comments and feedback we got was all over the board, some people were blown away by the smoke and some disappointed that there wasn't enough smoke. (some people liked it as well...!) (actually quite a few as the 1200L went pretty quickly) the point is, people's tolerance to smokey flavors differs hugely, as does the smokiness (smokey phenolic content) of the malt, so you just never know until you try it. also batch to batch from the same maltster can vary, but if you get the spec sheet from the maltster it should have the phenolic %. if you smoke it yourself you're on your own! and the smokiness will decrease in time if the malt sits around.

 

[msa8967]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am going to start small with 4-8 oz in my first 5 gallon batch to see how much my wife likes it.

 

[Calder]

I am going to start small with 4-8 oz in my first 5 gallon batch to see how much my wife likes it.

Make sure the beer is decent without the smoked malt, because at that level you will not notice it.

 

[lowtones84]

Make sure the beer is decent without the smoked malt, because at that level you will not notice it.

I dunno, I used 4 oz. of Peat Smoked malt in a porter once and it was definitely noticeable. I don't know how it compares to cherry smoked though.

 

[Calder]

Please read the whole thread before posting a negative response.

I dunno, I used 4 oz. of Peat Smoked malt in a porter once and it was definitely noticeable. I don't know how it compares to cherry smoked though.

The OP was talking about cherry smoked malt. If you check my first post I say 30% Cherry smoked is good, but if using peat smoked, start with about 4 ozs.

 

[lowtones84]

Yeah, I had read the entire thread, I just didn't realize that it was you that posted both of those comments, my bad. I didn't intend it to be negative either, just a different opinion. I've never used cherry smoked, but 30% is quite a bit for any malt really. You know more than I do, having used it, but my first instinct would be to use less is all I'm saying.

 

[masonsjax]

I've got an amazing smoked porter recipe (see my dropdown) that uses peat malt. As mentioned, I wouldn't go more than 4oz in a 5gal batch. One member here brewed a 100% peat malt beer and sent me a couple bottles. It was surprisingly good. Way over the top smokiness, but I liked it. Not sure I'd want 5 gallons, but it was pretty tasty.

Ive got a sort of porter on tap right now that used about 65% Oak Smoked Wheat. It's strongly smoky, but not too unbalanced for my taste. I like it, but I like beech or cherry smoke flavor better.

 

[BigPerm]

The percentage you use is dependent on the level of smoke you want (obviously). I've made 3 beers recently using smoked malt. 40% (robust porter) gave a highly smoky flavor, nearly dominating the profile. I loved it, but others found it too be too much. 20% (50:50 cherry:beech; imperial rye porter) put the smoke in the foreground but blended nicely with oak and roasted malts. My latest iteration was around 10% cherrywood in an oatmeal stout. The smoke is there, and its noticeable, but its far from overwhelming. Quite nice for adding complexity, IMO

For s sweeter, smoky flavor, cherrywood is definitely the way to go. Good luck on your beer!

 

[agrazela]

I recently made a robust porter with 1/2 lb cherrywood smoked malt in 5gal batch. To me, it was just a good, subtle hint of smoke, so subtle that I did not even label it as a "smoked" porter.

Wife took some to a coworker (also a homebrewer) and he referred to it as a smoked porter.

On the other hand, I expect it to be a few more weeks before this batch is truly prime and flavor melded.

Hope that helped.

Gotta post a correction here: I dunno where I came up with 0.5lb in 5 gal, I looked back at my recipe and I did in fact use 3lb cherrywood smoked malt in a 5gal AG robust porter batch, and that was 25% of the grain bill. And like others in this thread who reported that 25-30% of that (or beechwood smoked) malt was prominently smoky to some people and just a hint of smoke to others, I have had the same experience.

I will also say that now 10 weeks after bottling that batch, the flavors have mellowed and melded very nicely and overall the brew continues to improve, but the smokiness is even less apparent. This is pretty much just what I wanted, so I am happy with that.

But I now conclude that if I wanted to go for a truly "smoked" porter, something that no one could miss, I would go at least 40-50% of the grainbill cherrywood smoked malt.

 

[Calder]

Gotta post a correction here: I dunno where I came up with 0.5lb in 5 gal, I looked back at my recipe and I did in fact use 3lb cherrywood smoked malt in a 5gal AG robust porter batch, and that was 25% of the grain bill. And like others in this thread who reported that 25-30% of that (or beechwood smoked) malt was prominently smoky to some people and just a hint of smoke to others, I have had the same experience.

I will also say that now 10 weeks after bottling that batch, the flavors have mellowed and melded very nicely and overall the brew continues to improve, but the smokiness is even less apparent. This is pretty much just what I wanted, so I am happy with that.

But I now conclude that if I wanted to go for a truly "smoked" porter, something that no one could miss, I would go at least 40-50% of the grainbill cherrywood smoked malt.

The smoke intensity of the malt varies. If the grain is older, it will less effect.

 

[agrazela]

The smoke intensity of the malt varies. If the grain is older, it will less effect.

No doubt true, in my case the LHBS had just opened the sack delivered that morning.