Specialty Smoked Beer 100% Peated Ale

[smokinghole]

There's no confusing peat if you ask me. I used 2lbs in a barleywine and I know for a fact it was not beech/cherry wood smoked malt. I use Simpsons peated malt at Brew Masters Warehouse when I brew peat smoked beers.

As my barelywine recipe evolves I've been adding more and more peat and it's been getting smoother and smoother even at 11%abv. It's rather sublime with a nice aged Nicaraguan citar.

 

[GordonT]

Sounds awesome. I've been experimenting with wood and smoke in beer and this fits right in. Once I get hold of enough peated malt to get going on this I'll report back how it turns out.

Thanks and cheers

Just got the malt in today. I'm going with just over 17 lbs. Can I ask how you toasted the 2 lbs? I imagine the temp was the same for both but one was in the oven longer? No Scottish yeast available so this is down to Notty to do the good work. Brewing on Friday and I'll let you know how it goes from there.

 

[GordonT]

I took a shot at this yesterday, stuck very close to the recipe. I tried roasting the malt. Roasted 1 lb at 350 for 30 minutes. The other pound I messed up so bought 1 lb Brown Malt to replace it. I noted that the lb. I did roast lost its peated odor so figured this was an ok replacement.

Mashed as in the recipe.Wow, lengthy mash. I enjoyed the step mash boil, don't know that it affected my OG ( I got 1080), but it may make the end product maltier or more caramel. Find out in a month or so.

Looks good, smells good, decent OG. When its in the keg I'll come back with taste profile and maybe some photos.

THanks for the recipe. If it turns out well this could become a standard. Love the idea.


Primary is going nicely. The beer smells super clean and malty.

 

[GordonT]

Not quite a week in primary and I've racked it over to secondary. Added 1 oz. of Medium Toast French Oak and will leave it on for 7 days. Should provide a very gentle background oak flavour.

I tasted it on racking (1015). It was malty, slightly spicy hoppy and of course had a nice peat flavour. Not overwhelming at all. Lets see what a bit of aging and some oak will do to round it out.

 

[Alchemist42]

Wow, I missed these last posts. Great to hear someone tried brewing this. Way to go Gordon. Isn't it rather amazing just how 'not peaty' it is given what the base it? I toasted the 2 lbs in a wok on my stove top. Just until the color changed to just about what your wort color is.

Yeah, it is a lengthy mash. Did you do a starch test or just follow my lead? Mine was starch test based.

So, it's been a few weeks now. How is it coming? Bottled or kegged yet?

 

[Alchemist42]

I think you might be confusing peat smoked with a smoked base malt like weyermans. There is no way in hell you can use pounds of peat.

Well, I'm not at sure how to respond to this as I DID use pounds of peated malt. And no, I'm not confusing wood smoke with peat smoke. They are clearly different things.

So given I DID use pounds of peat, what is it you are actually trying to say?

 

[Alchemist42]

As a matter of fact using that as a reference beer I had a hard time finding smoke flavor in the beer the one and only time I bought Stone Smoked Porter. Due to not really being able to taste the smoke I never bought it again.

It does have a touch of smoke flavor, but mostly I find it very low, and if my tastes are just slightly off, I can't taste it at all.

 

[Steelers77]

So I suggested earlier doing an Eis version of this beer and after reading some of the tasting notes on this thread that is exactly what I will be doing after vacation. The plan is to use 50/50 Peated malt and Golden Promise (that may change to MO) I'm going top make 12 gallons and concentrate it down to 6 and put in a 3 time used Rum barrel for a nice long aging ~1year. I'm hoping for a Scotch liqueur type of drink. I'm going to mash as low as I can so I can get good attenuation out of it. I hope it works.
Great thread!

 

[Alchemist42]

I'm curious - why the decision to go 50/50?

BTW, the mash schedule I give really gives a good attenuated ale. Actually, the toasting of 2 lbs was a direct result of how much it attenuated the first go around. But with your 50% GP, you many indeed may need to drop the temp somewhat.

 

[Steelers77]

I've been working with a local stiller and after some discussions we decidd to go this route. Some of it was because we are worried about risidule sweetness and smoke not playing nice after the concentration. We have also discussed using 10%
sugar to help dry it out. We are leaning towards the sugar.

 

[Alchemist42]

{head scratching}

Honestly, I would consider/suggest actually trying it as it first and then fixing it if you find a problem or issue. i.e. don't fix it if it isn't broken. You are proposing all these changes to something you have not even tasted. It's not that that I am attached to people not tweaking the recipe, but as a designer, I guess I have issues with someone making changes to something they've not tried, making assumptions as to how it is, and trying to 'improve' it based on guesses instead of 1st hand knowledge.

My first test batch went from 1.074 to 1.012. That is a lot of attenuation. Sure, it's not perfectly dry, but quite a bit. In some ways, I think your 50/50 is going to make it sweeter than if you just went 100%. So your response is to add sugar to dry out a recipe that was dry, but sweetened because you went 50/50.

Does that make sense or am I just coming across over protective of my recipe?

Have fun and good luck either way.

 

[GordonT]

Wow, I missed these last posts. Great to hear someone tried brewing this. Way to go Gordon. Isn't it rather amazing just how 'not peaty' it is given what the base it? I toasted the 2 lbs in a wok on my stove top. Just until the color changed to just about what your wort color is.

Yeah, it is a lengthy mash. Did you do a starch test or just follow my lead? Mine was starch test based.

So, it's been a few weeks now. How is it coming? Bottled or kegged yet?

It is kegged. When it had conditioned for just a few days I tried it and it was very peaty, but I liked it. Left it for a week and it was less peaty, more background malt was coming out and I could tell that the backbone of it was a very nice basic beer.
I have since pulled it out of the fridge and plan to let it sit for a couple of months and then have at it again.
This is an interesting beer and I do enjoy it. Would I brew it again? Not right away but maybe for a specialty event in the future

 

[fastenova]

Alchemist - where in Oregon are you? I'm just getting into brewing beer - been doing mead for several years now - and am starting off with a Sierra Nevada Porter clone.

This sounds AMAZING. I am a scotch lover and think that once I graduate to all-grain brewing, I would love to try your recipe. I have several scotch enthusiast/beer drinking friends that would probably love a peaty ale.

Sounds amazing and thanks for the wonderful idea and for sharing!

Aaron

So, I've done several all-grain batches now, and I am planning on brewing this on my birthday in a few weeks. I'm looking forward to trying a decoction mash, and this is one I'll plan on bottling to enjoy over the next year.

Thanks for the recipe!

 

[fastenova]

Brewing this tomorrow. I got a yeast starter on the stirplate vortexing away (that's a word, right?) and will toast the grain tomorrow morning. I was told to keep the grain moist during the process, but I'll look around on HBT for info on toasting grains in the oven. I'm REALLY looking forward to making this, I made a smoked IPA last Sat as well and it smelled great, can't imagine how awesome this one is going to smell in the kettle!

Cheers
Aaron

 

[Alchemist42]

Aaron, I can't speak of others keeping toasted grains wet, but I know I did not. YMMV and I suspect either would be fine. And actually, although I have no 1st hand knowledge of it, it does not make sense to me to keep something wet you are toasting. Can someone explain that? Toasting would get the grains to 300 F or so, but keeping them wet would only allow 212 F. Sort of like I can't see how wet bread could ever turn into 'toast'. It would just be hot wet bread.

Great luck with this. Would love to hear how it comes out and how you like it.

I'm starting to get a hankering to brew it again. Maybe for Oct 31.

 

[fastenova]

Alright! Toasting these up dry in my propane BBQ in two glass Pyrex dishes now so I don't stink up the house. My back deck smells fantastic! I am looking forward to this. I'm following your recipe as close as I can, with the biggest variable being the level of toast on these guys. Did a 2L starter of WL028 and it's in the fridge now.

As far as keeping them wet, the guy at my LHBS was saying he's seen grains ignite before, and that is why he said that. He didn't imply that I should soak them, rather occasionally mist them with a spray bottle. I don't think it's necessary, to be honest, so we'll see how it comes out with no water, about 300 degrees.

 

[smokinghole]

Heating them thoroughly wet would make caramel peated malt.

 

[fastenova]

Holy crap, finally got the boil going, just added my 60 min hops. Had a mini emergency at the house so the sacc rest was 2.5 hours instead of 1, and I had a seriously stuck spare. Took an extra hour to sort that out and I didn't get to vorlauf at all. I think the stuck spare was related to the super long mash...?

But, looks good, smells good, can't wait to finish this brew session and grab a cold one!

 

[fastenova]

So any thoughts on whether this is going to be 'ruined' (not as tasty as it ought to be) at all by the super long mash? i.e. long mash = more fermentable wort = drier finished product. Alchemist, did you use rice hulls when you mashed this? I didn't think it would be an issue since there is no wheat or other 'sticky' fermentables like oats or something... But that may be different since the mash was like...3.5 hours in total, plus the time it took to get around the stuck sparge (30-45 min).

 

[kiwirevo]

I kicked off a tiny 3Litre batch with 1 kilo of medium peated distilling malt with safspirit malt whisky yeast 2 days ago. I can only handle these tiny batches of all grain at the moment but let's me try cool things like this. I put the malt in a grain bag in 5 litres 65ish degree celcius for 90 mins, then removed the grain and washed it with 1 litre of boiled water added about 10-15g of goldings and boiled for 90 mins. OG was 1.083 and it's bubbling away nicely. The foam cap is very fine compared to anything else I've brewed.
Also I only have a 3Litre fermenter so I ended up with too much to fit in there so put 500ml into another bottle and I'm going to dry hop it just for the sake of the test.

 

[Alchemist42]

Fastenove, I didn't use rice hulls on this, being 100% barley. Same thought you had. I think you mash and brew will be fine and by no means ruined. Maybe a little more attenuated but that would be about it. And actually, I'd have to check my notes, but I recall my mash was much longer than the standard 1 hour - more like 2, so you only went over a little. You mashed out at 170-175 F right? And did the protein rests, correct? Overall, I think you will be just fine.

Kiwirevo, Way to go. Whatever works. Quick, hopefully not insulting, question. You mashed crushed grains, not whole grains, right? Given that OG, I would say so. Oh, and yes, it is makes a beautiful dense cap.

 

[kiwirevo]

Yup, crushed, my local has all the grains available and crushes on request. I'm also making a part extract part peated malt whisky this week that's why I used the whisky yeast.

 

[Alchemist42]

I have my own update on this year's batch(es). I brewed two after my first one, believe it or not, it was not peaty enough for me. I used Simpson peated malt. After determining something was up (too mild) I found via research that Simpson's is a low phenol (5-10 ppm phenol) peated malt. Why it was good in previous batches, I just don't know. Regardless, I then hunted down Baird's Heavy peated distilling malt at 35-45 ppm phenol.

The resulting brew was much more what I wanted.

Now here is something interesting I found. After kegging, the the subsequent FG measurement tasting, I gave a token rinse to my hydrometer cylinder and took a sip....the that strong, ashy flavor that so many people note was there, in spades. I hold that something about having SO MUCH peated malt in the brew changes it's character in such a way that it's actually more approachable and balanced.

 

[kiwirevo]

I have my own update on this year's batch(es). I brewed two after my first one, believe it or not, it was not peaty enough for me. I used Simpson peated malt. After determining something was up (too mild) I found via research that Simpson's is a low phenol (5-10 ppm phenol) peated malt. Why it was good in previous batches, I just don't know. Regardless, I then hunted down Baird's Heavy peated distilling malt at 35-45 ppm phenol.

The resulting brew was much more what I wanted.

Now here is something interesting I found. After kegging, the the subsequent FG measurement tasting, I gave a token rinse to my hydrometer cylinder and took a sip....the that strong, ashy flavor that so many people note was there, in spades. I hold that something about having SO MUCH peated malt in the brew changes it's character in such a way that it's actually more approachable and balanced.

I'd agree with that, very much an acquired taste anyway but I brewed a partly smoked beer that was much more difficult to drink vs my 100% medium peated beer

 

[woknblues]

I was waiting to hear back on some of your updates. I feel I need to try this. I was always a little sceptical about the virulent reaction to smoked and peated malts considering they do provide it in 55lb sacks! I always suspected that simple taste bias was at play, and that most simply had not tasted it, and made assumptions. (maybe I am too for that matter, in assuming it will be good, haha). Also, I can understand your take on that with plenty of peated malt, you can then appreciate the nuance of it, rather than a smaller amount that will likely clash and overpower an unsuspecting brew.

Since I have not really ever had a smoked beer (I am being told that Stone's smoked porter doesn't count) I will make a 1 gallon batch of this. I wish I had scottish ale yeast on hand...

 

[diodeart]

We are diving in to the peaty depths. Just ordered the baird's and going to follow the original receipe. Will repost with our findings for future generations.

 

[diodeart]

Brewed our peated ale last night. Used bairds and followed original instructions for toasting and mash. The house was full of smokey goodness, even the creature i mean swmbo liked it. She doesn't like anything. My brewing assistant the professor said it was a long complicated brew. I played pingpong and watched hockey so i thought it was really easy. I did check in with him saying things like "hows it going professor" and "attaboy professor". Will post in a month or so with results.

 

[TAK]

I'm just curious on the multi-step mash. Aren't those usually used for under-modified malts? I believe that the smoked malt should be fully modified, so would a single infusion mash work? Maybe 148-150 for 90 min.

I only ask because I was recently thinking about brewing something just like this, but wouldn't have planned on doing anything over and above my single infusion with a batch sparge.

 

[kiwirevo]

I'm just curious on the multi-step mash. Aren't those usually used for under-modified malts? I believe that the smoked malt should be fully modified, so would a single infusion mash work? Maybe 148-150 for 90 min.

I only ask because I was recently thinking about brewing something just like this, but wouldn't have planned on doing anything over and above my single infusion with a batch sparge.

I did single, works well, got one of my highest efficiencies that I ever got

 

[Alchemist42]

When I originally did this I could not find any data on peated malt, as to whether it was unmodified or not, so I figured better safe than sorry. And I really like decoction mashes.

And something about this peated malt, whether it the malt or the mash technique, I'm with Kiwirevo, this stuff gives me the highest efficiencies I've ever seen.