ANOTHER Bacon/Smoked beer

[Xalwine]

So I'm gonna try my hand at a smoked beer. I'm also going to infuse some everclear with some bacon but thats secondary. For a base beer how does this recipe look? I've heard that you want 75%+ of your grain bill to be smoked.

Briess Smoked Malt
6 lbs, 0 oz
Weyermann Smoked Malt
4 lbs, 0 oz
Briess 2-Row Brewer's Malt
3 lbs, 0 oz
Weyermann Munich Type II
1 lbs, 8 oz
Caramel Munich
0 lbs, 4 oz
Weyermann Melanoidin
0 lbs, 4 oz
Crisp Black Malt
0 lbs, 2 oz
Williamette Pellets
1 oz @ 60 mins
Williamette Pellets
1 oz @ 5 mins
White Labs Dry English Ale
1 ea

 

[CTownBrewer]

I just made a smoked rye with about 40% 2-row, 25% cherrywood smoked malt, 25% rye, 7% beechwood smoked malt, & 3% chocolate rye. The sample I took yesterday had a pretty nice smoky aroma & finish, with the rye & hops standing out during the taste. I think if I brew it again, I'd go with 50-60% smoked malt, leave the rye at around 30%, & fill out the remainder with 2-row. I like an intense smokiness in my smoked beers. However, I'm looking forward to drinking it once it's carbed, because that really can enhance the aroma.

The general concensus I've found from researching the cherrywood smoked malt from Briess is...
- 5 to 10% - Very subtle smokiness; You may not even pick it up depending on the rest of the grain bill & hops
- 10 to 30% - Enhanced smokiness, but not overly in-your-face
- 30 to 60% - Intense smokiness
- Briess does not recommend using more than 60%

Also, I hopped mine a little more agressively than the norm...about 55 IBUs with a nice dry finish at 1.012. I would advise against adding any within the last 15 minutes because you want the smoky aroma to stand out & not be competing with hop aroma. I used Cluster (bittering) & Willamette (flavor) @ 60, 45, 30, & 15 minutes.

 

[TomHanx]

Bacon beer?? Sign me up!

 

[Xalwine]

I moved my flavor hop addition to the 25 min mark. But overall do you think this is a good balance? I originally only had my briess smoked malt at 4lbs, I Added 2 because it's my favorite smoked malt. I'm brewing this at the request of a friend who loves bacon (who doesn't?) so I don't want to screw it up. I would Relax, not worry and have a homebrew, but I'm at work planing for this weekend.

I just made a smoked rye with about 40% 2-row, 25% cherrywood smoked malt, 25% rye, 7% beechwood smoked malt, & 3% chocolate rye. The sample I took yesterday had a pretty nice smoky aroma & finish, with the rye & hops standing out during the taste. I think if I brew it again, I'd go with 50-60% smoked malt, leave the rye at around 30%, & fill out the remainder with 2-row. I like an intense smokiness in my smoked beers. However, I'm looking forward to drinking it once it's carbed, because that really can enhance the aroma.

The general concensus I've found from researching the cherrywood smoked malt from Briess is...
- 5 to 10% - Very subtle smokiness; You may not even pick it up depending on the rest of the grain bill & hops
- 10 to 30% - Enhanced smokiness, but not overly in-your-face
- 30 to 60% - Intense smokiness
- Briess does not recommend using more than 60%

Also, I hopped mine a little more agressively than the norm...about 55 IBUs with a nice dry finish at 1.012. I would advise against adding any within the last 15 minutes because you want the smoky aroma to stand out & not be competing with hop aroma. I used Cluster (bittering) & Willamette (flavor) @ 60, 45, 30, & 15 minutes.

 

[CTownBrewer]

I'm honestly not sure what to tell you because I haven't used a few things in your recipe...don't want to point you in the wrong direction by guessing about ingredients I've only read about.

I haven't used much Munich malts in beers I've done so far, so I can't speak to that. From what I've read, the Munich malts & Melanoidin will add a sweet malty flavor to the beer. However, I have seen Rauchbier recipes made with Munich. The Briess Smoked Malt is somewhat sweet in itself too. The sweetness may end up balancing out against the Dry English Ale Yeast, but I haven't used that strain either...fermented mine with Wyeast 1056 American Ale.

With mine I was going for a bacon flavor also, but I think of bacon as pretty dry & salty. That's why I used rye...it gives it a really unique, somewhat dry flavor that when paired with the smoked malts, tastes like bacon to me. It's just a personal preference though.

If I were you, I'd go to Brewmaster's Warehouse & check out their recipes section. They have about a dozen or so smoked beer recipes you could look at & compare with yours. Mine is on there too.

 

[CTownBrewer]

Believe it or not I was listening to a Brewing Network podcast on my way home from work & they were discussing malts. They said a common misconception about Munich malts is that they are rich & toasty, but NOT overly sweet like I thought they were.

I think you should go with your recipe & see how it turns out. It seems pretty well balanced & should accentuate the smoked malts nicely.

 

[SarahMatt]

I just racked a Bacon/Maple Stout. Here's my recipe:
.75# American Crystal 45
3# Munich Malt 10
1# Black Patent
5.5# Sparkling Amber DME

1oz. Magnum @60
1oz. Mt. Hood @10
2oz. Willamette @0

Wyeast 1056 American Ale

I made a Bacon "stock" added Grade B Maple Syrup in the boil, in the primary, the secondary and as a primer. The ABV will end up being high. I didn't take a reading for IG (I know, but it's my 4th batch (NOOB) and I was in a hurry (no excuse). We also smoked the grains ourselves (didn't use the smoked grains from the LHBS, wanted an Applewood smoke).

Good Luck!!!
Sarah.

Everything's better with BACON!!!!

 

[Xalwine]

Bacon stock? Please share. Also, how did it affect head retention?

 

[SarahMatt]

Bacon stock? Please share. Also, how did it affect head retention?

I wanted real cooked bacon flavor not just smoke. I rendered about 24oz thick cut bacon (initially, I drained the grease), added a gallon of water and reduced by half. I skimmed the fat off the top constantly. I realized that most of the bacon "flavor" is in the fat (that's what makes it so damn good). So, I added the fat back into the "stock".
Once its cool, you can lift all the fat/grease right off the top of this delicious stock.
We racked it to the keg and 12 bottles this morning, so I'm not sure on head retention. I did my absolute best to insure there would be no grease.

Sarah.
PS: save the fat and cook potatoes in it....just sayin', but you won't be sorry.

 

[stbyrd]

Sarah.... How did it come out.....