I'm Thinking... 09/09/09 Barleywine

[CBBaron]

Has anyone plugged the original (non-smoked) recipe into BeerSmith? I am getting very diffferent stats than the Pastor has stated.

I am probably just an idiot. My default ingredient settings might be different than that of BeerTools Pro.

Different as in how?

For OG, Notice BrewPastor has used an efficiency of 65% (probably not a bad guess for a grain bill this large)

For IBU, check the alpha acid percent for the hops specified in each tool and check to see which IBU formula you are using. Unless Brewpastor is using the BeerTools formula you should have the same calculator available in Beersmith.

Craig

 

[the_bird]

Anyone have experience using peated malt? I was in the morebeer warehouse the other day and took a whiff of a bag of that stuff. I'm not a big rauchbier fan, but I do like me a nice peaty scotch. This BW might be a beer I could handle a little smoke flavor in. Any advice on how much is too much vs. just right?

NO PEAT!

Peat is HARSH if you use more than a very small amount (like, a couple ounces). David_42 did a barleywine with something like a half-pound of peated malt, IIRC he had to let it age for about two years before it was drinkable (but then it was very nice). Peated malt and rauchmalt are wholly different beasts.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Home smoke if you can. Meaning, purchase whole uncrushed regular malts, smoke them (like you would a roast) then crush them and brew. It is actually quite easy to do. It will be better, and more unique. IMHO

 

[BakerStreetBeers]

NO PEAT!

Peat is HARSH if you use more than a very small amount (like, a couple ounces). David_42 did a barleywine with something like a half-pound of peated malt, IIRC he had to let it age for about two years before it was drinkable (but then it was very nice). Peated malt and rauchmalt are wholly different beasts.

Thanks for the tip Bird. I will avoid the peat harshness.

 

[the_bird]

Thanks for the tip Bird. I will avoid the peat harshness.

I don't mind peat as much as some; if you've had Stone Smoked Porter, they use peat malt. It's ok for some very subtle aromatics, but you don't really want to be tasting it.

But, it's just not as good as classic beechwood-smoked rauchmalt, which I find just smooth and velvety and just absolutely wonderful. I do plan to home-smoke, though (as soon as I can find some good freakin' smoker chips; all anyone seems to sell is mesquite and hickory!)

 

[Brewpastor]

I have heard (that is a phrase that should make you question what I am saying!) that the best wood to use in smoking malt is beechwood. I believe it is what the German rauchbiers use.

I fully agree on the peat.

 

[Couevas]

Different as in how?

For OG, Notice BrewPastor has used an efficiency of 65% (probably not a bad guess for a grain bill this large)

For IBU, check the alpha acid percent for the hops specified in each tool and check to see which IBU formula you are using. Unless Brewpastor is using the BeerTools formula you should have the same calculator available in Beersmith.

Craig

IBUS are way off and OG is off by a bit too.

I set my OG to 60% (thinking the hugeness will hurt my eff.)
I checked all alpha acid numbers and are accurate.
Here is my report (I know the pale chocolate will be different)

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: 999 Barleywine
Brewer: Chris Couevas
Asst Brewer:
Style: American Barleywine
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.72 gal
Estimated OG: 1.128 SG
Estimated Color: 25.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 65.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
23.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 82.26 %
2.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 7.15 %
0.75 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 2.68 %
0.38 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 1.36 %
0.33 lb Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 1.18 %
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
1.66 oz Magnum [14.50 %] (60 min) Hops 50.5 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (25 min) Hops 14.6 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-SHops -
1.50 lb Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) Sugar 5.36 %
2 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) Yeast-Ale

 

[landhoney]

IIRC he had to let it age for about two years before it was drinkable (but then it was very nice).

Sounds like a built-in plan to ensure you don't drink it all before reaching the multiple year mark. What's wrong with that?
BTW, I am getting zero work done today - thank you bastids :fro:

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I have heard (that is a phrase that should make you question what I am saying!) that the best wood to use in smoking malt is beechwood. I believe it is what the German rauchbiers use.

I am pretty sure that the Rauchbier is made with Beech. As to the "best" wood, I think it changes by what you are going for with the flavor. I really like apple wood smoke it has a bit more sweetness to it.

Bird- the Menards near me has a great selection of smoking woods, maybe try there.

 

[olllllo]

Dwarf Farm: Menards is a midwest chain.

 

[blacklab]

BP's Smoked version has 26 lb of grains, which when input into 'Can I Mash It' gives me a necessary cooler volume of 10.21 gallons. I have a 10 gallon rubbermaid. I'm going to try it...but it looks like some mash is going to hit the floor!

 

[the_bird]

BP's Smoked version has 26 lb of grains, which when input into 'Can I Mash It' gives me a necessary cooler volume of 10.21 gallons. I have a 10 gallon rubbermaid. I'm going to try it...but it looks like some mash is going to hit the floor!

What are you assuming for a water-to-grain ratio? I've got a nine-gallon mash tun, so I'm thinking I might need to set up either a real or quasi-fly sparge for this.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I was afraid of that when I posted.

oh no you have discovered my hidden identity (almost)! It's actually "farmhouse gnome" in Dutch

 

[DeathBrewer]

a friend and i were thinking about doing two mashes together and using the first running for a barleywine, the second runnings for a small beer.

maybe we'll do it for the 9/9/9...i'll run it by him. if so, i'll definitely include a small beer in addition to the BW bottles

 

[BierMuncher]

I can see there will be much discussion (efficiencies, utilization, equipment challenges...) about this brew session.

Yes, a brew session to remember...

 

[blacklab]

What are you assuming for a water-to-grain ratio? I've got a nine-gallon mash tun, so I'm thinking I might need to set up either a real or quasi-fly sparge for this.

1.25 qts / lb is what I usually do(and what I input into the calculator).

I think if you can squeeze the mash in your cooler, you can do multiple batch sparges and get to your pre boil volume.

In both of our cases I think we will have to adjust our final volume down somewhere south of 5 gallons to be able to mash this volume of grain.

 

[the_bird]

1.25 qts / lb is what I usually do(and what I input into the calculator).

That's what I usually do, as well, but I'm thinking this is going to have to be a little bit thicker - maybe 1.1 qts/lbs.

 

[EAC]

I think some experimentation is called for on this one. Maybe I will have to try this recipe out soon and see what numbers it yields.

 

[the_bird]

I suppose I should trust BP's instincts with the smoked-BW recipe...

But I guess I'm a little leery of the citrusy domestic hops with the smoked malt. I've been imagining that recipe with more earthy-type hops, more of an English-IPA base to that particular recipe. Fuggles and EKG and all of those bad boys. Maybe even some German hops. Has anyone done a smoked beer with "C"-hops before?

 

[EAC]

I think that Alaskan Smoked Porter uses EKG and Willamette, although I wouldn't bet the farm on it! I could see a Chinook, Northern Brewer combo being interesting. I would look at the AAUs/IBUs and then go with whatever combination got you in that ball park and satisfied your sensabilities.

 

[PseudoChef]

FWIW: German Rauchmalt is smoked over alderwood.

 

[the_bird]

FWIW: German Rauchmalt is smoked over alderwood.

I'm 99.9% positive that German rauchmalt is beechwood-smoked, and 98% positive that Alaskan Smoked Porter (which is really the gold standard for a smoked porter) uses alderwood (they smoke it at a local facility).

EDIT: From NB's website:

Weyermann Smoked Malt. 2° L. Also known as rauchmalt, Weyermann's famous beechwood-smoked malt can make up to 100% of the grist for classic German Rauchbier.

 

[olllllo]

Yep Alderwood.

 

[blacklab]

You can't argue with a .001 - .02 confidence interval!

For some reason I'm thinking that the smokey and citrus flavors will be really good...but I could be nuts.

I'm thinking BBQ'ed salmon with lemons and oranges...mmm....almost summer...

 

[the_bird]

Yep Alderwood.

For Alaskan?

If anyone's really interested in smoked beers, I'd highly recommend the Smoked Beers that Ray Daniels and Geoff Larson wrote. Jamil's latest podcast is on classic rauchbiers as well.

I know that I have some Willamette pellets kicking around, and some NB as well; I might play around with those in a altered version of the smoked BW.

 

[EAC]

"Less filling..."

Beechwood, alderwood is used on salmon though.

http://www.foamrangers.com/malts.html

 

[olllllo]

Yes for Alaskan and yes there is a Salmon Smoking factory across the street and yes that's how it all happened!

http://www.alaskanbeer.com/porterstory.html

 

[EAC]

Alderwood = Alaskan Smoked Porter

Beechwood = German Rauch malt

plywood, 2x4s and railroad ties = Smokin' Nines

 

[PseudoChef]

Yeah, I was wrong...listening to Jamil show now,haha.

 

[Couevas]

Can someone help me with my Beersmith recipe?

I posted it back on page 16.