Lichtenhainer

[radwizard]

I've decided that I want to try and brew a Lichtenhainer for a few competitions coming up. One of the competitions is an Oktoberfest theme that has entries limited to particular styles - that was the event that made curious to enter a Lichtenhainer.

Here's the deal: I don't know jack about the style, or using smoked malts for that matter. I have done several Berliners with success, so I don't think it is to far fetched to try a Lichtenhainer. I am researching the style currently.

So far I am thinking of using 40% wheat malt, 36% Pils, and 24% Smoked Malt. I'm gonna do a no-boil, co-pitching Plantarum and Sacch - later adding a hop tea to calm down the lacto. I'll brew this in a 3 gallon batch, which limits my fermentation temps to anything above 68f (where I can maintain a steady temp.

If I could get any advice that would be great! Has any one brewed one, and care to share tips? Any insight into a particular smoke malt? Yeast choice?

 

[DrKnow]

62% oak smoked wheat malt
30% Pilsner
8% Munich 10
Kölsch yeast, lacto and shoot for 1.040 gravity. The oak smoked wheat has a very mild smoke. More like a dry campfire the morning after vs the bacon/ham “wet” kind of smoke you get from other smoked malts. It works surprisingly well with the sourness. I usually do mine as a kettle sour with 7 or 8 IBUs of Saaz FWIW. It’s really surprising that you rarely see this style. I couldn’t find a commercial version so that’s why I ended up brewing my own. I was really pleased with the results. Full disclosure: I’m generally not a fan of smoked beers, which makes it even crazier that I loved this beer.

 

[radwizard]

62% oak smoked wheat malt
30% Pilsner
8% Munich 10
Kölsch yeast, lacto and shoot for 1.040 gravity. The oak smoked wheat has a very mild smoke. More like a dry campfire the morning after vs the bacon/ham “wet” kind of smoke you get from other smoked malts. It works surprisingly well with the sourness. I usually do mine as a kettle sour with 7 or 8 IBUs of Saaz FWIW. It’s really surprising that you rarely see this style. I couldn’t find a commercial version so that’s why I ended up brewing my own. I was really pleased with the results. Full disclosure: I’m generally not a fan of smoked beers, which makes it even crazier that I loved this beer.

Nice! What PH were shooting for on the kettle souring?

 

[DrKnow]

First time I brewed it, I hit 3.3. I was worried that would be too sour and it would clash with the smoke, but it ended up working perfectly. The smoke flavor is kind of perceived as sweet so it balances out the sourness a little bit. I have another batch of it that I brewed last week with the same recipe and hit all the same numbers etc. So far it’s looking good. I figure it will be a nice beer to have around as summer winds down and we transition into fall.

 

[Miraculix]

Oh no..... Here it comes again.... Another beer style I need to try!

 

[BrewMan13]

I did one earlier this year. I only used acid malt, so it wasn't "properly" soured and came off like a weak rauchbier. That said, you still want smoked malt (being a German style, I'd go with beechwood) to be the bulk of the grist, wheat for a chunk of it, maybe a bit of something else if you want. When I was researching the style, I came across a recipe that was literally just beechwood smoked malt for the grist, then soured, etc.

 

[radwizard]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I found a pretty article about the style. For some reasons I'm having problems linking it, but if anyone is interested----> http://wilder-wald.com/2017/02/24/lichtenhainer/

After researching and getting some more input, I've updated my plan:


1.037

40% Weyerman Oak Smoked Wheat Malt
36% Mecca Grade Pilsner
10% Best Maltz Rauch Malt
10% Mecca Grade White Wheat
4% Acid Malt

Lacto Plantarum + Kviek Hornindal (co-pitched - fermented in low 70's)
1 oz Strisslespalt via Tea (added when acidity is satisfactory)