Peated Malt vs Smoked Malt

[mrgrimm101]

I am in the process of creating a Scottish ale recipe and I was thinking of including some peated malt or smoked malt, but I cannot decide which.

I see that NorthernBrewer sells Weyermann Smoked Malt and Simpsons Peated Malt. One is smoked with peat moss and the other is smoked with beachwood.

Does anyone have any experience using either of these malts? Or any insight at all would help.

Thanks

 

[thegreatmaibockaddict]

Have used both, and even did a side by side with a batch of each. Not with a Scottish ale though. The rauch malt was preferred over the peated by a large margin. If you want to use the peated, use a very small quantity, like a pound to start and then you would have to make the recipe again and adjust to taste. The rauch malt is more forgiving when larger quantities are used, and I have used up to 40% with great success depending on the beer and how you want it to come out. I prefer 20% though because it seems to be a sweet spot with my fellow drinkers.

If you use the Edinburgh yeast, it generates its own phenols to create a smokey character, thus reducing the need to add a specialty grain. Made a Wee Heavy last year to great acclaim (with golden promise malt)

 

[grainbill]

Peated Malt is a heavier more astringent flavor, think Laphroaig single malt. Smoked malt can have the heavy smoke but what I get is really a smooth smoke. If you have had Alaskan Smoked Porter and like it the Beechwood would be the way to go. Sometimes the best way to get a feel for what a malt may do is to taste the malt at you LHBS. I'm always chewing on malt when I crack it in the mill...

I believe Alaskan uses Alder for smoking their own which I thing is close to Beech... I use peated malt in quite a few of my brews, as much as 1# for a 10gal batch in a stout, sometimes just a handful in a pils or ipa.

 

[mrgrimm101]

If you use the Edinburgh yeast, it generates its own phenols to create a smokey character, thus reducing the need to add a specialty grain. Made a Wee Heavy last year to great acclaim (with golden promise malt)

I had definitely planned on using the Edinburgh yeast, so that could be my answer right there.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Don't think you have to use either in a Scottish ale recipe. Some people like to, others think it's completely out of character for such a beer. I guess it's all about what you really want.

The differences are pretty well explained above. If you want to taste peat, grab a bottle of peated Scotch (Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Talisker, etc.). If you want to taste smoked malt, think of any other wood smoked product (BBQ, bacon, most smoked porters, etc.).