dlester
Well-Known Member
Smoked Beer:
I am in the process of building a smoked stout, which I will name Smokey The Stout for a local competition. My goal is to create a beautiful tasting stout with subtle smokiness. I already have a wonderful stout recipe that is a regular on my taps. However, it appears that the most popular beer to add smoke flavor is the Porter. I haven't seen much in the way of a smoked stout. Nonetheless, I have talked to several people that said they have tried such a beast. Well, I haven't and was at a loss as to designing the recipe, until now.
Because this is my first smoked beer, I'll need everyone's input; good, bad or indifferent. I want to know your attempts at smoke flavor no matter the style. What was your honest opinion of your smoked beer and what would you have done differently?
Here are my concerns: Every time I have tasted a homebrew smoked beer, the smoke was always overwhelming. I don't know how much smoked malt to add to the grist. But I found the advice of 3 oz per 5 gallons at my home brew shop in SoCal. Well, this might be good, but I want to get it right the first time. Therefore, I have devised an experiment.
My experiment: First, start off with a good stout recipe, which I have in hand. Next, in order to get the smokiness just right, I'm going to make a small batch using 6 ounces of smoked malt without hops and the same starting gravity as the stout. Finally, I'm going to blend the smoked malt into the finished stout until I get the blend to my liking.
This shouldn't be difficult and I think it's a good idea. But, I'm not the "pro," and neither should I be. I'm too new to the craft.:rockin:
I am in the process of building a smoked stout, which I will name Smokey The Stout for a local competition. My goal is to create a beautiful tasting stout with subtle smokiness. I already have a wonderful stout recipe that is a regular on my taps. However, it appears that the most popular beer to add smoke flavor is the Porter. I haven't seen much in the way of a smoked stout. Nonetheless, I have talked to several people that said they have tried such a beast. Well, I haven't and was at a loss as to designing the recipe, until now.
Because this is my first smoked beer, I'll need everyone's input; good, bad or indifferent. I want to know your attempts at smoke flavor no matter the style. What was your honest opinion of your smoked beer and what would you have done differently?
Here are my concerns: Every time I have tasted a homebrew smoked beer, the smoke was always overwhelming. I don't know how much smoked malt to add to the grist. But I found the advice of 3 oz per 5 gallons at my home brew shop in SoCal. Well, this might be good, but I want to get it right the first time. Therefore, I have devised an experiment.
My experiment: First, start off with a good stout recipe, which I have in hand. Next, in order to get the smokiness just right, I'm going to make a small batch using 6 ounces of smoked malt without hops and the same starting gravity as the stout. Finally, I'm going to blend the smoked malt into the finished stout until I get the blend to my liking.
This shouldn't be difficult and I think it's a good idea. But, I'm not the "pro," and neither should I be. I'm too new to the craft.:rockin: