Smoked Porter Recipe? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

[AnOldUR]

Must be that collective Borg mentality. This thread inspired me to a Smoked Porter also. Brewed on October 26th, secondary on November 8th, cold crash some time next week, then to a keg. Even if it’s not really ready, hope to sample at Thanksgiving. Here's my version:

7.0 lb Maris Otter / Thomas Fawcett (UK)
5.0 lb Rauchmalt (Beechwood-SmokedMalt) / Weyermann (GER)
1.0 lb Carapils / Briess (US)
12 oz Carafa III (de-husked) / Weyermann (GER)
4 oz Acidulated Malt / Weyermann (GER)
Wyeast 1028 London Ale / 2nd Generation

90 minute boil
1.0 oz Fuggles Hop Pellets – Alpha 4.6% - FWH
1.0 oz Fuggles Hop Pellets – Alpha 4.6% - 45 minutes
1.0 oz Fuggles Hop Pellets – Alpha 4.6% - 30 minutes
1.0 oz Fuggles Hop Pellets – Alpha 4.6% - 15 minutes
1.0 oz Fuggles Hop Pellets – Alpha 4.6% - Flame-out

 

[BierMuncher]

Must be that collective Borg mentality.

Resistance is futile.

 

[AnOldUR]

Resistance is futile.

Yeah, it was. I broke the patience rule

After only three weeks I force carbed some of this in a soda bottle and gave it a try. In this thread the early advise for BierMuncher was to up the amount of smoked grain. Well, this first sample was really smokey. Like drinking beef jerky. I liked it, but most didn't. How much will the smoked flavor mellow with proper conditioning?

 

[BierMuncher]

Yeah, it was. I broke the patience rule

After only three weeks I force carbed some of this in a soda bottle and gave it a try. In this thread the early advise for BierMuncher was to up the amount of smoked grain. Well, this first sample was really smokey. Like drinking beef jerky. I liked it, but most didn't. How much will the smoked flavor mellow with proper conditioning?

Strange that only 35% of smoke grain would be that strong.

Mine was 50% and the smoke is perceptible, but very tame. I'ts been tapped for three days now and is coming along very nicely. Plainly drinkable...but I'll restrain myself for a couple of weeks to let her "grow".

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Like drinking beef jerky. I liked it, but most didn't. How much will the smoked flavor mellow with proper conditioning?

Have you had other smoked beers and liked them? Your statement about most people not liking them is true. I love them, but most don't. I too am very surprised that 35% is beef jerky smokey. I hope this thread has not lead you down a path you did not intend...


EDIT: The smoke with mellow with time, but the flavor will remain. Albeit more muddled with the other flavors.

 

[AnOldUR]

Have you had other smoked beers and liked them? Your statement about most people not liking them is true.

I only had a smoked beer once before, but enjoyed it. I took this early sample to a dinner party last weekend to get some opinions. No one said they hated it, but I didn't get the same feel from the body language. (Good thing there was plenty of MO/Centennial SMaSH to keep me from getting a bad reputation.)

Is anyone who brewed this around the same time interested in a swap? I'd like to get a taste of other versions of this recipe and a critique on mine.

 

[flyangler18]

Is anyone who brewed this around the same time interested in a swap? I'd like to get a taste of other versions of this recipe and a critique on mine.

I'd love to do a swap with you, Herm! I'd like to have a couple bottles ready to sample on Thanksgiving, so I'll force carb and BMBF to bottles.

Like others, I'm actually surprised that 35% smoke malt is so assertive. I brewed BM's recipe using Challenger as my bittering and that smoke is present but subdued.

 

[AnOldUR]

Like others, I'm actually surprised that 35% smoke malt is so assertive. I brewed BM's recipe using Challenger as my bittering and that smoke is present but subdued.

I should come clean here. I put about ¾ of a gallon of wort in a separate one gallon jug and fermented it by itself. This is what I bottled and force carbed early. I had been reading about Bourbon Porters, but didn’t have any bourbon, so I dumped about 1 ½ oz of Jameson Irish Whiskey into the 2 liter bottle that I carbed in. Could this have overstated the smoked flavor? (I don’t intend to do this addition to the main batch. Just a little experimenting.)

I haven’t always had success bottling from the keg. I’ll be naturally carbing a couple of sixers before I keg. Probably do that this weekend, so they’ll be ready for swap around the first part of December.

 

[AnOldUR]

Just an update, if anyone is interested.

All the advise on the amount of smoked grain given here was right. In just one week the smoke flavor has dropped dramatically. Now I’m thinking that the 35% that I used will not give as much as I was looking for.

 

[flyangler18]

My experiences in brewing this recipe echos BM's: the smoke aroma and character builds as conditioning goes on after the ferment has completed. Malt dominates the aroma for the first couple of days, then the smokiness begins to emerge. With the exception of my hop substitution, I brewed this verbatim to BM's final recipe, using 5 lbs smoked malt. I enjoy smoked beers, so may consider upping the percentage of rauchmalt in future iterations of this recipe.

 

[flyangler18]

I love this beer! The smoke character is perfect and it's my best porter to date, without question. I've been encouraged to enter this beer in a competition, so the question of category comes to mind. Would this be better represented in as a brown porter or a smoked beer?

 

[AnOldUR]

I believe it has to go into 22B, Other Smoked Beer.

 

[flyangler18]

I believe it has to go into 22B, Other Smoked Beer.

Bingo, should have looked closer at the BJCP guidelines! Oy, I need another cuppa.

 

[BierMuncher]

I love this beer! The smoke character is perfect and it's my best porter to date, without question. I've been encouraged to enter this beer in a competition, so the question of category comes to mind. Would this be better represented in as a brown porter or a smoked beer?

Absolutely. I just got the results back from our Happy Holidays Homebrew Competition. There were 365 entries and this event was the final qualifying event for the Eleventh Annual Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing.

Among a few of my other beers that placed, this Loon Lake Smoked Porter took 3rd in Category #22. I'm anxious to get the score sheets back so I can figure out how to tweak it.

 

[Jared311]

Alright, so I brewed this beast last Monday. I decided to drop the smoked malt down to 4lbs and increase the munich to 4lbs. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly the same. After five days I crash cooled in my primary for three days and then racked to a keg today. I grabbed a quarter pint to see how it was developing. Took a sip and filled the rest of the class even though there isn't an ounce of carbonation yet. I am going to have to lock my tap so I don't try to drink it all. I love the mouth feel and the smoke profile is just amazing. Reminds me of sitting in front of the camp fire on a cold winter night. Well done!!!

 

[BierMuncher]

...I am going to have to lock my tap so I don't try to drink it all. I love the mouth feel and the smoke profile is just amazing. Reminds me of sitting in front of the camp fire on a cold winter night. Well done!!!

It's snow, snow and more snow in the forecast so it's a roaring fire and a few pints of Loon Lake for me tonight.

Keep us posted as the beer develops.

 

[hokster]

Has anyone brewed this with a little bit of brown malt? I'm not sure if .5 lb or so would help or overpower the smoke.

 

[BierMuncher]

Has anyone brewed this with a little bit of brown malt? I'm not sure if .5 lb or so would help or overpower the smoke.

I think it would be good. Definitely will not overpower the smoke and one thing I'd do differently is up the malt backbone a bit.

 

[Jared311]

This beer is amazing. I made a BBQ sauce and burgers using it and they came out delicious.

 

[hokster]

I brewed this yesterday with .5 lb of brown malt. The smell was amazing, and it came out a rich chocolate brown. I used Wyeast 1098; I can't wait for this to finish!

 

[Jared311]

BTW, the LHBS gave me crazy looks when I purchased 5lbs of smoked malt. It was fun to go back yesterday and tell them it came out great. They were talking smack that it would be way over the top smokey...

 

[BierMuncher]

BTW, the LHBS gave me crazy looks when I purchased 5lbs of smoked malt. It was fun to go back yesterday and tell them it came out great. They were talking smack that it would be way over the top smokey...

That's alright.

They probably peed their pants laughing the first time someone said they want to put coriander in a wheat beer.

 

[mhall]

I'm about to brew a beer with the these ingredients:
Batch 5.28 gal:
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5,51 lb Smoked Malt (Weyermann) (6,0 EBC) Grain 48,26 %
3,31 lb Munich I (Weyermann) (14,0 EBC) Grain 28,96 %
1,10 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3,9 EBC) Grain 9,65 %
0,75 lb Carafa Special I (Weyermann) (850,0 EBC) Grain 6,56 %
0,75 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (78,8 EBC) Grain 6,56 %
1,23 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [2,40 %] (60 min) Hops 8,6 IBU
1,23 oz Fuggles [5,00 %] (60 min) Hops 19,9 IBU
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

60 min. 157 deg F.

Do you think this will turn out as a nice and warm Loon Lake Smoked Porter?
What is critical when brewing a beer like this?

 

[babalu87]

BTW, the LHBS gave me crazy looks when I purchased 5lbs of smoked malt. It was fun to go back yesterday and tell them it came out great. They were talking smack that it would be way over the top smokey...

They need to STFU

I home smoked the malt for my Rauchbier and it was AWESOME

95% of the grain bill was smoked malt, the rest was just some wheat for head retention and caramunich for color

 

[BierMuncher]

What is critical when brewing a beer like this?

The smoke will take care of itself. Critical is brewing this true to the porter style...whatever that is.

I like a porter to be a bit richer and chewier so I would mash higher to retain some maltiness.

 

[AnOldUR]

The smoke will take care of itself. Critical is brewing this true to the porter style...whatever that is.

Looking at a score sheet from a local competition, this didn't work out too well for me. Total 31/50. Here's the Overall Impression.

A good tasting proter that is well brewed, but does not stand out. Smoke flavor is a little too subtle to acheive the balance necessary for this style.

Was expecting this reaction because the smoke flavor had been mellowing over time even with 5lbs of smoked malt in the recipe. Funny thing is that now that I'm getting to the bottom of the keg it is getting stronger again. This has been a fine beer even through all its variations. Definitely be brewing it again.

I'll seriously miss it when it's gone.








I know that at least a couple other HBTers entered their Smoked Porters in this competition.
How'd you make out?

 

[ChemE]

Absolutely. I just got the results back from our Happy Holidays Homebrew Competition. There were 365 entries and this event was the final qualifying event for the Eleventh Annual Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing.

Among a few of my other beers that placed, this Loon Lake Smoked Porter took 3rd in Category #22. I'm anxious to get the score sheets back so I can figure out how to tweak it.

Any movement on the scores or the recipe tweaks? Given the popularity of your Black Pearl Porter in our household, I'm interested in getting this going to get me through next winter.

 

[ModlrMike]

I recently acquired 2lbs of peated malt from Northern Brewer. I'm interested in using it in a Smoked Porter extract recipe. From the proceeding comments, it looks like 2# may not be enough to come through in flavour. My recipe is a version of CraigTube's porter where he used Coopers English Bitter as a base and added malts from there.

Coopers English Bitter
2.75 lbs dark LME
2 lbs peated malt

Steep the malts then boil the LME for 60 minutes, perhaps with some additional hops.

I suppose that if I don't boil the extract I get from the grains I might preserve more of the smoke flavour?

If that's not an option, I could try and get my hands on some two row and smoke a couple of more pounds, but that may prove difficult. We're in something of a brewing wasteland here.