Smoked Stout Experiment

[Jebu1788]

So I've 5 gallons of a smoked stout in secondary right now, recipe follows post. At tasting, the smoke flavor was certainly present, but not as forward as I anticipated or wanted, but maybe the carbonation will bring that out.

Here's my question: on a few batches I've taken 1 gallon aside and tried a variant of the full batch (typically has been whiskey or wood). Was hoping to get some feedback about what you think would be a good way to go on this. I have thought of a few things, and have the following to play with (or could get it easily):

Wood-- Palo Santo, Oak, Cherry, Alder
Coffee
Vanilla Bean
Whiskey
Peppers (habanero or serrano maybe...)

Any thoughts about what to use, or what combination of the above may be good with this beer? I appreciate any ideas, and I'm not even looking to necessarily limit myself to the above ingredients. Thanks in advance.

Recipe:
5.00 lb Smoked Malt (Alder wood, home smoked) (5.0 SRM) Grain 37.74 %
4.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 30.19 %
1.50 lb Toasted Malt (27.0 SRM) Grain 11.32 %
1.00 lb Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 7.55 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 3.77 %
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (400.0 SRM) Grain 3.77 %
0.50 lb Roasted Barley (500.0 SRM) Grain 3.77 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 1.89 %

1.25 oz Willamette [5.90 %] (75 min) Hops 23.1 IBU
0.20 oz Northern Brewer [9.50 %] (75 min) Hops 5.9 IBU
1.25 oz Willamette [5.90 %] (10 min) Hops 8.0 IBU

1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale

OG: 1.065, FG: 1.020, 37 IBUs

 

[Tabb]

My two cents.
I wouldn't oak or any other wood for that matter as it will probably mute the smoky flavor.
I may go with a cherry or a vanilla. I think in a small amount they would compliment each other well.

 

[Jebu1788]

Are you saying to add actual cherries, or cherry wood?

Any thoughts about adding coffee to the beer? Maybe should have said it in the original post, but that was my strongest inclination at first bat.

Edit: Maybe a combination of a dark roast coffee and vanilla bean. That may be nice...

 

[Tabb]

Cherry the fruit. I would stay away from from woods. With my limited knowledge I think oaking or using wood is going to mute the smoke flavor. I would use cherry. Sounds interesting to me.

 

[cluckk]

Personally I wouldn't add anything to it--especially peppers, coffee or whisky. If I were to add any of these it would be the vanilla. It could mellow out some of the smoke that you said was too pronounced. It would also have a nice rounding and mellowing effect on the whole beer. Peppers and coffee are just going to be one more thing to overpower the drinker and adding the whiskey (depending on the type) would only add vanilla and other flavors picked up from the whiskey barrel along with some possible sweetness--all just as easily done with vanilla and the smoke.

 

[Jebu1788]

... It could mellow out some of the smoke that you said was too pronounced.

No, no, when I transferred it to the secondary the sample I took seemed a bit more subdued and less pronounced on the smoke than I was hoping for. I think the carbonation will bring it out some, but still will probably be not as smokey as intended.

 

[Beernik]

Epic Brewing does a heavily smoked & oaked beer. It is awesome with steak.

Doing wood with yours would probably work better if the smokey flavor was more pronounced, so that it would be less likely to be muted.