Smoking Wort on Grill for Smoked Beer

[mrdavebeer]

The wort tasted a little smokey, maybe woody. I usually can't tell as much the first day when I cook a turkey this way...I hang around the smoke, so my senses get used to it, and my clothes, skin, hair all get really smokey. Hell, the whole neighborhood smells like smoke. The next day I can taste the smoked turkey better. The wort was predominantly sweet, of course. Some hops and I think some smoke/woody flavor. I'll know better in a few weeks.

On the grill, the wort is uncovered, the grill is vented, and there's plenty of uncovered boil time on and off the grill.

I hopped in the smoking batch. I speculate that boiling too much after smoking might boil some of the smoke flavor away. So once I got it all mixed together, I did a short boil on the stove to sanitize.

That mostly speaks to method. The real test is in the tasting oh, 6-10 weeks from today. I'll keep you posted on the taste when I bottle.

 

[mrdavebeer]

Ugh....way too smokey. REALLY, REALLY smokey. It's even a little dirty smokey. It has mellowed over the last week or so, but it's still pretty smokey. Perhaps in 6 months it work.

Do smokey beers by the tradition method start out really smokey?

Since I started with a rather light flavor beer, I'm thinking of dry hopping to add some flavor and aroma to mix with the smokey more.

If I do this again I will:

• make a heavier flavor beer
• smoke for 15 minutes instead of 60
• use only wood chunks (no charcoal)

 

[Revvy]

So did you smoke your entire wort, or did you take my advice and only smoke some of it, and add that to the rest of it? That should have reduced the smokiness.

 

[mrdavebeer]

I smoked part of it. It's way, way smokey. It might mellow in 6 months. But there's no mistaking it for smokey now.

 

[Toga]

A large part of your problem with the "dirty smokey" taste is due to the fire. If you are producing thick white smoke your fire is not burning hot enough causing the wood to just smolder producing a dirty white smoke. The smoke coming off the grill or smoker should be thin blue smoke.

 

[mrdavebeer]

Good to know, Toga. Thanks. I don't know if I can control it this way or not. In any case, the word is that the smokiness should diminish over time. I'll let it age many months and see how it cleans up. I'll post updates.

 

[parabellum]

that is some serious smoke in those pictures... I smoke jerky at 150 degrees for 8 - 12 hours [very cool coal bed] with chips resting on the coal bed on a pizza pan. this produces a mild smoke, much lighter in density than what is in the pictures. this works great and imparts a gentle smoke flavor. if I smoke at with dense smoke @ 200 - 250 degrees the jerky is bitter with smoke and dry. I think low and slow is the key. I may try this for fun in a smoked porter with some mods. [wouldn't happen until spring though].

 

[bovineblitz]

Aren't you supposed to smoke at a low, smoldering temperature for smoking things?

 

[Altayre]

in the barbecue world this method of smoking is actually used to make smoked sauces. I imagine it would give a different (read stronger) flavor and aroma to the wort than a smoked grain.

I use it quite often to smoke almost all the sauces I make, primarily because I love smoke flavor/aroma. And I hate 'liquid smoke' because it just doesn't taste/smell the same.

Love to cook, and I see brewing as simply an extension of cooking, open to much experimentation.

and Toga is 100% correct in the smoke density, a nice thin blue smoke. White billowy clouds of smoke just tastes like ash/charcoal

Doing it this way you could also experiment with different types of wood or herbs and spices for different flavors and aromas, just like sauces. Where using 'pre-smoked' grain is sort of limiting.. unless of course you're smoking that yourself too.

 

[mrdavebeer]

So here's the 7-month verdict: it's too strong and it's ashy

I tasted it at

• 3 months: bleh...too strong and ashy
• 5 months: mellowed some, so it's more tolerable, but still strong and ashy
• 7 months (today): mellowed even more and is more drinkable. More aging may bring it around. But it's still a little strong in smoke with ashy taste.

It's mellowed enough to think more time might bring it around. I'll let it age more, perhaps up to a year. I'll post updates if it gets better.

Conclusions:

• My smoke was white, so it's ashy. Next time, I'll smoke with blue, wispy smoke.
• It's too strong, so next time, I'll smoke for 15 minutes or so.

I'll keep you posted.