# Homemade Smoked Grain



## barls (11/4/10)

hey all just thought id share these pics.
ive spent most of the day smoking grain in my little stove smoker. the whole house smells wonderful. its kinda got that smokey/ dark fruit cake smell.

before





after




and the comparison shot.






the new version of my stove top smoker works great. holds a temp better.
the old one had the bottom fall out of it.
here is a pic of the old one




can anyone say smoked schwartzbier???


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## Screwtop (11/4/10)

barls said:


> can anyone say smoked schwartzbier???




Yep.............Rauchbier :lol:


After building my UD Smoker this is on the to do list for me, have to get some Beechwood chips.

Cheers,


Screwy


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## barls (11/4/10)

im currently smoking with a mix of apple wood, rum soaked sawdust and port soaked hickory. its damn good.


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## TidalPete (11/4/10)

Care to share your homemade smoker setups anyone?

Barls,
Would your smoker work on an electric stove? Yes I know that you have more control over temps with gas.
Those pics of yours look great BTW. :beer: 

T


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## Nick JD (11/4/10)

Webbers are great smokers - I do chickens, fish and ribs on mine all the time. 

Now I'm thinking malt - thanks  .

Who's got a good smoked malt recipe? What's a Rauchbier? Smokebeer?


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## manticle (11/4/10)

You've not tried a rauchbier Nick?

This is the one you want to start with. http://www.schlenkerla.de/indexe.html

Made a smoked porter today but the smoked malt was bought. A weber was my first AG burner so maybe there's cause to crack it out again. I love smoked meats, smoked whisky and smoked beer so I might have a shot.


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## barls (11/4/10)

heres my smoked schwartz
Smoked Schwarz

Selected Style and BJCP Guidelines
4C-Dark Lager-Schwarzbier

Minimum OG: 1.046 SG Maximum OG: 1.052 SG
Minimum FG: 1.010 SG Maximum FG: 1.016 SG
Minimum IBU: 22 IBU Maximum IBU: 32 IBU
Minimum Color: 17.0 SRM Maximum Color: 30.0 SRM


Recipe Overview
Wort Volume Before Boil: 27.00 l Wort Volume After Boil: 20.00 l
Volume Transferred: 20.00 l Water Added To Fermenter: 0.00 l
Volume At Pitching: 20.00 l Volume Of Finished Beer: 19.00 l
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.036 SG Expected OG: 1.048 SG
Expected FG: 1.013 SG Apparent Attenuation: 71.9 %
Expected ABV: 4.6 % Expected ABW: 3.6 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 28.9 IBU Expected Color (using Morey): 22.4 SRM
BU:GU ratio: 0.60 Approx Color:	
Mash Efficiency: 80.0 % 
Boil Duration: 60.0 mins 
Fermentation Temperature: 11 degC 


Fermentables
Ingredient	Amount	%	MCU	When
German Pilsner Malt 2.000 kg 51.8 % 1.1 In Mash/Steeped
German Munich Malt 0.882 kg 22.9 % 2.0 In Mash/Steeped
German Smoked Malt 0.700 kg 18.1 % 0.7 In Mash/Steeped
Weyermann Carafa Special II 0.278 kg 7.2 % 48.1 In Mash/Steeped


Hops
Variety	Alpha	Amount	IBU	Form	When
German Northern Brewer 8.0 % 25 g 28.9 Loose Pellet Hops 60 Min From End


Other Ingredients
Ingredient	Amount	When


Yeast
White Labs WLP838-Southern German Lager

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name: Single Step Infusion (66C/151F)

Step Type	Temperature	Duration
Rest at 66 degC 60
also works well with the canadian belgian yeast (like a raftsman)

i couldnt see why my set up wouldnt work on electric. havent tried it though.


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## bum (11/4/10)

Sorry for the derail but I can't find the info anywhere and now seems like a good time to ask.

What malts/percentages would I be looking at using in a rauchbier if I wanted to chase the prominent cured meatiness of Schlenkerla's Urbock? I know they use beechwood for smoking their malt but I've had beers with beechwood smoked malt that has none of the bacon found in this beer.


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## Screwtop (11/4/10)

TidalPete said:


> Care to share your homemade smoker setups anyone?
> 
> Barls,
> Would your smoker work on an electric stove? Yes I know that you have more control over temps with gas.
> ...






Here's mine Pete, $15 drum, free add on Freecycle provided the weber BBQ for the racks and lid, some scrap steel laying around the shed, $16 for 4 Casters from Bunnings, some old Gal fittings (turned the welder current right down....splatter, splatter) welded in and $19 for a ball valve, potbelly black paint, nuts and bolts and and handles from the shed. Thermometer was from eBay think about $15.00 delivered, and $5 for some scrap weldmesh for the burner basket. There must have been something else I had to buy can't remember, but for $70.00 a bloody fantastic thing for a cook up. Cooks/smokes heaps at a time, then freeze/vacuum seal for later. Uses about a third of a $10 bag of heat beads for a 12 hr burn. For a family lunch last Sun used a handfull of Manuka chips and a half handfull of hickory chips, did 2 chooks, beef ribs, two turkey thighs and some green king prawns (yumm smoked prawns). Thing was only about 1/2 full lots more room. I shut it down after three hrs when everything was done, used probably no more than 1Kg of beads, plenty left for next time.

Link to build details: http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showpost...mp;postcount=86
Good project for you, piece a piss for an old boiley Pete. 

Screwy


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## yardy (11/4/10)

Screwtop said:


> View attachment 37118
> 
> 
> Here's mine Pete, $15 drum, free add on Freecycle provided the weber BBQ for the racks and lid, some scrap steel laying around the shed, $16 for 4 Casters from Bunnings, some old Gal fittings (turned the welder current right down....splatter, splatter) welded in and $19 for a ball valve, potbelly black paint, nuts and bolts and and handles from the shed. Thermometer was from eBay think about $15.00 delivered, and $5 for some scrap weldmesh for the burner basket. There must have been something else I had to buy can't remember, but for $70.00 a bloody fantastic thing for a cook up. Cooks/smokes heaps at a time, then freeze/vacuum seal for later. Uses about a third of a $10 bag of heat beads for a 12 hr burn. For a family lunch last Sun did 2 chooks, beef ribs, two turkey thighs and some green king prawns (yumm smoked prawns). Thing was only about 1/2 full lots more room. I shut it down after three hrs when everything was done and used probably no more than 1Kg of beads, plenty left for next time.
> ...



looks good screwy, love the bar/drinking area in the background, got any pics of the inside ?

Dave


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## Screwtop (11/4/10)

manticle said:


> This is the one you want to start with. http://www.schlenkerla.de/indexe.html




My youngest son's fav beer, he called in at the Spotted Cow bottlo over Easter to stock up and they were out of stock  

Screwy


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## barls (11/4/10)

bum said:


> Sorry for the derail but I can't find the info anywhere and now seems like a good time to ask.
> 
> What malts/percentages would I be looking at using in a rauchbier if I wanted to chase the prominent cured meatiness of Schlenkerla's Urbock? I know they use beechwood for smoking their malt but I've had beers with beechwood smoked malt that has none of the bacon found in this beer.





> 22A. Classic Rauchbier
> 
> Aroma: Blend of smoke and malt, with a varying balance and intensity. The beechwood smoke character can range from subtle to fairly strong, and can seem smoky, bacon-like, woody, or rarely almost greasy. The malt character can be low to moderate, and be somewhat sweet, toasty, or malty. The malt and smoke components are often inversely proportional (i.e., when smoke increases, malt decreases, and vice versa). Hop aroma may be very low to none. Clean, lager character with no fruity esters, diacetyl or DMS.
> 
> ...


from the bjcp in red


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## bum (11/4/10)

Thanks, Barls. The part I still can't quite get my head around is how to push that meatiness. Would it just be a matter of using a higher proportion of smoked vienna or is that too obvious? Is also temp/yeast strain related (although I'm guessing there aren't bacon esters)?


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## Screwtop (11/4/10)

yardy said:


> looks good screwy, love the bar/drinking area in the background, got any pics of the inside ?
> 
> Dave




Dave, click on the link to the build, exactly as per the pics there. I browsed the US BBQ site and took a hint from a post, made up a smaller basket to put inside the large one for a short cook. The large basket takes nearly a full bag of beads, only uses about 1Kg or so for a 3 hr burn, shut down the air intakes when finished, remove the basket and give a shake to remove the ash and you are left with the unburnt beads for next firing. Beads need to be compacted for a good burn so I made up the smaller basket so the whole bag of beads is not required to fill it. If doing a long slow cook, something like an overnight slow cook you would need slightly more beads, the vents/ball valve are closed up/adjusted to get the required cooking temp.

Screwy


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## Nick JD (11/4/10)

So I want to make a dark lager with noble hops, and with at least 20% of the malt smoked? How's that sound?


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## Tony (11/4/10)

I smoked up some pilsner malt a lot of years ago. And hot damn... this thread has me all keen to do it again. 

I soaked the malt in water for half an hour of so and then smiked it in my home made "structure" over ironbark.

I made a beer with the malt i named Ironbark ale and it tasted like eating bacon and beef jerky in a bushfire. Sent it off to competition and it scared the hell out of some jusges. I got some really freaked out comments 

here are some pics. I still have the sheet of stainless mesh i used to hold the malt. Im going to do it again.

cheers


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## Screwtop (11/4/10)

Tony said:


> I smoked up some pilsner malt a lot of years ago. And hot damn... this thread has me all keen to do it again.
> 
> I soaked the malt in water for half an hour of so and then smiked it in my home made "structure" over ironbark.
> 
> ...




Was going to use Pils malt too Tony. But seem to remember that Schlenkerla smoke Vienna malt, just so happens I have some............hmmm. Smoked beer this winter.

Screwy


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## barls (11/4/10)

damn that looks good mate you using heat beads at the bottom or just building the fire the letting die down to coal then covering


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## Tony (11/4/10)

Yeha i just used heat beads.

I got Ironbark chunks and soaked them in water for a couple days. I grew up on a farm covered in ironbarks and its the smell i remember most as a kid. Ironbark smoke!

cheers


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## barls (11/4/10)

i remember iron wood smoke, any chance i can get a couple of those chunks off you at the pub crawl if your going.


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## manticle (11/4/10)

bum said:


> Sorry for the derail but I can't find the info anywhere and now seems like a good time to ask.
> 
> What malts/percentages would I be looking at using in a rauchbier if I wanted to chase the prominent cured meatiness of Schlenkerla's Urbock? I know they use beechwood for smoking their malt but I've had beers with beechwood smoked malt that has none of the bacon found in this beer.


My understanding is that the weyerman smoked malt is the malt used in traditional bamberg rauch beer. Can be used up to 100% for the grist so obviously can self convert. I used some today and nibbled on a bit of malt - definitely bacon going on. It is smoked with beech but maybe it's just the percentages.


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## Tony (11/4/10)

barls said:


> i remember iron wood smoke, any chance i can get a couple of those chunks off you at the pub crawl if your going.



Awww geze mate..... that was 5 or 6 years ago now....... and i used the leftover to make a second batch of smoked malt.

I bought it at BBQ galore though...... they have a good range.

cheers


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## barls (11/4/10)

not a problem, im going to find the nearest bbq galore to see if i can get some then. cheers for the tip.
i got the last lot of apple wood and rum soaked from bcf.


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## Ducatiboy stu (12/4/10)

Tony said:


> I smoked up some pilsner malt a lot of years ago. And hot damn... this thread has me all keen to do it again.
> 
> I soaked the malt in water for half an hour of so and then smiked it in my home made "structure" over ironbark.
> 
> ...


 I remember that beer, it was really in-your-face smoke....absolutly full on... B)


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## komodo (12/4/10)

I know you can get a commercial peat smoked malt - but is it possible to get peat for smoking? I'd like to do a really really peaty peat smoked malt for an unhopped "beer"... h34r:


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## Screwtop (12/4/10)

barls said:


> not a problem, im going to find the nearest bbq galore to see if i can get some then. cheers for the tip.
> i got the last lot of apple wood and rum soaked from bcf.




Got some German Beechwood chips of ebay: http://stores.shop.ebay.com.au/Cajun-Canno...s__W0QQ_armrsZ1

Also available here: http://karlslittlegarden.com/BBQ.html


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## drsmurto (12/4/10)

Komodo said:


> I know you can get a commercial peat smoked malt - but is it possible to get peat for smoking? I'd like to do a really really peaty peat smoked malt for an unhopped "beer"... h34r:



I made an unhopped 'beer' last year which was 50/50 ale/peat malt. Very peaty. Just used the commercial peat malt. It's more than peaty enough IMO. I could smell the grain as i walked into the shed!


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## Sammus (12/4/10)

bum said:


> Thanks, Barls. The part I still can't quite get my head around is how to push that meatiness. Would it just be a matter of using a higher proportion of smoked vienna or is that too obvious? Is also temp/yeast strain related (although I'm guessing there aren't bacon esters)?



I seem to remember a someone on here (one of the newcastle boys I think, maybe even Tony?) saying the weyermann rachmalt isn't all that smokey, at 100% it still doesn't give the smokey bite as some of the other imported rachbeers give, but there used to be rauchmalt that isn't available anymore that was heaps smokier... Can't remember any more details sorry :\ But this thread is certainly relevant to my interests...


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## Fourstar (12/4/10)

I see a smoked helles coming on for the winter months! B)


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## superdave (12/4/10)

manticle said:


> You've not tried a rauchbier Nick?
> 
> This is the one you want to start with. http://www.schlenkerla.de/indexe.html
> 
> Made a smoked porter today but the smoked malt was bought. A weber was my first AG burner so maybe there's cause to crack it out again. I love smoked meats, smoked whisky and smoked beer so I might have a shot.



For Nick's reference (or anyone in Brisbane) they have it at the German Club. Coincidently I tried their Rauchbier Marzen on Friday night and my review is it's like drinking bacon, without the salt  . The beer was pitch black too if that helps anyone in any way and used Beechwood to provide the smoke.


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## bum (12/4/10)

manticle said:


> My understanding is that the weyerman smoked malt is the malt used in traditional bamberg rauch beer. Can be used up to 100% for the grist so obviously can self convert. I used some today and nibbled on a bit of malt - definitely bacon going on. It is smoked with beech but maybe it's just the percentages.


 
Ah, good to hear. Plan on putting a Rauchbier down once I've ironed the wrinkles out of the 3V system I haven't even put together yet and more than any other beer I wanna get this one right first go. I gather that the Weyerman is smoked pale not vienna - can anyone confirm or deny? If so would it be nonsense thinking I could use it and some unsmoked vienna to bridge the gap or should I be looking at smoking my own? SWMBO has already been shown the pictures in this thread and is expecting the worst. 

Yeah, Sammus, pretty sure you were on the money about it being Tony making those comments. Came a cross that one already - if memory serves (I should just look instead of guessing, but hey, what're you gonna do?) it might have been in the discussion thread for his Rauchbier in the DB. A recipe I might have a few questions about once the aforementioned 3V system is up and running.


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## Sammus (12/4/10)

bum said:


> Ah, good to hear. Plan on putting a Rauchbier down once I've ironed the wrinkles out of the 3V system I haven't even put together yet and more than any other beer I wanna get this one right first go. I gather that the Weyerman is smoked pale not vienna - can anyone confirm or deny? If so would it be nonsense thinking I could use it and some unsmoked vienna to bridge the gap or should I be looking at smoking my own? SWMBO has already been shown the pictures in this thread and is expecting the worst.
> 
> Yeah, Sammus, pretty sure you were on the money about it being Tony making those comments. Came a cross that one already - if memory serves (I should just look instead of guessing, but hey, what're you gonna do?) it might have been in the discussion thread for his Rauchbier in the DB. A recipe I might have a few questions about once the aforementioned 3V system is up and running.




I'm pretty confident it is *not* smoked vienna, Weyermann website lists it's colour as 3-6, and vienna as 7-9.

Yeah that thread sounds familiar, I've been through it also pining over Rauchbier... definite must do on the list.


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## Fourstar (12/4/10)

Sammus said:


> I'm pretty confident it is *not* smoked vienna, Weyermann website lists it's colour as 3-6, and vienna as 7-9.
> Yeah that thread sounds familiar, I've been through it also pining over Rauchbier... definite must do on the list.



i'd say its 'pilsner' malt thats been kiln dried over beechwood to get that desired SRM/EBC. Not pre-kilned as say vienna or pilsner then smoked. Well, atleast thats the way schlenkerla do it. Technically its just Rauchmalt following their method, not rauchvienna rauchpils etc.


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## Rodolphe01 (12/4/10)

I used Weyermann smoked malt at ~80% of the grain bill and it was no where near the smoke flavour of schlenkerla rauchbier, still smoke flavour but I was really disapointed. I can't see that 100% would make it that much more intense either.

This got me to thinking of smoking my own, but I was concerned about getting the grain too hot while smoking it and destroying enzymes etc for conversion during the mash?


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## Fourstar (12/4/10)

Rudi 101 said:


> This got me to thinking of smoking my own, but I was concerned about getting the grain too hot while smoking it and destroying enzymes etc for conversion during the mash?




Thats why you smoke only a % of the grist or cold smoke it!


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## Screwtop (19/5/10)

Came home after being away for a couple of weeks to find this:





Had been left to air dry after smoking for about 4 days, thought the malt was plenty dry enough, but apparently not...................mouldy..............BUGGER!

Screwy


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## raven19 (19/5/10)

Screwtop said:


> Had been left to air dry after smoking for about 4 days, thought the malt was plenty dry enough, but apparently not...................mouldy..............BUGGER!



Bugger indeed fella. Next time use it straight away? Or does that lead to a more harsh hit on the pallette?

Or is storing it in a brown paper bag required to let it dry out further?


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## praxis178 (19/5/10)

raven19 said:


> Bugger indeed fella. Next time use it straight away? Or does that lead to a more harsh hit on the pallette?
> 
> Or is storing it in a brown paper bag required to let it dry out further?



I'd take it from the smoker to the oven and "kiln" it over night at 90C with the door ajar maybe an inch or so (better if the oven is fan forced too), should then be plenty dry enough to store for a while.


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## Screwtop (19/5/10)

Thomas J. said:


> I'd take it from the smoker to the oven and "kiln" it over night at 90C with the door ajar maybe an inch or so (better if the oven is fan forced too), should then be plenty dry enough to store for a while.




Great advice TJ, that's what I should have done :angry: 

Screwy


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## barls (19/5/10)

barls said:


> not a problem, im going to find the nearest bbq galore to see if i can get some then. cheers for the tip.
> i got the last lot of apple wood and rum soaked from bcf.


ended up getting some at rays out doors. as well as some other woods as well.
once i get through the 3kgs ive already got ill try again.


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## manticle (19/5/10)

Shit Screwy - almost as bad as coming home and finding one of your fermenters had a loose tap and has spilled 19 of 20 litres on the laundry floor.


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## Tony (19/5/10)

Sammus said:


> I seem to remember a someone on here (one of the newcastle boys I think, maybe even Tony?) saying the weyermann rachmalt isn't all that smokey, at 100% it still doesn't give the smokey bite as some of the other imported rachbeers give, but there used to be rauchmalt that isn't available anymore that was heaps smokier... Can't remember any more details sorry :\ But this thread is certainly relevant to my interests...



One word my friend

Hoephner !

15% in the mash was the same as using the weyermann shit as a base malt!

Oh i miss it sooooooooooooo much.

Oh where oh where can my Hoephner be?
The importers took her away from me.
She's stuck in germany so ive got be be good,
And pray i see it soon, im my...... neighbourhood!


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