Aecht Schlenkerla Clone

[MattC]

Hi all, looking at doing a rauchbier similar to the Aech Schlenkerla Rauchbier which i had for the first time the other day. Not having been fond of smoked beers, i think they're growing on me. I saw an article in a mag recently (think it may have been BYO or beer and Brewer) cant for the life of me find it now :angry:

I was quite sure I read that Schlenkerla use close to 100% of the base malt as smoked malt (beechwood). Had a bit of a serach and came up with this. Looking for some feedback on the recipe and from anyone who has had a crack at cloning this before. How did it turn out?

The reason for the two carafas is that I was trying to use up the carafa III first.

Cheers

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Rauchbier
Style: Other Smoked Beer
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size (fermenter): 26.00 l
Boil Size: 38.56 l
Bottling Volume: 26.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.052 SG
Estimated Color: 45.3 EBC
Estimated IBU: 24.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 78.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.00 kg Smoked Malt (Weyermann) (3.9 EBC) Grain 1 89.3 %
0.25 kg Carafoam (Weyermann) (3.9 EBC) Grain 2 4.5 %
0.11 kg Carafa III (Weyermann) (1034.3 EBC) Grain 4 2.0 %
0.24 kg Carafa II (Weyermann) (817.5 EBC) Grain 3 4.3 %
20.00 g Perle [8.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 21.5 IBUs
20.00 g Hallertauer Hersbrucker - 2008 [2.10 %] Hop 6 1.8 IBUs
20.00 g Hallertauer Hersbrucker - 2008 [2.10 %] Hop 7 1.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg Munich Lager (Wyeast Labs #2308) [124.21 Yeast 8 -

4 L stepped starter

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 5.60 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 18.50 l of water at 72.2 C 67.0 C 60 min

 

[oscarman]

Hey, how did this go? I'm really interested in trying a smoke beer similar to the Schlenkerla. Also, probably won't lager it, would this cause any problems do you think?

 

[bum]

That grainbill is busier than the supposed bill of the real deal. All smoked, smallest possible addition of dark grain for colour. Hopping looks over the top to me as well,

I tried 99% Best smoked and carafa III last year (speced to the top end of Oktoberfest). Was a nice beer but not even approaching a clone, IMO. I dunno what they do to it.

 

[wessmith]

Something I posted back in 2006 which might be of interest.

Wes

There are several traditional Rauch beers produced in Germany - smoked lager beers, smoked ale beers and smoked dark wheat beers. The latter example is best exemplified in the famous "Schlenkerla" Rauchbier from Bamburg in Franconia, Germany. Schlenker in German means something like "to not walk in a straight line", hence the name I adopted "Wobbly Boot Smokey Weizen", but more on that later.

So back to the balance thing - with any strongly flavoured/aromatic beer you need to consider what to balance the dominant flavour/aroma with. In traditional stouts it is a high level of hopping that is used to balance the burnt coffee/astringent flavours of the roast barley. In a wit, the natural sourness of the wheat malt is balanced with a low hopping and the natural sweetness of the pale barley malt.

In a Rauchbeir you need something distinctive, and typically the traditional Weinstephan W68 yeast strain is the foil of choice. A good load of phenolic (4VG) and some esters does wonders in balancing the flavour profile. Brew this baby with an ordinary ale yeast and you will end up with a face and mouthfull of "in your face" smokiness!

The recipe kindly provided by the Weyermann folks for a Schlenkerla "look-a-like" are:

30% Weyermann Wheat Pale
30% Weyermann Wheat Dark
30% Weyermann Smoked malt
8% Weyermann Carawheat
2% Weyermann Carafa Special Type 3


Single step infusion at 68 - 70C, 120 minutes

Step mash at:
Mash in at 64C for 20 minutes
68 - 70C for 40 minutes
mashout at 76C for 10 minutes


Yeast:
Wyeast 3068
White Labs 300 or 380


Colour will be around 40 to 45 EBC

Oh yes, the Wobbly Boot bit - Bavarian's well versed in the consumption of Scklenkerla and other smoked varieties swear that you will be half way through the second glass before you really begin to appreciate the product. Further examination of the beer is inevitable and hence the "Wobbly Boot" name......"

 

[Bizier]

I will throw in my 2c.

I have a fairly high tolerance to wood smoked malt flavours. I feel that the Weyermann rauch is not as smokey as the house-smoked malt that Schlenkerla use. I have used 100% or thereabouts of Weyermann and it has not had the impact of the commercial beer.

I think it is important to get the freshest rauch malt possible.

I may be off the mark, but I have a gut feeling that it could taste smokier if you mash lower and boost the body with some dark German crystal like caraaroma and boost the maltiness with some melanoiden, plus some carafa III.

 

[joshuahardie]

+1
my current rauch is 97% weyerman rauch malt, and it is not even half as smokeyas the Schlenkerla, sadly....

if anyone has an inside tip, I am all ears

 

[Nick JD]

I can't handle a 100% smoked base malt beer. You guys are hard core.

My 100% Wey Smoked beer tasted like a bacon ashtray on a table in a housefire.