Homemade Smoked Grain

[manticle]

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.

 

[Tony]

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

 

[barls]

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.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

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

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

 

[komodo]

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:

 

[Screwtop]

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

 

[drsmurto]

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!

 

[Sammus]

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...

 

[Fourstar]

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

 

[superdave]

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.

 

[bum]

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.

 

[Sammus]

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.

 

[Fourstar]

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.

 

[Rodolphe01]

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?

 

[Fourstar]

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!

 

[Screwtop]

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

 

[raven19]

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?

 

[praxis178]

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.

 

[Screwtop]

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

 

[barls]

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.