Smokin' And Bitterness

[white.grant]

I am working on some smoked recipes as I have a "quantity" of rauchmalt that I acquired and was wondering what if any impact the smoked flavours have on the perception of bitterness, or vice versa.

Should I, for example, when making a smoked version of a mild or porter, increase the hopping slightly to balance out hop and smoke effects?

Or doesn't it matter?

cheers

grant

 

[marksfish]

with 1 smoked porter brewed i would leave the bitterness as per your recipe as the smoke just adds to the complexity of the beer without altering the balance.

 

[eamonnfoley]

Smoke seems to occupy a different zone on your palate. Even hop flavour is detectable above it. Given its use was originally in lagers, I dont think much bitterness is necessary. I can taste the spalt hops creeping under the smoke in a Schlenkerla Maerzen.

Actually once your a pint in, the smoke goes to the background and you dont notice it much.

 

[Muggus]

I'd liken the astrigency derived from smoked malts more like tannin than your traditional hop bitterness. Combined with a good measure of dry roasted malts, there would be a fair bit of "tannin bitterness" in your beer, but like Foles mentioned, it tends to occupy a different zone on your palate, so i'd be reluctant to go overboard with bitterness for the sake of tastebuds.

 

[barls]

i havent changed my base recipe for any of my smoke beers.
but smoked mild sounds damn good.

 

[white.grant]

Cheers for the feedback guys. Will forge ahead with the recipe.

grant

 

[barls]

tell you what grant you brew yours and ill swap you a bottle of the one ive been thinking of for comparison.

 

[white.grant]

tell you what grant you brew yours and ill swap you a bottle of the one ive been thinking of for comparison.

Was actually planning this for the July swap so you will get a bottle, but am going to do a mild afterwards closer to the date, so will bring a few along to the swap for tasting.

Actually, now that I think about it, I could cube the smoked mild and bring out the handpump and we could have real ale smoked mild at the swap

What do you think?

cheers

grant

 

[barls]

:icon_drool2: :icon_drool2: :icon_drool2:
sounds good mate.

 

[Ross]

I prefer my smoked beers bittered lower than their unsmoked counterparts.
The balance is far better IMO.
For example my 6.5% smoked black lager is just 26 IBU's & I wouldn't want it any higher.

cheers Ross

 

[christmasbender]

i'm drinking my smoked mild right now. bittered as normal for a mild and i think it's just right. a damn tasty drop. i'll definitely be making this one again. i predict it will become a bjcp style someday!

cheers,

christmasbender

 

[white.grant]

I prefer my smoked beers bittered lower than their unsmoked counterparts.
The balance is far better IMO.
For example my 6.5% smoked black lager is just 26 IBU's & I wouldn't want it any higher.

cheers Ross

Cheers Ross, interesting coments

I'm looking at less than 20IBU on the planned porter and thought, it's a delicate balance of flavour I'm after, smoke and hop, sweet malt, intertwining, not fighting against themselves but naturally there.

I've had some good feedback on the porter recipe and I've made a couple of nice rauchbiers so think that smoke flavour has an impact on the balance perception. Subtle malt adjustments are important in the low hopped ales especially where you are relying on MO and the yeast to get you through.

I've tried a few commercial rauchbiers and smoked ales now and I think the smoked aspect can enhance "perceived" bitterness especially in beer style that isn't necessarily bitter and relies on malt and yeast flavour for interest. So you need less hop expression for a given effect, obviously a lot depends on the character of the hop and there may be varieties more in tune with smokey flavour than not.

It's all part of making great homebrew - should be a great brew day on Sunday in any case looking forward to tasting the outcome.

cheers

grant

 

[Ross]

Spot on Grant....couldn't have said it better. I look forward to hearing how it turns out, as I'm really getting into my smoked beers of late & got a few ideas I want to trial...

cheers Ross