“Other Smoked Beer” Style Profile
Early on in my beer education, I tried the classic smoked beers of Germany. I found the bold smoked flavors intriguing. It reminded me of two of my favorite things: camping and barbeque. I had been playing around with different malts by that time and I quickly realized that smoked malt was a completely different flavor tool in my quest to make great beers. It did not take me long to go from drinking a classic rauchbier to thinking about how I might use smoked malt in other beer styles. The first style that came to mind was robust porter. The dark, rich malt character seemed like a natural fit for adding smoked malt. Soon after that, I found Alaskan Brewing Company’s classic example of the style was readily available in my area and I began my quest to brew my own smoked porter. I still found the classic rauchbier enjoyable, but the possibilities for smoked malt in other beers was like the Wild West in my imagination and my quest to brew other smoked beer styles took off.
The “Other Smoked Beer” category is wide open as you can add smoked malt to any existing beer style. Of course, some styles might marry better with smoked character than others. The goal is a pleasing balance between the smoke character and the base beer style. You want the base beer characteristics to still be evident and to express themselves, but layered in with that needs to be a noticeable smoke character. If you are adding smoke to a hefeweizen or a delicate Munich helles, then you will want to use a very light hand with the smoked malt. A bold smoke character could easily cover the delicate notes of these beers. On the other hand, if you are looking to add smoked malt to a bockbier, robust porter or an imperial stout, then it will require a higher percentage of smoked malt to achieve a noticeable level of smoke character. Just keep in mind that you want to strike a balance and that harsh, phenolic smokiness is not appropriate.
Selecting a base beer style
When choosing a base beer style, think about how the key elements of that beer style would work alongside the smoked malt character. Would a West Coast style IPA work well with smoked malt? I do not think so. The bold hop character full of pine and citrus would mask quite a bit of smoke character. Getting enough smoke character so it was on an even footing with the hop character would probably be overwhelmingly smoky and too harsh along with the substantial hop bitterness. When you look at the classic rauchbier there is a sweetness and fullness of malt that is able to carry the more dry and phenolic smoked malt character. So beers that, as a base style, are a little on the sweet side are often a better choice.
When I started Heretic Brewing Company I was playing around with a variety of unusual combinations. One was a smoked dark Belgian ale that would be around 8% ABV. I knew that it would be a tricky beer to get right. Too phenolic a yeast would accentuate the phenolic smoke character. Belgian ales need to finish dry, so the sweet malt character would not be there to balance the smoked malt dryness.
I played with a variety of yeasts and mash temperatures. The best combination was with Belgian yeast that did not have a phenolic character and left a little residual sweetness. Even still, I did not think the results were good enough to add the beer to our lineup and I dropped the idea. Sometimes you play with ideas and styles, but they do not always work out.
If I were just starting out with other smoked beers, I would focus on the classics first in order to get familiar with making a great example. Start with bock, doppelbock, weizen, dunkel, schwarzbier, or helles. If you do not have the ability to brew a lager, start with robust porter or brown ale without a lot of hop character.
In selecting a base beer, the beer styles with minimal hop aroma and flavor work best. Not that it is impossible to marry hop character and smoke character, but the two can conflict in unusual and unpleasant ways. Keep in mind that the smoked malt character usually adds an element of dryness to the overall impression of a beer, although in some cases it can add a sweet initial impression as well. It is often necessary to adjust your hop bittering down a little depending on the amount of smoked character in the beer. It might be anywhere from none to a bunch. It is going to depend on how much smoke, how many IBUs, and the overall sweet versus dry character of the base style.
Selecting smoke
The smoke character imparted to a smoke beer comes from smoking the malt with different kinds of material. Yes, in the past all malt was smoked. Today, the classic is beech wood smoked malt, but other woods are used for different effects. For example, Alaskan Brewing Company smokes their malt using alder wood, which is classic in the smoking of salmon. Many homebrewers have played around with other woods, such as oak, hickory, maple, mesquite, pecan, apple, cherry, and more. Some are too closely associated with classic foods and can alter the character of the beer in ways you do not want. If you are not trying to make a bacon or barbeque beer, then steer away from classic smoking woods like hickory, mesquite or maple. Never get the urge to use any sort of evergreen wood, which will impart some nasty medicinal, resiny flavors.
For most of us, we will rely on our local homebrew shop to provide us with smoked malt. Different maltsters will have significantly different levels of smoke character. The age and storage conditions of the malt also impact the amount of smoke present. I remember coming across a sealed container of smoked malt that, once used, seemed to be plain Munich malt. After sitting sealed for 18 months, it had nearly zero smoked character. So the lesson there is to taste and smell the different smoked malts to be sure you are adding the right amount to your beer. Freshly smoked malt can be a bit harsh so if you are making your own smoked malt then you should allow some time for the smoke character to mellow. If you over-smoke your malt then you can let it mellow longer.
You might come across peat-smoked malt. Do not use it. Peat-smoked malt imparts a horrible character to beer. It has a harsh and overpowering phenolic and dirt flavor and aroma that is a poor choice in any beer style. Even in small amounts, it is overwhelming.
What about smoke extract?
Technically, for brewers using steeping grains, you should not steep traditional rauch malt. It has unconverted starches, which will end up in your beer. You should do a mini-mash instead. If you are going to smoke your own malt, you might try crystal malt as the base, instead of malt that needs starch conversion.
In the past, Weyermann made a liquid malt extract from smoked malt. If you can still get it, that would be a good option. However, do not confuse that with liquid smoke flavoring, found in the supermarket. Some brewers wonder about grocery store liquid smoke extracts. In my opinion, it would be far better to steep unconverted smoked malt rather than using liquid smoke. I have never had a good smoked beer that used liquid smoke extract instead of smoked malt. In fact, the worst smoked beers I have ever tasted were made with liquid smoke. I suppose in theory it might be possible to use liquid smoke, but they make the liquid smoke for use in barbeque sauces, not beers. Those smoke extracts need a sweet, very full-flavored base to cover up their very intense flavors. The beers made with smoke extract that I have tasted ranged from tasting like an ashtray to tasting like the grease trap on a meat smoker (or what I imagine those taste like). They were all sharp, harsh, and very artificial tasting. I would avoid using liquid smoke ex-tract, but if you insist, then try dosing a small amount first and scale up from there. It is easier to add more extract than it is to remove it if you add too much.
Amounts
It is difficult to give an amount of smoked malt to add to other smoked beers. The level of smoke in the malt is going to vary wildly and the amount of smoke needed for a given style will also vary wildly. One of the considerations is what kind and quantity of highly kilned grains are in the beer. At a certain quantity, your dark malts can accentuate the smoky character of the smoked malt. Regardless, you will probably find that most other smoked beer styles are going to use somewhere in the range of 7 – 20% smoked malt. (In comparison, the prevalence of smoked malt in rauchbier also varies widely, generally from 20% and up. One of the most prominent commercial rauchbier brands, Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier, brewed by the Hellerbräu of Bamberg, uses 100% smoked malt.) On the lower end of that spectrum for other smoked beer, using about 7%, is going to be for more delicate and conflict-prone beers like hefeweizen, while closer to 20% is going to be for beers like smoked porters. If the smoked malt you are using is extra bold, then maybe you cut those numbers. If it is extra mild, then maybe you increase them.
Hops
Most smoked beers do not have a huge late hop character. Generally, the malt plays the key roll and hops are just for balancing any residual sweetness. I have seen a few highly hopped smoked beers, but I never thought they were more than a curiosity. The hops always seem to overwhelm the smoke character or
at best, it is an unharmonious marriage. Of course, I suppose someday someone will prove me wrong, but until then keep a couple of things in mind as you make hop additions to your smoked beers. In general, less hop flavor is better. You might have success with more of the noble hop flavors, focusing on the herbal, spicy, floral types. I suppose if you were trying to make a forest fire beer, piney hops would be the ticket. I cannot envision how citrusy or fruity hops would integrate with smoked malt character.
Yeast
The yeast you choose makes a tremendous impact on all beers, but with other smoked beer there are additional considerations. Smoked beers already have a level of phenolic character related to the amount of smoked malt and the type of smoked malt added. Using a phenolic-positive yeast strain will result in even more phenolic character. That phenolic character is not always just additive in the beer. In many cases, the result is multiplicative and a phenolic yeast can result in a huge, harsh phenolic character in the beer. I have tasted some great beers made with some phenolic-positive strains, but these always had very light smoked character. If you use phenolic-positive yeast, keep the smoked malt character very light.
The easiest yeast to use in smoked beer is “cleaner” strains, which do not produce a lot of esters or phenols. Lager yeasts or ale yeasts such as White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) can be a good choice. That does not mean you cannot use something with more fermentation character, but clean is a safe bet every time. Of course, you can always play with fermentation temperatures, pitching rates, and oxygen levels to develop a fermentation profile that is more in harmony with any smoked character in your beer.
Smoked Porter
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.065 FG = 1.016
IBU = 31 SRM = 39 ABV = 6.5%
Ingredients
7.7 lbs. (3.5 kg) American 2-row (2 °L)
2.6 lbs. (1.2 kg) beech smoked malt (8 °L)
14.1 oz. (0.4 kg) Munich malt (8 °L)
14.1 oz. (0.4 kg) crystal malt (40 °L)
14.1 oz. (0.4 kg) crystal malt (75 °L)
10.6 oz. (0.3 kg) chocolate malt (350 °L)
7 oz. (0.2 kg) black patent malt (525 °L)
5 AAU Kent Goldings hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 5% alpha acids)
2.5 AAU Willamette hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 5% alpha acids)
2.5 AAU Willamette hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 5% alpha acids)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Kent Goldings hops (0 min.)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Willamette hops (0 min.)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), Fermentis Safale US-05 or Lallemand BRY-97 yeast
Priming sugar (if bottling)
Step by Step
My current base malt is Great Western Pale Ale malt, but other malts of a similar nature should work well. I like Weyermann smoked malt. We use Best Malz Munich. I prefer British crystal malts as they have a huge caramel flavor and the same goes for black and chocolate malt. Feel free to substitute any high quality malt of a similar flavor and color from a different supplier. My hops are in pellet form and come from Hop Union, Willamette Valley, or Hopsteiner depending on the variety.
Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.5 quarts (1.4 L) of water to 1 pound (0.45 kg) of grain (a liquor-to-grist ratio of about 3:1 by weight) and a temperature of 154 °F (68 °C). Hold the mash at 154 °F (68 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near-boiling water while stirring or, with a recirculating mash system, raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.5 gallons (25 L) and the gravity is 1.050.
The total wort boil time is 90 minutes. During boil, add hops and other additions at times indicated. Chill the wort to 67 °F (19 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 2 packages of liquid yeast or 1 package of liquid yeast in a 2.5-liter starter.
Ferment at 67 °F (19 °C) until the yeast drops clear. At this temperature and with healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete in about one week. Allow the lees to settle and the brew to mature without pressure for another two days after fermentation appears finished. Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2.5 volumes.
Smoked Porter
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains and partial mash)
OG = 1.065 FG = 1.016
IBU = 31 SRM = 39 ABV = 6.5%
Ingredients
4.9 lbs. (2.2 kg) pale liquid malt extract
2.6 lbs. (1.2 kg) beech smoked malt (8 °L)
14.1 oz. (0.4 kg) Munich malt (8 °L)
14.1 oz. (0.4 kg) crystal malt (40 °L)
14.1 oz. (0.4 kg) crystal malt (75 °L)
10.6 oz. (0.3 kg) chocolate malt (350 °L)
7 oz. (0.2 kg) black patent malt (525 °L)
5 AAU Kent Goldings hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 5% alpha acids)
2.5 AAU Willamette hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 5% alpha acids)
2.5 AAU Willamette hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 5% alpha acids)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Kent Goldings hops (0 min.)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Willamette hops (0 min.)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), Fermentis Safale US-05 or Lallemand BRY-97 yeast
Priming sugar (if bottling)
Step by Step
For most extract beers I use an ultra-light extract made by Alexander’s (California Concentrate Company), but any fresh, high-quality light-color extract will work well. Always choose the freshest extract that fits the beer style. If you cannot get fresh liquid malt extract, it is better to use an appropriate amount of dry malt extract (DME) instead. I like Weyermann smoked malt and we use Best Malz Munich. Ideally, both of these should be converted in a partial mash. Weyermann smoked malt extract would be a good substitute for the smoked and Munich malts.
Mill or coarsely crack the specialty malt and place loosely in a grain bag. Avoid packing the grains too tightly in the bag, using more bags if needed. Steep the bag in about 1.5 gallons (~6 liters) of water at 165 °F (74 °C). The idea is that your temperature, once you add the grain, will drop back to an ideal temperature for the malt conversion and will convert some of the starch from the Munich and smoked malt. After 30 to 60 minutes, lift the grain bag out of the steeping liquid and rinse with warm water. Allow the bag to drip into the kettle for a few minutes while you add the malt extract. Do not squeeze the bag. Add enough water to the steeping liquor and malt extract to make a pre-boil volume of 5.9 gallons (22.3 L) and the gravity is 1.055. Stir thoroughly to help dissolve the extract and bring to a boil.
The total wort boil time is 60 minutes. Add the first hop addition once the wort starts boiling and the other hop and fining additions at the times indicated. Chill the wort to 67 °F (19 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 2 packages of liquid yeast or 1 package of liquid yeast in a 2.5-liter starter.
Ferment at 67 °F (19 °C) until the yeast drops clear. At this temperature and with healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete in about one week. Allow the lees to settle and the brew to mature without pressure for another two days after fermentation appears finished. Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2.5 volumes.
