I have 5# of Wyerman smoked malt. What is your experience on using this malt with roasted grains v. without roasted grains. Do the roasted flavor and the smoke fight it out or are they complementary?
Agreed with hopfenunmalz, I posted earlier today about a beer I miss, Alaskan Smoked Porter. That uses Alder wood, but I think the roast and smoke work great together. I think the Weyermann Beechwood would be great as well.
How does the Bestmalz Rauch compare to the Weyermann smoked malt? I just picked up a couple #s for my semi-annual Smoked Chile Porter.
Never used it, but some have said that Weyermann smokes malt for other companies. I don't know if that is true. One German Brewer told me there were 4 places that smoked malt in Germany, Weyermann, Schlenkerla, Spezial, and a very small Maltster. He was Franconian, so maybe that was the local viewpoint.
My experience is no roasted grain . . . instead a pinch of caramunich and Munich II (better yet Melanoiden). You want a rich malt aroma/flavor that is absent any roasted notes if brewing to style. I've brewed Rauchbier with as little as 40% smoked malt and as high as 85% (Schenkerla uses 100%). I favor the higher smoke levels but be aware the freshness of the malt has a lot to do with how much smoke comes through. Don't be afraid to "over-smoke" the brew . . . it will gradually fade over time while the complexity of the beer is improving. Have you picked your yeast yet?
My original plan was a smokey Baltic porter to put away until the fall. I don't have a temp controlled fermentation chamber so I planned to use a kolsch yeast.
Opps, I misread your first post . . . thought you were asking about Rauchbier. Agree with other posters, smoked porters can be delightful. Just be aware that what's good for the Porter (aging) is not-so-good for the smokiness.
I love roasty beers with some smoke. For roasty beers that I don't have anything else planned for (overly hoppy or spiced [I don't fuck with fruit]), I usually include a bit of smoked malt for complexity. If you're looking for the smoke to stand out, you're going to have to up the amount of smoked malt. I especially like Black Patent with smoked malt. The ashy quality reinforces the smoke when both are used with restraint. Percentages of each are up to you. If you're going for a Baltic Porter, though, I'd use de-bittered roasted malts.
I agree on the smoked porter. I used it at 13% and it was a nice medium smokiness. That batch went fast!
I am in the exact same situation re: temperature control, and I also love me a good Baltic porter. If you pull the trigger on this recipe, do report back how it works out.
In the past I have used the Kolsch yeast for a Rauchbier and it worked out well. Another option would be to use the 34/70 lager strain. This yeast ferments clean at 66 degrees. Good luck!
