Smoked Beer Appreciation Thread (2023)

I 'heard' Homer Simpson when I read that!

Cheers!

 

I get chlorophenol off Pumking on occasion as well (not intending to hijack smoked beer for pumpkin beer)

 

Yeah, perhaps in association with brisket or pulled pork. The KC style and especially a Texas rub came to mind immediately upon reading your comment.

 

I love smoked beers. One of my favorites is Von Trapp Brewing Trosten Lager. The smoke mild melds with the dark larger malt without getting heavy/overbearing. It's a winter seasonal I buy every year. https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22512/63797/

 

The above post jogged my memory that I discussed Von Trapp Trösten a number of years ago in a NBS thread:



Overall:

This beer is good. I thought the smoke level was in the Goldilocks zone (just right) for this beer. For my palate this beer would have benefited from a bit more mouthfeel.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-775.630429/#post-6748932

I will have to try an remember to buy this beer again when it is available.

Cheers!

P.S. On a somewhat related note I do have a can each remaining from recent Von Trapp purchases: Kolsch and Bavarian Pils. Von Trapp makes very good beer!

 

Fireplace in an older home.

Yeah, it's a thing.

 

Charred charcoal isn't offensive in a beer flavor?

 

Ditto that! I'd happily take it over Smoke and Dagger, given the choice.

 

This is an interesting little number from Lion Bridge, Cedar Rapids, IA, one of my favorite locals: Hellscape, a smoked Helles lager. From the brewer's notes:

 

When I was in Ohio back in June, I found a cool little shop in Circleville called "biәr & wīn" (sic). The owner runs a beverage catering service and really knows her stuff. They didn't have any Grodziskie, but she said, "You might like this" and handed me a bottle of Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche - Doppelbock. This is the brewer's description:

Following century old recipes all malts made at the Schlenkerla brewery are dried by wood fire. While for the classic “Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier” traditionally beech has been – and still is – used, the malt for “Schlenkerla Oak Smoke” is kilned with oak wood. The resulting Oak Smoke Malt has a smoother and more multi layered smoky note than the intensely aromatic Beech Smoke Malt. The hence complex smokiness in “Schlenkerla Oak Smoke” is paired with the multifaceted bitterness of finest Hallertau aroma hops. With 8% alcohol and amber color it matures for months in the deep brewery cellars underneath Bamberg into a special treat for smoke beer lovers for Christmas.

You can probably guess what I'm saving this for. I can hardly wait!

 

That's the only choice from that list that my brain can imagine would approximate the smoke flavor in a beer. But I use lump charcoal for my bbq'ing, so that is probably closer than briquettes.

 

Do you guys remember that smoked lager Samuel Adams brewed in one of the seasonal variety packs like 5/6 years ago?

 

Smoke beers are along my favorites. Rauchbier translates to smoke beer, so that is what I say.

Beechwood is a signature aroma and flavor in Germany for the Rauchbier and smoked meats, think imported smokey wurst. One reason is thst beech trees are fairly common in Germany, and the flavor and aroma is not unappealing. Side note - central Texas BBQ uses mostly Post Oak, which is plentiful and has the lowest acidity of the Oaks according to Aaron Franklin of BBQ fame.

What we perceive as smoke aroma and flavor are fue to phenolic. Phenolics in beer can be perceived as spice, think Weiß beers from the yeast, or as off flavors such as plastic. Peat was mentioned above, it is very phenolic and I'm not a fan of peated malt in beers.

In Bamberg both Spezial and Schlenkerla use malt that was kilned with the smoke from Beechwood. They don't talk about the time and temperature profiles use as it is a family secret. In a recent podcast Mathias Trum said he doesn't know how Weyermann makes their Rauchmalz.

The Weyermann Rauchmalz has been a crap shoot for me. When I would buy it there was no guarantee as to the smoke intensity or freshness at the Homebrew Shop. You can smell Rauchmalz, and the oder you get is the smoke leaving the malt, never to get into your beer. Commercial brewers have a better chance of getting fresh unopened bags.

I've cold smoked a lot of Pilsner and Munich malts to make Rauchmalz. I'm using beech a lot to emulate Bamberg beers. I have used Pecan, Pear, and Apple to make Rauchmalz. I have Post Osk to try next. I made one Rauchbier with Briess Mesquite malt, it was to sharp, almost acrid.

A good Rauchbier has to have a balance between the smoke, Malt flavors and bitterness. Mathias Trum stated that Schlenkerla uses 99%, the last 1% is for color adjustment using roasted malt.

In a few weeks I'll be having Special and Schlenkerla Rauchbiers in Bamberg. Prost!

 

Wow, jealous! Enjoy!

 

This!

Their Eiche is my favorite with the Ur Bock a close second.

 

Hope you paid up!

 

One of my favorite beers is Against the Grain's Bo & Luke. A fantastic smoked stout. Wish I could find more.

 

Oxbow Brewing's Sap Haus is nice smoked beer too. It's a winter seasonal they've been making regularly a for few years. A neighbor who goes to Maine regularly hooks me up.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26439/449480/

Copied from my Untappd description:
Really nice. Dark, moderately sweet malts that dry out to expose underpinnings of tobacco-like smoke and earthy hop bitterness. As the name suggests, it has a German dopplebock character with the extra smoke and maple without getting overly sweet.