question about brews for cherrywood smoked malt

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by memory, Mar 9, 2012.

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  1. memory

    memory Zealot (700) Oct 2, 2005 Pennsylvania

    So I smoked 5 lbs of 2 row malt on the BBQ with cherrywood today which is a first for me. Smoked for 2 hours low heat and the malt picked up the smoke nicely. From what I read smoked malt comes out in clean beers. I was thinking of using 2 1/2 lbs in two brews this weekend. One a bock and the other a Wee Heavy. Do you think by clean they are referring to a clean yeast in this case. I plan on using S23 for the lager and a Scottish ale for the Wee heavy. Too fruity/too malty?
     
    #1 memory, Mar 9, 2012
  2. Gueuzedude

    Gueuzedude Pooh-Bah (2,842) Aug 21, 2003 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah

    Smoke comes out in clean, dirty, muddled, spicy, heck any type of beers. It is a very pervasive flavor and unless used in exceedingly subtle amounts is hard to miss.

    I think it works best in clean tasting beers, so perhaps this is what you have heard. For me clean means American or cleaner British type ale yeasts or Lagers. Malt type doesn't seem to matter, as I love pale smoked beers through to smoked stouts.

    Interestingly enough, I have never had a beer made from Briess' cherry wood smoked malt that didn't have serious flaws and it makes me wonder if it is their process or the fact that cherry wood smoked malt just doesn't work in beer. Take that with a grain of salt though, as it may just be that my palate is particularly sensitive to a particular phenolic in cherrywood smoked malt.
     
    #2 Gueuzedude, Mar 9, 2012
  3. Gueuzedude

    Gueuzedude Pooh-Bah (2,842) Aug 21, 2003 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah

    Oh, and to be specific, both those yeasts and beer styles will work well, in general, for smoked beers (arguments of tradition aside).
     
    #3 Gueuzedude, Mar 9, 2012
  4. memory

    memory Zealot (700) Oct 2, 2005 Pennsylvania

    Thanks, I'm probably going to aim for around 18% of it in grainbills. Not following tradition in the brews I guess. The only other time I used smoked malt was some type of smoked store bought (package didn't say what kind of wood) for a wee heavy and it wasn't too strong tasting for the amount I used. Guess I won't know till I try it.
     
    #4 memory, Mar 9, 2012
  5. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    I've heard that you should rest your smoked malt before using it. The (tannins?) or whatever is acrid about the smoke is released when it breathes for a few weeks. I've followed this practice and made some really good beer. Can't vouch for using it right away.

    I'd also recommend that you try your smoked malt out on one beer and see how it goes. You can get a good feel for how smokey it is and then you should brew again. You don't want to screw up 2 batches :slight_smile:
     
    #5 inchrisin, Apr 9, 2012
  6. Pahn

    Pahn Initiate (0) Dec 2, 2009 New York

    without speculating too much about the "clean stuff" (sounds to me like "clean flavored lagers like schlenkerla's marzen," but i could be wrong), i'll note that i used 1728 scottish ale yeast for my smoked beer (which used briess cherrywood smoked malt) and it came out great.
     
    #6 Pahn, Apr 9, 2012
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