You put rauchmalt in THAT?!

[Phil]

my smoked cream ale is 50/50 rauch and base malt (actually stretching the "cream ale" moniker since i accidentally got german pils instead of american 2-row) and i'd say it's moderately smokey, but i've only tasted the final gravity sample. bottling it in the next couple days.

if you're trying to get light smokiness i'd go about 30%. but really with smoked beer i think you're better off going with strong smoke flavor. i think only mild smoke just winds up tasting like an off flavor.

[blipiddybrew]

Hi all

Anyone got a good suggestion as to the percentage of Rauch malt in a hefe to give it a nice background smokiness?

That

I used 50% weyermann smoked malt and 50% wheat malt in a smoked weissbier. fermented low, about 64.

Was it very smokey?

i might not be a good gauge for someone who doesnt drink that much smoked beer. i say that the weissbier was only moderatly smokey, but if someone who is not used to smoked beer drank it, they might think it to be overpowering. smoke in beer is definitely an acquired taste.

[blipiddybrew]

you're trying to get light smokiness i'd go about 30%. but really with smoked beer i think you're better off going with strong smoke flavor. i think only mild smoke just winds up tasting like an off flavor.

totally agree with that.

[Phil]

figured i should put this in my own thread too:

i was going for a very simple cream ale with 1 hop, but i accidentally ordered german pils instead of domestic 2-row. turned out great anyway. i would go 60% rauch next time but most people who've tried it say the smoke level is just right.

Lucky Strike Lite
OG: 1.068 (about 78% efficiency)
FG: 1.010
5 lbs rauchmalt
5 lbs german pils
mashed at 149F
1.5 lbs cane sugar in the boil
1 oz liberty @ 90 min
.3 oz liberty @ 10 min
.5 oz liberty @ 0 min

800 mL starter of WLP001. fermented as cool as i could get it with and ice bath and a wet towel draped over the carboy, finished at 1.010.

on paper i think this beer looks crazy, like not enough hops for the gravity, and the gravity is too high for a light ale, but it works. the smoke flavor would get weird with more hop character, and the dryness makes it really drinkable despite the high alcohol. this is not Lagunitas Sirius. i didn't want this to be a 7+ % ABV beer, but i didn't really try to keep it down. 5 lbs per grain is what i used because you get a price break at 5 lbs vs 4, or 3.5 lbs each.