smoked beer

[diesel]

Anyone tried it?  I just found a book on Amazon that has recipes and descriptions. 


Thinking about picking this book up and wanted some opinions.

 

[LanceR]

Smoked beer, especially ones like porters and some of the stouts will knock your socks off.  My experience has been limited to making smoked porter and stouts though so I can speak to other kinds.

Several years ago Brooklyn Brewery had Saranac make them some smoked porter that I liked but I wanted more smoke flavor, more complexity and a creamier body so I tinkered around a while with it.  I use peat smoked German malt and cold smoke the malt in a cheesecloth bag for 4-6 hours in hickory smoke.  I let the malt sit for a couple of days for the smoke to mellow.

Other than that I use a recipe that aims for a creamy mouth feel and enough of the floral notes found in good porters to shine through and balance the smoke.

If you like good beer and smoke, I'd heartily recommend that you give it a shot.

Lance

 

[bsgd]

Stone Brewery in CA has a great smoked porter.

 

[mrsmoky]

Yeah Stone smoked porter is excellent!....

 

[diesel]

Thanks a lot guys!  I guess I will have to do some "research" and pick up a sixer of the stone smoked porter.  

Lance,

Good advice on the smoking process.  I have been planning on smoking some malts but I didn't think about letting it sit. 

 

[alelover]

Alaskan Smoked Porter is awesome but you'd have a hard time finding it east of Colorado. I have most of the books from that collection. Can't remember if I have Smoked Beers.

 

[hooligan8403]

Wish I could get stone brews here in Alabama. I grew up in SoCal drinking stone brews. Miss the hell out of them.

 

[LanceR]

Diesel, I sometimes find that things that have been cold smoked have a slightly harsher smell and maybe taste for a day or so and then it mellows.  Cheese is one of the things I usually like more a day or two after smoking than the day of smoking.

Lance

 

[dnic]

Wish I could get stone brews here in Alabama. I grew up in SoCal drinking stone brews. Miss the hell out of them.

For the first time I just saw Stone beers here in Memphis, TN.  They're crazy expensive though, so I didn't get them.  I used to buy them all the time when I lived in AZ.

 

[hooligan8403]

Yeah when I travel to sc Im usually paying $.50 more than I used to in CA for a Arrogant Bastard bomber.

 

[bob g]

 I enjoy a good smoked porter or stout. The smoke goes along with the roast and chocolate notes nicely.
While I appreciate the style, a true Rauchbier always tasted like you poured a beer into a glass and burned down the house around it, but I've taken a shine to this recipe (see Cherrywood Mild)
http://www.stoutguy.com/beer/recipes.php
It makes a great session beer. Briess Cherrywood malt is smooth and there is a very faint fruitiness to it.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[kathrynn]

This sounds really cool.  My Husband has been dreaming of starting brewing beer in our home.  Now...since I am doing the "smoking" thing....we could possibly combine the 2! 

 

[diesel]

KathryN,

I just started brewing this year and regret not doing it sooner.  I cannot believe how great the reward is.  Nothing betting then smoking meat and drinking homebrew.

cheers!

 

[kathrynn]

I agree!  Lynn has been talking about doing the brew thing for years!  Around our house (pool and garage) we lovingly call it "Smokin' and Jokin'" times.  Of course there is plenty of beer too!  I feel sure we will get some great information around here for brewing too!  Have some buddies that do Competition BBQ....their names are "Brewing and Queing"

 

[joshuamandrew]

I just loved Stone smoked porter, it's superb.....Amazing taste.Mexico horseback riding

 

[rocketfish]

If you are already knee-deep in brewing, try taking some neutrally flavored wood chips (i.e. oak) and smoking them for about an hour and add a few to your next brew at flame-out.  It imparts a delicious smoky flavor to any brew you add them to.  I have smoked porters, stouts, and IPAs, all with good results after I figured out that a few chips can go a looooong way.  Also try soaking the chips in whisky or scotch and then smoking them, and it produces a totally different flavor.