Dear beer drinkers, brewers and appreciators,
Let’s talk about smoked beer.
Once a common flavor in all beers brewed around the world, smoky beers are all but extinct except in Bamberg, Germany and of course on the American craft beer and homebrew fronts.
The first process in beer making that sometimes gets overlooked is the malting process. Malt is mainly barley, wheat, rye or oat seeds, which have been sprouted and dried. The fresh grain, “green malt,” is soaked in water and kept at the proper temperature to begin the germination process. During this time, enzymes attack the cell wall of little sacs holding starchy reserves to fuel the expected growth of the plant.
The great maltster waits until the last moment, when the little green shoot is about to break through the husk. Then bam! The maltster sends the seeds to the hot kiln to be dried and preserve all that wonderful energy in a suspended state, just waiting for me, the brewer, to mill the grain, add some water, and make some sweet, sweet wort (beer before it is fermented).
Current technology has given us fancy kilns to dry the malt, which are heated indirectly by steam. Before the Industrial Revolution, the malt makers and brewers had to dry the malt with their preferred heat source at the time, which were either the sun’s rays in warmer climates, or direct heat from an open wood fire in colder climates.
In middle and northern Europe, where the sun’s rays did not always burn bright, the smoke from the wood unavoidably penetrated the malt, giving all the beers a smoky flavor. As the new technologies of indirect heat were cheaper efficient for mass production, and because the large commercial breweries saw this smoky character to be a flaw in the beers, almost all of the old smoke kilns vanished.
Luckily, in the old town of Bamberg, Germany in the Franconia region, there is a big brewery that preserved the old craft tradition of smoking the malt, called “Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier.” At this brewery, they say, “Preserving tradition means to keep the fire burning, not to conserve the ashes.”
Oh, smoky beer, am I ever so glad thou were not lost in brewing history. This brewery produces a variety of smoked lagers from a light colored Helles, to the classic copper Marzen, to a dark and rich Bock. All of their malt is smoked over beech wood fires, which adds a dry, woody, (sometimes described as bacon-like) flavor and aroma.
The classic rauchbier (smoked beer in German) is the Marzen style, which according to the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) style guidelines, should be a malty, toasty, sweet, clean lager with a varying level of smokiness. At the Aecht Schlenkerla Brewery they claim their rauchbier makes one talkative and exuberant. It brings together the local with the stranger, as it is common in Franconia to share your table with others.
The large brewery credited with helping inspire the American revival of smoked beers is Alaskan Brewing Company. Their award-winning Smoked Porter contains malt smoked at a commercial meat smoking operation that uses Alaskan alder wood. This is one of my favorite beers. The alder wood’s sweet, woody character magnificently melds with the chocolate, roasty flavor and full body of this robust porter.
To experience these smoked wonders of the world, check out our local BevMo on Los Osos Valley Road (or join the Brew Crew at the Howard residence for a truly smoky encounter). At BevMo, the Schlenkerla Smoked Marzen will be in the Germany section on the top shelf, while the Alaskan Smoked Porter will be right across the isle in the American craft beer section. And do not be afraid with the irresolute surprise of your first smoked sip, for the german proverb goes:
“Even if the brew tastes somewhat strange at first swallow, do not stop, because soon you will realize that your thirst will not decrease and your pleasure will visibly increase.”
Here is my new Smoked Porter recipe, which I will brew before the week is done. I have a culture of the Australian Yeast growing up and the blend of smoke malt is a little different than last time.
Cheers to All,
Christian Toran
Your Brew Crew President
Smoke n’ Bone
Malt:
8 lbs American 2-Row (6.1 lbs Pilsner Liquid Extract)
3 lbs Bonlander Munich Malt (1.9 lbs Munich Liquid Extract)
2 lbs German Rauch Malt
12 oz Cherry Wood Smoked Malt
12 oz Chocolate Malt
8 oz Black Patent
Mash at 154 F for 1 hour
Hops:
0.75 oz Chinook at 60 min
1 oz Willamette at 15 min
Cool to 70 F, aerate wort, and pitch healthy yeast
Calculated for 70 percent Efficiency
Final Volume = 6 gallons
Estimated OG = 1.061
Estimated FG = 1.015