Does anyone have a good Rauchbier recipe that they would like to share?
I’ve seen so many recipes all over the map as far as grain bills and thought it would be a good opportunity to ask the members of the forum for insight and advice.
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen gets really good ratings on beeradvocate…has anyone tried to clone this beer?
Here’s my recipe. It’s not really a “clone” but it’ll get you where you wanting to go and it’s about as straight-forward as it gets. 
That is going to make a good Rauchbier, Jeff!
My comment is that is for the Weyermann’s Rauch in the condition we get it. Last time I was in Bamberg, and AHA memeber who lives there says that he uses about 60% pils and 40% Weyermanns. The beer is rated equal to Schlenkerla by his local brewing friends, as the Weyermann malt is stronger than the Schlenkerla for smoke intensity.
My point for all of this is that by the time wew get Weyermann’s Rauch, it has lost a bunch. The guy in Bamberg buys his Rauchmalz directly from the Weyermanns. Can’t get fresher than that!
I plan to make a Rauchbier with malt smoked with beechwood this weekend. Maybe 50-60% of the grist.
Zum Wohl!
Here’s my attempt:
BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Copy of Smokey Stokey v1.0 (5.5gal)
Brewer: Affenhaus Brauerei
Asst Brewer:
Style: Classic Rauchbier
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (0.0)
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 6.62 gal
Estimated OG: 1.058 SG
Estimated Color: 22.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 28.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 67.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Amount Item Type % or IBU
11.50 lb Smoked Malt (Weyermann) @ PHB (2.0 SRM) Grain 88.46 %
0.50 lb Carafa III (525.0 SRM) Grain 3.85 %
0.50 lb Carafoam (Weyermann) (2.0 SRM) Grain 3.85 %
0.50 lb Munich II (Weyermann) (8.5 SRM) Grain 3.85 %
1.00 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [3.90 %] (60 min)Hops 12.4 IBU
1.00 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [3.90 %] (30 min)Hops 9.5 IBU
1.00 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [3.90 %] (15 min)Hops 6.2 IBU
1 Pkgs Munich Lager (Wyeast Labs #2308) [Starter Yeast-Lager
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 16.25 qt of water at 165.9 F 154.0 F
Turned out very nice, although not as smokey as I would have liked, and not as “powerful” as the original Marzen. I’m going to try it again with a recipe more close to Beertracker’s suggestion, nearly 100% smoked grains and just a little Carafa III. Still, I believe hopfenundmalz is right, the grains simply aren’t as rich as they are when fresh.
I spent an afternoon and evening tumbling about Bamberg last year - what a wonderful place, and great beer!
Thx,
-e
Jeff, thanks for sharing your recipe! How did yours turn out - did you get it close to the stuff from Bamberg? I noticed the pH at 8.34 and the other details on the water profile - how did you treat your local water to emulate that?
Also, sorry for diverging completely, but is your real last name “Swearengin”? Any relation to old Al from Deadwood? 
Jeff, where did you find the water report for Bamberg?
Might brew a Rauch tomorrow, and will think about using that water, checking the RA for the SRM I am shooting for.
Thanks for that. Looks like a good one. Many awards on that too.
Hey guys, sorry I’ve been awat from my computer all weekend either coaching soccer or judging beer. Imagine that?
A brewer can get fresh rauchmalt from Germany, but it’s definitely a good idea to reference bag lot numbers for freshness. The last really fresh bag I scavenged was from Best Malz via Country Malt. I’ve actually had to smoke my own before because I couldn’t find fresh. I honestly don’t remember where the Bamberg water quality report came from… but I wouldn’t have added it to my PM database if it wasn’t from a reliable source. The Bamberg water has quite a bit more carbonate & sulfate than my water, so I have to use gypsum & Epsom salt along with a bit of chalk. Yes, that’s my real last name and I wouldn’t be surprised if old ‘Deadwood’ Al is a distant relation somewhere in the crook of the old family tree. ;D