Thinking of using 12% smoked malt in a robust porter. Sounds great, but I plan on using 004 Irish ale yeast, will that be an odd combination?
What kind of smoked malt?
12% of my home smoked malt would give you a noticeable smoke taste, but barely in a porter. 12% imported rauchmalt probably won’t be detectable depending on it’s freshness. It really all depends on whose malt you’re using, how fresh it is, and just how much smoke flavor you want. I use that yeast for stouts and porters all the time, smoke won’t clash with it, and smoked porter is an excellent beer when done right.
Anyone ever try liquid smoke?
The Cherry wood smoked malt from Briess would go well in a porter.
I find the cherry smoked malt to be overly phenolic. It’s not as bad as the peated malt, but it is still a pretty heavy nastiness factor. I only use either home smoked or weyermann - they know how to smoke malt.
I’ve never tried liquid smoke, but I have not heard anything good from those who have.
As for the original question, I think if you ferment at the low end of the range it will be fine. I don’t use WLP004, but I’ve used WY1084 for dark smoked beers and it turns out nicely.
I find the aroma of cherrywood smoked malt to smell like BBQ sauce. not my cup of tea when it comes to beer but to each his own. id tread lightly either way until you have tried a batch.
The general consensus is that liquid smoke does not belong in beer. It is made by condensing smoke and the liquid and solids are dissolved to make the product. Taste it from the bottle and decide if you want that in your beer. I don’t.
Edit - I am with Tom on the Briess Cherrywood smoked malt, too phenolic. There are plenty of types of wood that one can smoke their own grains with, and have very good results.
-1 Horrible. I used very little, I forget exactly how much, don’t have my notes in front of me, but it was NOT worthwhile.
The consensus should be that liquid smoke has no place in anything.
I’ve made a smoked porter with as little as 5% rauchmalt and it was slightly detectable. 12% should be detectable as a background flavor but won’t barrel you over with smoke.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds Briess cherrywood smoked malt’s contribution to be unpleasant. To be fair, I haven’t produced a home-smoked malt I like, either. After visiting Schlenkerla earlier this year, I’m starting to think the malting and the smoking processes should not be separated.
Weyermann’s is good but really hard to pin down on freshness (depending on your HBS’s distributor, I guess).
Don’t forget to dechlorinate your water!
I think you can get nice smoke with cherry - it’s not the wood, it’s the process. I have made some nasty smoked products and some very tasty ones with the same wood. It all depends on how you do it (proper air flow, temperature).
I use it in my bbq sauce, I like it. It is also good in chex mix. I think it has its place, but that does not include beer.
True Tom, I did not word that well.
No worries 