German Brewing

One of my favorite styles, and I am always tweaking the recipe. Not because it needs it, but because then I get to brew it more often My basic philosophy is 1/2 to 2/3 rauchmalt, then fill the remainder with munich and a touch of caradunkel. Occasionally for a competition beer I will throw in some rostmalt to color it more like Schlenkerla, but I don't think it needs it from a flavor perspective. I am thinking of layering the caramalts this time. Maybe a touch of melanoidin? Thoughts?

60% Rauchmalt
30% Light munich (dark instead?)
10% carared (melanoidin instead?)
10% caramunich III

Hockurz (infusion) @ 63/72/75C

90 minute boil

20 IBU Tettnang @ 60
5 IBU Tettnang @ 15

WLP835 @ 48F

Impeccable water

Drinking a Schlenkerla Ur-Bock at the moment. Good luck on your beer.

So far, the recipe above will get you a medal at most comps if brewed well with fresh rauchmalt. Judges who don't like smoke won't be completely turned off. The judges who are really familiar with Schlenkerla, though, will want more smoke. For that, simply substitute melanoidin for the munich and increase the rauchmalt. My current recipe for classic (marzen) rauchbier looks like this:

79% Rauchmalt
15% melanoidin
5% CMIII
1% CSIII
12 IBU @ MH
12 IBU @ FWH
WLP835, low and cold

If I were to tweak anything on my next batch, it would be to drop the mema to 10% and increase the CM to 10%. I might also add 2-3 IBU @ 15 mins.

I'd like to try this Melanoidin substitution. I think we should call it the Abbeyian Transform.

There are a couple of big problems with judging smoked beers. One is palate fatigue sets in very quickly, resulting in beers later in the flight not seeming smoky at all. I even received a scoresheet once that said "No smoke." (That's right, buddy, I entered a non-smoked beer in the smoked beer category. You got me! )

The other problem is most judges think all Rauchbiers need to taste like Schlenkerla. Now admittedly, Schlenkerla is the best in my opinion, but Spezial is an excellent example of a less smoky Rauchbier. As a judge, I find myself having to fight for these less smoky beers because they do in fact resemble classic commercial examples.

So take heart if you don't like intense smoke—not all Bamberg beers are that extreme. That said, Ancient Abbey's approach looks like a good one for a beer that will show well regardless of its position in the flight, and I'm going to try it.

Awesome! I might have a go at your recipe Ancient Abbey as I was in search of a tried and true Rauchbier recipe! What sort of OG's are you typically aiming for here? High 1.050's to low 1.060's?

This is all a moot point in you are not brewing Low oxygen. Just want to make this clear...

I have 3 LoDO batches under my belt but have yet to taste the end product of any of them. Certainly planned to do the same with the Rauchbier I was going to brew here soon (just posted a recent thread about Rauchbier advice too). But what part of the point is moot??