Smoked Barley???


 
B

Bill Berg

TVWBB Fan
Yup...smoked barley.

I'm smoking some grains so I can brew up a batch of smoked porter. I took a Weber basket and lined it with stainless screen. I can get close to 5# of grains in each batch. I wet/spritz the grains slightly with water and smoke them at a little over 100 degrees for an hour, stirring them about half way through. Then brown bag them for a week or so, so things can mellow out. Did a minion start with about 10- lit K, spread them over lump and added the wood.

I figure a cold smoking rig would be better, but seeing I can keep the temps between 100 and 150, I'm not to worried about actually toasting/roasting the grains.

Here's a couple pics...smoke is supplied by Alder...

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Yessir...smoked beer. There are some very fine smoked beers out there on the market. I think I can make just as good at home.
 
Man, do I love a nice, smooth smokey Porter.... yum! I never thought of doing this but you have inspired me! Porters and stouts are my favorite styles of beer... gotta dig out my homebrew equip and get to work!
 
Bill, I am very jealous! Looks like fun. I love Rauchbier. Probably butchered the spelling on that one.

I bet the time you let it mellow makes a huge difference. Keep us updated if you please!
 
This is sacrilege to suggest this, I'm sure, but I saw food network's Alton Brown making his own liquid smoke using a chimnea, some stovepipe and a few other things - Have you considered just adding a few drops of (home-made) liquid smoke when making the beer?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Matt_G:
This is sacrilege to suggest this, I'm sure, but I saw food network's Alton Brown making his own liquid smoke using a chimnea, some stovepipe and a few other things - Have you considered just adding a few drops of (home-made) liquid smoke when making the beer? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That would take all the fun out of it. Plus, I bet I'd have more labor and time invloved in making the liquid smoke than just smoking the grains.

There are commercially smoked grain avaiable. They usually come from Bamburg Germany. I believe they smoke their grains with Beechwood.
Great grains for Rauchbiers (smoked bavarian lagers).

For a smoked porter, I much prefer the Alder smoke. New Glarus has made a smoked porter with the German grains. I don't believe it has near the same character.
 
Bill,

Fascinating project; please keep us up to date on the progress. What are you looking at, about 3 months before sampling? Do you keg or bottle?

Paul
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Paul K:
Bill,

Fascinating project; please keep us up to date on the progress. What are you looking at, about 3 months before sampling? Do you keg or bottle?

Paul </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'll probably brew next week some time. Then it'll be 4-5 weeks from there before the 1st sample.

I mostly keg. Well..actually I keg everything. Then depending upon how much keggerator space I have, I bottle specialty beers to free up a tapper. this beer will probably end up in bottles.
 
Move the the bay area! I need a brewing buddy to get me back into it. I bought all the kegging equiptment besides the CO2 tank, but I haven't brewed in 2 years now.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tom Chips:
Move the the bay area! I need a brewing buddy to get me back into it. I bought all the kegging equiptment besides the CO2 tank, but I haven't brewed in 2 years now.
icon_frown.gif
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Prolly would be better if you moved to the midwest. I have too much brewing stuff to pick up and move.
 
yummy, smoked porter. I've done a few batches trying to duplicate Alaska Smoke Porter, using alder smoked 2 row. Very good stuff! Good luck with the batch.

Don
 
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