2022-01-06

32B - Specialty Smoked Beer

BJCP Style: 32B - Specialty Smoked Beer

From the style guidelines: A Specialty Smoked Beer is either a smoked beer based on something other than a Classic Style, or any type of smoked beer with additional ingredients (fruits, vegetables, spices) or processes employed that transform the beer into something more unique.

In this case I'm doing the 2nd option: "...smoked beer with additional ingredients..." And to carry the smoky theme one step further I'll be adding smoked peppers to the keg in the form of a tincture. 

The base beer is a British Strong Bitter made with 15% Weyermann Beech smoked barley to which I'll add the pepper juice in the keg/secondary. 

Full Recipe is on BrewersFriend but here's the TL;DR:

  • 2021-12-24: brew day
  • Malts: Maris Otter, Weyermann Beech Smoked, c120
  • Hops: [Nugget] (Centennial)
  • Yeast: London III (Verdant)
  • Other stuff: Smoked Poblano/Serrano/Habanero pepper tincture
  • OG: 14.2°P; FG: 2.8°P; ABV: 6%
  • 2022-1-5 (+12): moved to keg secondary, added pepper tincture
  • 2022-1-6 (+13): tapped
Used up the last of my smoked malt which was about 1kg making up 15% of the grains

I refuse to purchase a hopper extender 

Basic house hops for the base beer: Nugget at FWH and Centennial late boil

Habaneros and Serranos on the smoker. These went for 2hrs at low smoke which is around 71°C (160°F)

Peppers fully smoked

Chilled, cut up and vodka added

Floor Manager Steve and Princess Fussybutt

Mash, boil, chill, yada-yada, here's the wort in the fermenter

2022-1-5 (+12): Keg time and I poured out about 2/3 poblano (decided to make another smoked batch with mild peppers this time to blend - the habanero/serrano mix was a bit too angry) with 1/3 of the hot stuff. This was added to the keg with the beer. 

2022-1-12 (+19): Tapped a few days ago and getting some carbonation and clarity on it. Aroma is peppery with slight bit of smoke. Taste is peppers, smoked malt (not too much!), with a slight burn in the finish. The heat is nice and reminds me that it's a pepper beer, but not so hot to make it unpleasant. 

2022-1-28 (+35): clearing up and getting clean pepper and slight heat in the finish. the sweetness of the base beer is coming through better and doing a nice balancing act. Unfortunately there's almost no smoke flavor and if I did this again I think it would need upwards of 25% smoked malt to come through.