Where there's smoke...

I am a fairly low-tech brewer. I have no means of controlling my fermentation temperatures, so I have to rely on the weather. So, like most traditional European brewers, I brew in the winter. Since my basement is about 50 degrees in the winter, I thought I'd attempt a lager. Inspired by 'Brewing Classic Styles' I decided to try a rauchbier, even though I'd only tried the style once, at the East End Brewery. If you think that homebrewing is a test of patience, try brewing a lager. 3-4 weeks of fermentation, then 4-6 weeks of lagering.

Rauchbier, for the uninitiated, is a smoke-flavored beer. This is obtained by using malts that are dried over a fire, usually beechwood.

As you might imagine, this is a full-flavored beer, and I thought that it would be perfect for grilling season. It is also very difficult to find a commercial example of the style. However, I was able to find THE classic in Original Schlenkerla Smokebeer Urbock at Beer Nutz on Freeport Rd. in Fox Chapel. According to the label, Schlenkerla uses all smoked malts in this beer and it is quite evident. On first opening this beer there is a strong smoked-meat aroma, almost like bacon. The smoke flavor is not as strong as the aroma, but it is certainly the focus. Imagine drinking a nice, malty bock beside a campfire while eating a slightly burnt hot dog.

My rauchbier was much less smoky as the recipe in 'Brewing Classic Styles' only called for a third of the malt to be smoked. The smoked malt is readily available at homebrew stores or online. The beer had a nice lager crispness to it and smokiness, but I would prefer more of both.