Brew Dudes

The Jar of Destiny always hands us a challenge that makes us rethink our approach to brewing. For this round, I pulled Style 32A: Classic Style Smoked Beer. With so many options to explore, I decided to craft a smoked porter inspired by the iconic Alaskan Smoked Porter. To up the ante, I took a DIY approach and smoked my own malt at home. Here’s how it all came together and what we thought of the final brew.

Alaskan Smoked Porter Recipe

This is the recipe I followed for my version of this beer. There are a few homespun elements to it.

I did smoke 2 pounds of the base malt in my backyard using Alder wood chips. First off, I let the chips soak in water overnight. Then, I assembled my two clay pot smoker setup with the electric burner on the bottom. With the burner set to high, I put a pie plate on top of it with the soaked wood chips on top of it. Lastly, I wrapped a grill grate with metal window screen material and put the base malt on top of it. The process took about two and a half hour, which was longer than planned, but the result was worth it.

The hops I used were homegrown. You don’t have to brew with homegrown hops. Use store bought Galena or Chinook.

Here’s the recipe for a 5 gallon batch:

Water: 

Spring water with 4 grams of gypsum

Grains:

8.0 lbs (3.6 kg) Rahr American 2-row Malt
2.0 lbs (0.9 kg) Smoked Malt (Home Smoked)
1.0 lbs (0.45 kg) 60°L Crystal Malt 
0.5 lbs (226 g) Pale Chocolate Malt
0.5 lbs (226 g) Black Patent Malt

Hops:

1.5 oz (42 g) Magnum hops, 16% AA. (60 minutes)

Yeast:

1 packet of CellarScience Cali American Ale Dry Yeast

Instructions:

Mash grains at 152° F (67° C). Boiled for 75 minutes, adding the hops so that they boil for 60 minutes 

Fermented at 62°F (17°C) for a week then ramped it up to 70°F (21°C) until krausen dropped.

Original Gravity: 1.065
Final Gravity: 1.014
ABV: 6.7%
IBU: 45

Subtle Smoke and Deep Complexity

The finished beer surprised us with its balance and complexity. While some smoked beers can overwhelm with a campfire-like intensity, this porter strikes a harmonious note. On the nose, there’s a hint of smoke, almost like smoked almonds, complemented by aromas of milk chocolate and roasted malt. The flavor follows suit, with layers of caramel, dark chocolate, and just a whisper of smoke on the finish. It’s approachable, dynamic, and fairly intriguing.

While it might not win over strict style judges looking for dominant smoke, this beer excels as a winter warmer that’s both comforting and complex. The subtle smokiness enhances rather than overpowers the base porter, making it a beer we’ll happily enjoy all season long.

Thank you Jar for the smoked beer challenge. Thank you reader for your attention.

Brew ON!

Three months ago, we pulled our 12th picks from the Jar of Destiny, continuing our homebrewing challenge . Mike has the first beer to hit the tasting table: a Trappist Single. This lesser-known style, categorized as 26A in the 2015 BJCP guidelines, is the beer monks brewed for themselves rather than for sale. It’s a lower-alcohol, noticeably bitter brew that stands apart from Belgian Blondes and Doubles while hinting at the dry, fruity qualities of a scaled-down Tripel. Here’s how we brewed it and what we thought of the final product.

Bring on the Brother Beer!

The Recipe: Simplicity with Precision

To capture the essence of a Trappist Single, Mike kept it simple:

Water Adjustments
Start with spring water (low mineral content).
Add:
2 grams of gypsum
1 gram of calcium chloride
1 gram of magnesium chloride
Lactic acid as needed for pH adjustment (~5.2 target).

Grain Bill
94% Dingemans Belgian Pilsner Malt (~5.3 lbs / 2.4 kg)
6% Carapils Malt (~0.34 lbs / 0.15 kg)

Hops
1 oz Styrian Goldings (2.8% AA) @ 60 minutes
6 grams Nugget (14.8% AA) @ 60 minutes (to boost bitterness)
1 oz Styrian Goldings @ 10 minutes

Yeast
Fermentis BE-256 (Abbaye)

Mash Schedule
Mash at 149°F (65°C) for 75 minutes (for high fermentability).
Ramp up to 168°F (76°C) for 15 minutes.
Sparge as needed to collect pre-boil volume.

Boil
Boil for ~65–70 minutes.
Add hops as scheduled.

Fermentation
Ferment at 65°F (18°C) for 3 days in a cool environment.
Allow the temperature to rise naturally to ~70°F (21°C) to finish fermentation.
Primary fermentation: ~3 weeks.

Carbonation
Highly carbonate the beer for a light, effervescent mouthfeel.

Results
OG: 1.048
FG: 1.009
ABV: ~5.5%
IBUs: 38–40

Our Trappist Single Tasting Notes

The beer poured a pale yellow with a soft, billowy head that left fantastic lacing. The aroma was earthy and floral, with hints of geranium and subtle yeast esters. On the palate, the beer delivered a crisp, dry finish with light orange peel notes and just a whisper of Belgian spice. While the bitterness and dryness hit the marks, we felt the fruity esters could have been more pronounced. Adding a touch of Citra or Cascade in future batches might coax out that elusive fruit character.

Overall, this Trappist Single is incredibly drinkable—a true session beer with classic Belgian touches. It may not be a home-run replication of the monastery brews, but it’s a solid double. Stay tuned for the next Jar of Destiny beer as we continue this challenge!

Brew ON!