I racked the rauchbier from the primary fermenter to the secondary vessel – a glass carboy – for six weeks of lagering at 35°F in my beer fridge.
I did do a diacetyl rest. I just took the fermenter out of the fridge and let it sit in my basement for a couple of days. It was around 60°F in the basement. The rauchbier is a deep, dark brown.
The flash on the camera gives my beer fridge a nice Fortress of Solitude look. I think that is appropriate for the rauchbier’s lagering phase.
I took a sample or two and tasted them. There was some slight smoke in the nose and some balanced smoke flavor in the taste so far.
After the lagering period, I can image the other flavors will mellow out and the smoke will come pouring out.
Mike
Is 60F high enough temp for a diacetyl rest? I thought most rests occur at 70F for a couple days.
John
How To Brew lists the range of 55°F to 60°F for 24 hours for a diacetyl rest.
I believe Brewing Classic Styles instructs 10 degrees above optimal fermentation temperature.
Mike
What does Palmer know?
Señor Brew™
I have read that the smoke flavor mellows out with age also, so it might not “come pouring out” as you hope.
John
Yeah, I think that the smoke flavors will cut through the other flavors…which were young beer (yeast) flavors that I was tasting from the sample. I think that with lagering, the young beer flavors will drop out and the smoke will have a more prominent role.
Corona
I just recently made a Rauchbier for a party dubbed “Sausagefest”. It was a huge hit since there was a lot of grilling going on. The smokiness you are looking for won’t be at its best until you carbonate. I didn’t notice too much smoke aroma/flavor difference between the primary wort and the lagered beer(5 weeks at 36F).
What percentage of the grain was smoked?
40% of my grain bill was smoked and I used a 75/25 ratio of beech/cherry smoked malts. The cherry smoked grain added an interesting twist. It is a fantastic brew
John
We used all beechwood smoked malt and it was a third of the total grain bill.
I took a taste out of the “lagering tank” a few days ago. The smoke taste is more prominent now.