It’s the start of another homebrewing adventure and the start of another brew log.
This time, it’s project Rauchbier. I have looked over my Rauchbier recipe and ordered my ingredients through Northern Brewer.
There’s a co-brewer who wants to be a part of it so I have to schedule a day this month where both of us can show up to the same place at the same time, namely my house.
Once the brew date is in place, it will be all systems go for the RAAAAAAAUCHBier (at least that is the way I am saying it).
Some interesting notes for this one:
- I am planning to make a huge starter for this one (3.2 gallons worth of starter wort). Basically, I am going to make a small beer from malt extract and put it into my fermenter. I’ll pitch my yeast and let them do their thing. On brew day, I am going to siphon the small beer off of the yeast and then introduce the rauchbier wort right on top of it. Mike has done this with good results.
- I have never tasted smoked malt before. I have had smoked beers but never the raw ingredient that made them smokey. I wish I bought some cherry wood smoked malt to compare, but it will be cool just to brew with the beechwood smoked stuff.
- Ok, not that interesting but I had to buy some more StarSan with this order. I love that stuff.
Mike
Sweet!
Give yourself plenty of time for the mini beer to ferment out and finish up. You don’t want some incomplete fermentation flavors to be hanging around in your yeast slurry and get carried over to the next beer.
John
How long would you say I should let the small beer ferment for?
Mike
At least 3 days. Agitate it occasionally to keep the yeast in suspension.
If possible cold crashing the yeast for a solid 24hrs is a good idea. That way you can effectively decant the spent wort and leave more yeast behind.
John
Ya dood. That sounds like a plan.