How to Brew Smoke Beer (Rauchbier): Bold and Smoky Soul of Bamberg

If I were to describe a Rauchbier to ten beer drinkers and offer them a pour, I feel fairly confident that most would reject the pour.

Portrayed as a beer with a “campfire-like” aroma and taste, I can see how some are put off by such a descriptor. However, some nights just call for a little smoke in your glass.

For many years malt was dried over an open fire. This assured the malt dried, however, an inconvenient consequence of this process was the smoke having its grip on every delicious sip of the beer.

Many brewers back then were eager to rid the brewing industry of this rather unwanted aspect of malting.

Innovation in Malting

In 1818 Daniel Wheeler changed everything. Wheeler, a British engineer and inventor, invented the drum kiln and forever altered how malt was kilned.

The drum kiln actually never exposed the malt to fire directly. This increased the range of malt color, flavor, made for a more uniform roast, and eliminated the smoked character of the malt.

Hold on a Minute…

As many brewers were rejoicing in their brew kettles that this smoke character was finally eliminated, there were still some brewers that wanted to pump the breaks on this new fangled way of kilning malt.

Yes, there brewers who actually liked the smoky character of the malt. This was something these brewers knew, understood, and saw very little reason to mess with this tradition. Sound familiar?

In the city of Bamberg, Germany these old school brewers hung on to this piece of history. When kilning malt, there were three main fuels: wood, straw, and coal. Coal was the least favorable because it was expensive and dirty.

It also imparted the least desired flavor. English maltsters prefered coal or wood, while the Germans opted for wood.

Style Profile and Characteristics of Rauchbier

Appearance

Color ranges from light copper to dark brown. The head of this beer should be tan to cream color; all while being rich, thick, and creamy. Beer should be extremely clear.

Aroma

The smoke presence is really left up to the brewer. It can be a hint or a smack in the face. The smoked character is compared to wood character, smoky, and almost bacon-like.

You should expect a clean lager profile. Hop aroma is very low to almost nonexistent.

Mouthfeel

Medium body with smooth lager-like character. A Rauchbier is highly carbonated. High astringency and harshness is inappropriate for the style.

Taste

The malt and the smoke need to somehow harmoniously coexist. The balance can vary, but one should compliment the other. Toasted malty richness should be present; think Märzen style.

At high smoke levels, the smoke character can take on a bacon or ham-like character. The malt can create a rich and sweet palate. Semi-dry to dry finish will only help to enhance this beer.

The drying effect is enhanced by the smokiness. Hop flavor ranges from medium to nonexistent; spicy herbal, or floral notes.

Clean lager fermentation. Aftertaste of this beer should be a nice harmony of malt and smoke.

Food Pairing

When it comes to pairing this beer with food, one jumps at the chance to pair it with smoked meats. Not so fast, Smokey! Hear me out on this one.

Sometimes too much of one thing can be off-putting. Instead of smoked meats, pair this beer with grilled meat.

There are some smoke elements to grilled meat, but not in your face like a smoked brisket or pork shoulder. A nice German bratwurst, steak, fish, and chicken all work well with a good Rauchbier.

By the Numbers

• Color Range: 12 – 22 SRM
• Original Gravity: 1.050 – 1.057 OG
• Final Gravity: 1.012 – 1.016 FG
• IBU Range: 20 – 30
• ABV Range: 4.8 – 6.0%

Brewing your own Rauchbier

Malt

Weyermann Malting makes a vast majority of commercially used Rauchmalz. German Rauchmalz is a Vienna style malt smoked over beechwood. Ironically enough Weyermann Malting is located in Bamberg, Germany.

A Rauchbier grain bill can consist of anywhere from 20 to 100% smoked malt. As mentioned earlier, balance and harmony between the smokiness and the maltiness needs to be taken into consideration.

The base malt can be anything from 2-Row, Munich malt, or Vienna malt. The ratio is really up to the brewer and his/her desire for the smoke character.

Briess Malting in America makes a Cherry wood smoked malt that is also very popular. For color purposes, specialty malts such as Carafa Special II and Caramunich I can be used.

Hops

German Noble hops, of course, should be used when considering hops. Since you really do not need much hops in this recipe, a low alpha hop will do just fine.

The hops here are just to balance out the malt.

Yeast

A good German Lager yeast should be used for this beer. White Labs Oktoberfest/Marzen WLP820 and White Labs German Lager WLP830 are both solid choices.

Wyeast Munich Lager 2308, Wyeast Bohemian Lager 2124, Wyeast Bavarian Lager 2206, Wyeast Oktoberfest Lager Blend 2633 can all do the job too.

Fermenting and Lagering

Follow the temperature ranges on the desired yeast that you choose for this brew day. Usually primary fermentation will be around 50°F and 55°F(10°C-12°F).

Raise your fermentation to around 60°F(10°C) for a diacetyl rest and hold it there for 3 days.

After the d-rest, rack to a secondary and get that beer off the yeast. This will be time to lager your beer. One to two months of lagering at 35°F and 40°F(1°C-4°C) is good practice for this lager.

Rauchbier Recipe

Malt

• 95% 10 lbs Cherry Wood Smoked Malt
• 2.5% 4.0 oz Carafa Special II
• 2.5% 4.0 oz Caramunich I

Hops

• 1.00 oz Perle Pellets
• 0.50 oz Hallertauer Pellets

Yeast

• 1.0 pkg German Lager (White Labs#WLP830)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How Can You Smoke Beer for a Rauchbier Recipe?

When crafting a Rauchbier recipe, the smoky flavor is primarily achieved through the use of smoked malt rather than directly smoking the beer itself.

The smoked malt is created by drying malted barley over an open flame or wood-fueled fire, which imparts a smoky character to the grain.

This smoked malt is then used in the brewing process, providing the distinctive smoky flavor associated with Rauchbier and other smoked beer recipes.

What Amount of Smoked Malt Should Be Used in a Rauchbier Recipe?

The amount of smoked malt to use can vary based on personal taste preference and the level of smokiness desired.

Typically, a Rauchbier recipe may call for anywhere from 20% to 100% smoked malt. It’s advisable to start with a lower percentage of smoked malt and gradually increase it in subsequent batches until the desired smoky intensity is achieved.

Can You Smoke Hops as Well as Malt for a Smoked Beer Recipe?

While traditional Rauchbier recipes primarily focus on using smoked malt, some adventurous brewers have experimented with smoking hops. However, this is less common and can result in a different flavor profile.

It’s a creative avenue to explore for those looking to innovate within the realm of smoked beers, although it may steer away from the classic Rauchbier taste.

What Makes Rauchbier Distinct From Other Smoked Beer Varieties?

Rauchbier, a German smoked beer, holds a unique place among smoked beers due to its traditional brewing methods and the characteristic flavor imparted by the German smoked malt.

The balance between the smoky notes, malt sweetness, and hop bitterness creates a distinctive taste that sets Rauchbier apart from other smoked beer varieties.

Which Yeast is Best Suited for Brewing Rauchbier?

For an authentic Rauchbier experience, using a traditional German lager yeast is recommended. This type of yeast complements the smoky and malty characteristics of Rauchbier, promoting a clean and well-balanced finish that enhances the overall flavor profile of the beer.