# 🍺 Top-down Brew: Rauchbier

## Recipe Variables

Enter the parameters name: 06 Rauchbier og: 1.055 malt: Munich 10L, 60, 10, 74 malt: Smoked Malt (rauch), 33, 3, 80 malt: CaraMunich II, 6, 6, 74 malt: Carafa Special III, 1, 525, 70 ibu: 25 hop: Hallertau, 100, 4.5, 60 yeast: lager vol: 5.5 system: US eff: 75 prime: 2.5, 72

### Variations

Malt extract versions are not feasible.

### Explore other malts, sugars, and hops

← Click here when the data entry is done.

## Results

*** Waiting for results. ***

## Notes

Rauchbier is similar to Märzen, but with a smoked malt character.

2021 BJCP 6B - Rauchbier characteristic ingredients: "Märzen-type grist, with the addition of a sizeable quantity of German Rauchmalz (beechwood-smoked Vienna-type malt). Some breweries smoke their own malt. German lager yeast. Traditional German or Czech hops."

Vital statistics: IBU: 20 - 30, SRM: 12 - 22, OG: 1.050 - 1.057, FG: 1.012 - 1.016, ABV: 4.8% - 6.0%

The key ingredient for smoked flavor is rauchmalt, which translates from German as smoked malt. Rauchmalt can be up to 100% of the malt, which is reportedly the way rauchbier is made by the Schlekerla Brewery in Bamberg, Germany. Most recipes use much less smoked malt though. One source recommends up to 30% smoked malt and the beer-analytics.com average is 36%. Thus, one-third smoked malt would be a reasonable starting point. Use restraint unless you really like smokey flavors. The smoked malt should be beechwood smoked. Examples include Weyermann, Bestmalz, and Briess smoked malt. Do not use peat-smoked malt or other forms of smoked malt.

For the remaining malt, the base malt is standard Munich. Crystal malt is a common ingredient. Small amounts of debittered black malt (Carafa III) or other roasted malts (chocolate, black malt) can be used for a darker color.

The traditional mash uses decoction, but modern versions may use step mashes and single-step infusion mashes. Strong recommends carefully removing chlorine from the brewing water because chlorine can react with smoke phenols to make unpleasant flavors.

The hops should be German or continental European varieties. Late aroma and flavor hops are unnecessary.

Use a clean fermenting lager yeast that produces low diacetyl. The beer should attentuate well and be easy-to-drink to avoid being overly sweet. High final gravity or excessive sweetness is not desired.

## Sources

Beer-analytics.com rauchbier analysis

Dornbusch, H. (2010, October). Rauchbier: Brewing "liquid bacon." Brew Your Own, 26 - 33.

Strong, G. (2019, September). Rauchbier: Smoke'em if you got'em. Brew Your Own, 28 - 31.