Smoked and unsmoked Pale Ale idea

[SupersonicMike]

So I've got an idea for making two batches of about the same pale ale, one smoked one "normal", any thoughts on these recipes?

What I'm going for is a mildly hopped beer, and to do both smoked and not smoked batches. This is for a special event at work in June.

Smoked:
6 Pounds of dry malt extract
2 pounds of Rauchmalt or similar smoked malt (stepped for half an hour at about 170F)
1 oz. cascade hops pellets (bittering)
0.5 oz cascade hops (flavor)
0.5 oz cascade hops (aroma)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale)


Non-smoked:
6 pounds of dry malt extract
2 pounds of aromatic malt (stepped)
1 oz. cascade hops pellets (bittering)
0.5 oz cascade hops (flavor)
0.5 oz cascade hops (aroma)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale)

 

[fizgig]

I'd make it now and test it with your friends, smoked beers tend to be a love it or hate type thing.

 

[sammytag]

Sounds like a cool experiment. If it was me, the only thing I'd change would be the temperature that I'd steep the Smoked malt at. Why not steep it at mashing temperatures (~148-155F)?

 

[eulipion2]

Sounds like a cool experiment. If it was me, the only thing I'd change would be the temperature that I'd steep the Smoked malt at. Why not steep it at mashing temperatures (~148-155F)?

+1. Rauchmalt and other smoked malts are typically a 2-row base malt. Steeping that high will give you smoke flavor and aroma, but could possibly do more harm than good. Steep around 152-155 for 30-45 min.

EDIT: Aromatic also has diastatic power, so mash that as well, though you might want to back off on it a bit. Can be quite overpowering.