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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
		Digest Janitor: pbabcock at hbd.org


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Contents:
  Fwd: Smoking Grain (Fred L Johnson)
  RE: Smoking Grain? ("David Houseman")
  smoking malt (Jeff Gladish)
  Ginger Mead (Glyn and Mary)
  Toys needed to use distilled method for measuring alcohol content ("Will Auld")


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Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 06:54:12 -0500
From: Fred L Johnson <FLJohnson52 at nc.rr.com>
Subject: Fwd: Smoking Grain

Jim asked about smoking grains. As a lover and cooker of barbecue, I've smoked
malt a few times in my pit with pretty good success, but not by cold smoking as
Jim is planning. My cooker uses a fire box on the side. I place the grains in a
thin (single) layer on cookie sheets after slightly wetting the grains. A wire
mesh fine enough to prevent the grains from falling trough would probably work
even better. The water helps the smoke to stick.

I've tried turning/stirring the grains occasionally over about two hours of
smoking time, but I'm not sure it's worth the effort. You can also very lightly
mist the grains occasionally, but you must do this very lightly because you
don't want to wash off the smoke. Allow the grain to dry in the smoker before
bringing them out and bagging them.

With my fire box, the amount of smoke level can be quite variable and difficult
to control, so I must judge when to stop the smoking by the subtle change in
color of the malt, comparing it to some unsmoked malt kept nearby. The malt
shouldn't get dark like barbecue, and you don't want that anyway. Purchase some
Weyermann smoked malt for comparison.

Now that Jim has brought the subject up, I think my next brew will be a
rauchbier--convenient that I'll be smoking a turkey on the 24th.

Thanks for your post, Jim!

Fred L Johnson Apex, North Carolina, USA


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Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 06:59:39 -0500
From: "David Houseman" <david.houseman at verizon.net>
Subject: RE: Smoking Grain?

Jim,

I have smoked grain in my smoker and used the hardwoods I had available 
(hickory).    It's warm, not cold.   Smoked for a couple hours.  Worked 
well.   Only suggestion is that you let the malt rest after smoking for 
several weeks to a month.    I do that after roasting grain in the oven or 
smoking grain.    Mellows it out.

David Houseman



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Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 08:05:50 -0500
From: Jeff Gladish <maztech at ij.net>
Subject: smoking malt

Captain Jim asked about cold-smoking grain and wondered how much and 
for how long.
In my opinion it's pretty hard to tell until you've done it and tasted the beer.
I prefer a lot of smoke flavor and aroma in my smoked beers and also use 
a cold-smoking method.  Most people start out with about 15 to 20% of the 
malt bill and go from there, but I have used up to 90% before.  If the 
smokiness is too over powering you can always blend it back with another 
non-smoked beer in a proportion that you enjoy.  
I smoke my malt for about an hour to an hour and a half.  Note, though, that 
if you 
get any heat involved it will change the character of the grains.  
Lots of hardwoods work for smoking, but the real strong flavors, like mesquite,
may overwhelm the beer.  I recently used pecan wood and it smelled fantastic.
I use citrus wood from my backyard and find that it gives a flavor and aroma 
similar to beach if you're looking for something like a German Rauchbier.

Anyway, there is no smoke-o-meter other than your nose and your experience 
so you have to do it a few times and make notes for the next time.
Have fun.  Smoke some cheese while you're doing it.  It's incredible.
Jeff, Tampa


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Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 08:08:25 -0800 (PST)
From: Glyn and Mary <graininfuser at yahoo.com>
Subject: Ginger Mead


My family is obsessed with ginger. Ginger margaritas, 
ginger ice cream, but ginger mead what a great idea.

Can you give out a recipe? Is the ginger strong or 
subtle? 

Glyn
S. Middle TN


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Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:08:46 -0800
From: "Will Auld" <will at auld.com>
Subject: Toys needed to use distilled method for measuring alcohol content


I want to try the distilled method to measure the amount of alcohol in sake.
>From what I read I need a 250 ml flask, special high accuracy hydrometer
with 
Hydrometer jar.

Has anyone here done this? Is 250ml enough to fill the hydrometer jar to the

Point that it can be measured with an hydrometer? Anything I should know?

Thanks,

Will 



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