Finally got to brew today after a couple months. During the fall I’m generally doing Cider and wine. Starting out with a Figgin Porter with today and then maybe a smoked Porter , which I can use some advice on. The I’ll start some type of helles to use up the Munich and pilsner I have, need to get some yeast for that. I ordered up a bunch of hops during the black Friday sales. I’ll build the yeast in the helles and pickup a few more sacks and settle in for a winter of brewings
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What kind of smoked malt are you wanting to use in your porter. Weyermanns smoked malt is a great be used up to 100% of grain bill. Its smoked with peet wood. Briess has a cherry wood that I like the best that goes wonderfully in porters and stouts it’s Smokey flavor is not over whelming it’s sweet malty and kinda fruity notes that doesn’t take away from the hops and finishes alittle like cherry aroma
That’s good advice. I actually have some cherry wood and I was going to clean a river stone put it in the fire then toss it in the end of the mash. You can probably talk me off the cliff .
Are you wanting to do a true Stein brew. Got to say I always wanted to try it. Instead of a river rock use a lava rock
Why so? I’ll have to do some research. Also thinking about stirring with the hot poker also
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A true Stein brew is brewing beer with hot stones usually lava rocks were used and heated in a fire to the point they are glowing hot and thrown in the beer taking it way pass the boil point causing a Millard reaction that can not be reached normally. I also might add that the reaction is some what explosive and dangerous adding the hot stone and the brew gets volcanic. Now why a lava rock is because some stones can’t handle the heat and could crack or even explode. Trap minerals and air that formed inside the rock expanding with the high temps
I’m adding it to the mash so maybe it won’t blow up
I’m not sure I would add it to the mash myself with the grain and husk. If that’s what your planning. Pretty sure will Burn the grain and not sure what it would do for tannins either maximize the extraction of them or cook them to nothing. My thoughts are to add the stone to my first running. Half or so of your wort that way if it gets volcanic you can still calculate your losses after the explosion and half the mess. Could always do a test run with just water
That’s a good plan. I think it may carmelize some of the wort which would be appropriate. I think I’ll just boil traditionally with heat. I’m thinking pull the stone before the boil so as to not get any “scorched” taste
I still think I’ll stir the mash and boil with the red hot poker
