Brisket In A Bottle NHC 2009

Category 22: Smoke-Flavored and Wood-Aged Beer
Sponsored by Alaskan Brewing Company

2009 AHA National Homebrew Competition Gold Medal
Damon Lewis and Orlando Guerra, Carrollton, Texas, Classic Rauchbier, North Texas Homebrewers Association

“Brisket in A Bottle”

Classic Rauchbier 

Ingredients for 12 U.S. gallons (45.42 liters)

11.0 lb            (4.99 kg) Weyermann pilsner malt

8.5 lb             (3.86 kg) beechwood home smoked malt

3.5 lb             (1.59 kg) 7 SRM Munich malt

1.5 lb             (1.36 kg) caramel Munich II malt

8.0 oz             (227 g) melanoidin malt

4.0 oz             (113 g) black malt

2.0 oz             (57 g) Hallertauer pellet hops, 8% alpha acid (60 min)

1.0 oz             (28 g) Hallertauer pellet hops, 8% alpha acid (15 min)

                        White Labs WLP 820 Octoberfest/Marzen lager yeast, repitched

2.4 vol            forced CO2 to carbonate

Original Specific Gravity: 1.056

Final Specific Gravity: 1.015

Boiling Time: 90 minutes

Primary Fermentation: 21 days at 50° F (10° C)

Directions

Mash grains for 60 minutes at 154° F (68° C). Mash out for 15 minutes at 168° F (76° C).

Judges’ Comments

“Very clean smokiness. Pleasant malt sweetness. Complex malt flavors. Very nice Rauchbier. Clean, smoky, good base style.”

Runners-Up

Silver Medal: Carl Meier, Chris Lehman, John Owen, Kyle Nordquist, and Zach Harper, Nashville, Tenn., Wood-Aged Belgian Dark Strong Ale, Antioch Sud Suckers

Bronze Medal: Jamil Zainasheff, Elk Grove, Calif., Wood-Aged English Barleywine, QUAFF