February
6B. Rauchbier
Meeting Agenda 02-02-2023
Introductions || Anybody New in Attendance
Welcoming || Beers Brought || Open Discussions on Recipes and Techniques
Style of the Month (BJCP Style 6B. Rauchbier)
Old Items
● New Members
● Club Funds overview
● Club Winter Party
● Fond Du Lac Homebrew Alley 2023 – February 4th
● Manitowoc Noon Rotary Winter Brewfest 2-18-2023
● Club Holiday Party (02/25/23)
New Items
● Manitowoc Brewfest: Attendance/Bringing/Discussion for Booth
● Technical Topic: Chilling Methods
○ Counterflow
○ Plate
○ Immersion
What methods do you utilize? What are your experiences with any chilling method?
Discussion: Chilling Methods, Pros, Cons
● ROTS: Booth Discussion; attendance, beers being brought.
● Next Month’s Style – (6B. Straight Sour Beer)
Intended for beers fermented with Sacch and Lacto, with or without oak aging, produced using any technique
(e.g., traditional co-fermentation, quick kettle souring).
Upcoming events & Competitions
● Fond Du Lac Homebrew Alley 2023 – February 4th (2 days from now!)
● Manitowoc Noon Rotary Winter Brewfest (February 18
th
) (2 weeks!)
● Holiday Party: February 25th (3 weeks)
● ROTS 2023 - March 25 (Luxembourg WI)
Future Meetings
● March 2nd – Sabbatical Brewing Co., Manitowoc WI (835 S 29th St, Manitowoc)
● April 6th – Moore's Irish Pub (811 Jay Street, Manitowoc)
Style list for 2023
January February March April
Style of the Month (BJCP Style 6B. Rauchbier)
6B. Rauchbier
Overall Impression
An elegant, malty German amber lager with a balanced, complementary beechwood smoke character. Toasty-rich malt in aroma and flavor, restrained bitterness, low
to high smoke flavor, clean fermentation profile, and an attenuated finish are characteristic.
Appearance
This should be a very clear beer, with a large, creamy, rich, tan- to cream-colored head. Medium amber/light copper to dark brown color.
Aroma
Blend of smoke and malt, with a varying balance and intensity. The beechwood smoke character can range from subtle to fairly strong, and can seem smoky, woody, or
bacon-like. The malt character can be low to moderate, and be somewhat rich, toasty, or malty-sweet. The malt and smoke components are often inversely
proportional (i.e., when smoke increases, malt decreases, and vice versa). Hop aroma may be very low to none. Clean lager fermentation character.
Flavor
Generally follows the aroma profile, with a blend of smoke and malt in varying balance and intensity, yet always complementary. Märzen-like qualities should be
noticeable, particularly a malty, toasty richness, but the beechwood smoke flavor can be low to high. At higher levels, the smoke can take on a ham- or bacon-like
character, which is acceptable as long as it doesn’t veer into the greasy range. The palate can be somewhat malty, rich, and sweet, yet the finish tends to be
medium-dry to dry with the smoke character sometimes enhancing the dryness of the finish. The aftertaste can reflect both malt richness and smoke flavors, with a
balanced presentation desirable. Moderate, balanced, hop bitterness. Moderate to none hop flavor with spicy, floral, or herbal notes. Clean lager fermentation
character. Harsh, bitter, burnt, charred, rubbery, sulfury or phenolic smoky characteristics are inappropriate.
Mouthfeel
Medium body. Medium to medium-high carbonation. Smooth lager character. Significant astringent, phenolic harshness is inappropriate.
Comments
Literally “smoke beer” in German. The intensity of smoke character can vary widely; not all examples are highly smoked. Allow for variation in the style when judging.
Other examples of smoked beers are available in Germany based on styles such as Dunkles Bock, Weissbier, Dunkel, Schwarzbier, and Helles, including examples
such as Spezial Lager; these should be entered in the Classic Style Smoked Beer category. This description specifically refers to the smoked Märzen version.
History
A historical specialty of the city of Bamberg, in the Franconian region of Bavaria in Germany. Beechwood-smoked malt is used to make a Märzen-style amber lager.
The smoke character of the malt varies by maltster; some breweries produce their own smoked malt (rauchmalz).
Characteristic Ingredients
German Rauchmalz (beechwood-smoked Vienna-type malt) typically makes up 20-100% of the grain bill, with the
remainder being German malts typically used in a Märzen. Some breweries adjust the color slightly with a bit of roasted
malt. German lager yeast. German or Czech hops.
