Recipe Scaling - Specialty Malts

[Rosie]

Hi guys,

I'm looking to scale up another recipe (Smoked Porter) from a 1hl to 7hl brew length. I've heard that the dark malts don't necessarily scale linearly. Any suggestions if my 1hl grist has pale malt majority, 5% hand smoked pale malt, 5% crystal, 2.5% black patent, and 2.5% Chocolate.

Should I stick with these percentages for the first go, or reduce?

Cheers,

[gabewilson50]

I've actually gone the other way, scaling down from 15 bbl batches to 5 gal batches at home and have had no problems. I'd suggest trying a single larger batch at the percentages that your grain bill calls for and see how it turns out. You can always add/subtract roasted grains based on the desired change in flavor profile.

[Dr Malt]

In scaling up, the only malt I see in your recipe I would be a little cautious using is your smoked malt. The others (Crystal, black and chocolate) should be OK, but often a little smoked malt can go a long way. Obviously I don't know how much smoke character is in the malt you are using so you need to use your judgement here.

Dr malt

[gabewilson50]

I agree with the good Dr. I completely missed that you had 5% smoked malt in your recipe. We had a nice dark porterlike ale (we called it a Scotch) that we would brew 15 bbl batches of that only used less than 1% peat malt, and you could still really taste the smokey quality. Be careful with that stuff, but I can't imagine you're going for a hint of smoke when you add 5% smoked malt to a 100 L batch, are you?

[Rosie]

I find that 5% smoked malt (I'm hand smoking it on a Weber with Beechwood) in pilot batches is balancing well against the dark malts.

Are you saying that I should be careful scaling the smoked malt (5% for bigger batch), or are you questioning the 5% to begin with?

Cheers,

[Øl-sheik]

I´m currently brewing a smoked Weizenbock, the percentage is 25 % and that gives a good noticable but still delicate flavor, so I wonder how your self-smoked malt contributes to the flavor, must be some strong stuff if you use only 5 % and if that amount worked in your small scale, why worry to do it just like that again, just bigger ?

Wish you good luck and less worries

[Rosie]

Øl-sheik,

Thanks for that...I am assuming that you are using Weyermann smoked malt or another commercial alternative. I my reading on smoked beers, I believe that with these commercial examples you need a higher percentage (e.g. your 25%) for the same character. I think this may have to do with the time between smoking and mashing. I'm smoking 1 week before mashing, so maybe that is why my 5% is enough...

...any comments on the other speciality malts....or should I just stop worrying and go with my pilot grain percentages....

Cheerio,

[Dr Malt]

Rosie:

My caution was not necessarily the 5% in your original recipe. I was referring to the amount you use in the scale up. Smoked malts are often do not scale well and can easily become too much in a brew. I was not aware or missed the fact you are smoking the malt yourself. That adds another level of control as well as a variable batch to batch. Since it's your own unique, hand smoked malt, you can adjust the smoke character through the smoking process and the amount you add to the scaled up brew.

As far as the other specialty malts, crystal, black and chocolate, they should scale up fine. You may want to decide if you need 2.5% black malt. Black malt is mainly a coloring malt and at too high a level adds a burnt taste, unless you are looking for a burnt taste. I suggest if you have sufficient color with the other dark malts, you scale back the black malt a bit.

Dr Malt