{"id":254244,"date":"2025-05-23T20:20:48","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T20:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/recipes\/category-a-b\/beer\/chuckanut-releases-rauch-helles-lets-learn-about-rauchbier\/"},"modified":"2025-05-23T20:20:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T20:20:48","slug":"chuckanut-releases-rauch-helles-lets-learn-about-rauchbier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=254244","title":{"rendered":"Chuckanut Releases Rauch Helles; Let’s Learn About Rauchbier"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\u201cSummer is just around the corner, and BBQs are on the way,\u201d said Mari Kemper, one of the founders of Chuckanut Brewery<\/a><\/strong>. \u201cNow\u2019s the perfect time to enjoy the classical German style smoke beers (Rauch Lagers). Chuckanut is tapping their award-winning (4 Gold WA Beer Awards medals) Rauch Helles Lager, with its delicate use of smoked German malts and balanced hop flavors, all over the Northwest, and it will be out in cans for the first time too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Restraint and Balance<\/h3>\n

Rauch beer<\/a>, or rauchbier, is brewed using smoked malt to impart a smoky flavor. When done well, the smokiness is balanced and restrained, like in Chuckanut\u2019s Rauch Helles. While there is room within the style guidelines for varying levels of smoke, some American craft breweries seem compelled to overdo it, creating an astringent and harsh beer. This explains why many American beer drinkers avoid Rauch beer (rauchbier). Chuckanut, of course, makes a version of the beer more attuned to traditional German styles. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a super drinkable Rauch beer that captures the smoky flavors of a Rauch Lager with the gentle, easy-going nature of a Helles Lager,\u201d explains Mari. \u201cIt\u2019s an interesting beer that has a malty, crackery, toasted flavor spiked with smoky overtones due to the use of beechwood-smoked malted barley.\u201d<\/p>\n

History and Technology<\/h3>\n

Once upon a time, most beers had some degree of smoke character. Before the advent of modern killing systems, barley was dried and roasted using wood-fired kilns, imparting at least some smoke character to the malt. In 1818, a British engineer named Daniel Wheeler patented a new kind of malt kiln, the drum kiln, which changed everything. The drum kiln never exposed the malt directly to the fire, increasing the range of colors (the amount of roast) and eliminating the smoke character. <\/p>\n

Brewers eagerly embraced Wheeler\u2019s technology in the 1800s. However, some brewers saw no reason to abandon their traditional ways. For example, they were not so eager to change in the Franconian city of Bamberg. To this day, brewers in that city famously use beechwood-smoked malt to brew a M\u00e4rzen-style amber lager. The smoky character of the malt varies by maltster, and some breweries even produce their own smoked malt. Bamberg is recognized as the epicenter of the rauchbier world.<\/p>\n

Light Color, Soft Flavors<\/h3>\n

\u201cRauch Helles has a light color and soft flavors that make a great match to any BBQ or smoked seafood,\u201d says Mari Kemper. \u201cBoasting its unique flavor profile and gentle sparkling mouthfeel, you\u2019ll want to try this unusual, uncommon lager if you see it in cans or on draft around Puget Sound and Portland, OR areas. Prost!\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn about other recent beer releases, visit our New Beer Releases pag<\/em><\/strong>e<\/strong><\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n

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