Robin Shepard
This past July, Wisconsin Brewing’s Kirby Nelson put on a demonstration of how to make a steinbier, sometimes called a stone beer, the ancient brewing technique of making beer with hot rocks. Nelson used a fire pit to heat the rocks, then dropped them into the wort. The result is Depth Charge.
What is it? Depth Charge from Wisconsin Brewing Company
Style: Scottish beers tend to emphasize the caramel and chocolate flavor tones of malt. The Scotch ale is distinctive among Scottish brews, with an even richer malty sweetness and a higher alcohol content (typically 6%-8% ABV). Recipes may include peat-smoked malt, which lends light to modest smoky and earthy tones to the aroma and flavor.
A steinbier is a technique, not a style. The base beer can be any style, but it’s usually malt-focused. The technique dates back centuries —beer was brewed in wooden vessels, then heated stones were dropped into them to produce wort. The technique has been traced to a region known as Carinthia, in what is now the south of Austria. Records indicate that beechwood, apple and pine were commonly used for the fire; the type of wood may have influenced the flavor. Some earthy qualities may come from the stones themselves, and roasted and smoky tones can (and should) remain in a modern steinbier.
Background: Making a steinbier today is about the spectacle. Super-heated rocks dropped into the liquid flash-caramelize the sugars from the malts. Lots of smoke and steam rises as the rocks hit the wort.
This isn’t Nelson’s first steinbier. One of his early attempts was more than a dozen years ago, brewed with buddies that included the likes of Tom Porter of Lake Louie, Pat Keller of the Great Dane in Fitchburg, and Mike McGuire, who now assists Nelson in the WBC brew house. Nelson learned to be extremely careful when adding the fire-heated rocks to make the wort: “We almost hurt Keller and McGuire with the explosion and steam,” Nelson admits.
WBC’s 2015 version was brewed back in July, using granite (very hard and less likely to split when the rocks hit the wort) and a steel cage for holding the heated stone. The cage was lowered by crane into a specially designed stainless steel tank.
The Scotch Ale at the core of Depth Charge is made with English Maris Otter malt and Wisconsin-grown Brewers Gold hops. It finishes at 8.2% ABV and about 30 IBUS. Nelson says he’s also tucked away about eight barrels of the beer in bourbon oak casks that he’ll release in late winter.
Depth Charge is sold in 22-ounce bomber bottles (autographed by Nelson ) for $15 at the brewery. It’s also on tap in the brewery’s taproom in a 10-ounce glass for $4.50. You may also find it around town in select tap houses, and it’s been a big hit when served at a number of this fall’s local festivals.
Nelson says he plans to make Depth Charge again next year but has not settled on the background style, though he is considering other malt-centric recipes, possibly a Baltic porter.
Tasting notes:
Aroma: Light maltiness with a touch of earthiness.
Appearance: Orange-copper color and a soft white head.
Texture: Medium-bodied, soft and bubbly.
Taste: Rich malty sweetness with hints of bread and caramel.
Finish/Aftertaste: Smooth caramel maltiness. But it ends clean, without any lingering sweetness.
Glassware: At the brewery, Depth Charge is served in a 10-ounce goblet, which encourages sipping and focuses the malty aromas. Ordinarily, I prefer the heavy dimpled glass mug that just seems right for the big-bodied nature of the Scotch Ale, with its smooth mouthfeel and deep copper color.
Pairs well with: The caramel-malty flavors of a Scotch Ale go well with soups and stews. The floral sweet qualities of Emmentaler cheese are also a nice match.
The Verdict: This is a pleasant Scotch Ale. It’s a little light on the burnt rock and smoke flavors that I was looking for from the steinbeer process. A fire with wood that has a more distinctive smoke would take care of that in future versions. What I really did enjoy was the solid Scotch Ale that came out of this experiment. It offers nice maltiness with caramel sweetness and a warm finish that’s smooth and very inviting. I think this Scotch Ale has merit on its own, forget the stones. Nelson has a reputation for making solid bock beers and he’s used that similar malt-focus to give Depth Charge its “depth” in malt character.