Dark Lager Presentation

1. Dark Lager Presentation • Dark Lager Styles • History of Dark Lagers • BJCP Dark Lager Style Guidelines • Sample Classic Commercial Examples • Homebrewing Dark Lagers • Sample Homebrewed Dunkel

2. BJCP Dark Lager Styles • Dark American Lager (4a) • Munich Dunkel (4b) • Schwarzbier (4c) • Traditional Bock (5b) • Doppelbock (5c) • Eisbock (5d) • Baltic Porter (12c) • Other (23)

3. History – The Dark Ages • Lagers mostly dark until 1840s • Malt kilned in wood oven or smoker • In Munich mostly dark until WWII • Yeast role in beer not understood • Lager reference to cold storage not yeast • Cold fermentation practices favored health of lager strains • Forced selection of good yeast by favoring conditions per taste

4. History – Quality Improvements • 1516 Reinheitsgebot – German Purity Law • Malt, hops and water used for beer • 1553 Summer brewing outlawed in Bavaria • Recognition that cold fermentation improves quality • 1817 Hot air kilned drum roaster invented • Uniform malt kilning leads to Munich malt • 1840 Modern techniques introduced to Germany by Gabriel Sedlmayr

5. History – Lighter Lagers • 1841 Introduction of amber lagers • Anton Dreher develops Vienna style • 1842 Introduction of light lagers • Pilsner Urquell releases first light lager • 1894 Helles lager produced by Spaten to compete with popularity of Pilsners

6. History – Other Key Events • 1838-1840 First Lager Brewed in America (would have been dark) • 1870s Invention of refrigeration • 1878 Louis Pasteur discovers yeast function in fermentation • 1890 Emil Hansen (Carlsberg) develops technique to cultivate pure yeast strains

7. Dark American Lager Style • A somewhat sweeter version of American lager with a little more body and flavor • Usually created by slight variation to lager with addition of dark malts, syrups or colorants • OG: 1.044-1.056 FG: 1.008-1.012 • ABV: 4.2-6.0% SRM: 14-22 • IBU: 8-20

8. Shiner Bock • Style misnomer • Bock name synonymous with dark lager in US • Limitations in ABV in early US law • Malt Liquor designation starting in 1950s (for beer over 5% ABV) • 4.4% ABV • 18 SRM

9. Dunkel Style • A rich dark lager with flavor profile dominated by malt • Munich malt a key component of malt profile • OG: 1.048-1.056 FG: 1.010-1.016 • ABV: 4.5-5.6% SRM: 14-28 • IBU: 18-28

10. AyingerAltbairischDunkel • Founded in 1878 in the small Bavarian village of Aying • Modern brewhouse complete with automated text-messaging opened in 1999 • Developed widespread reputation for quality German beers • OG: 1.052 • ABV: 5.0%

11. Shwarzbier (Black Lager) • A dark German lager that balances roasted flavors with moderate hop bitterness • Sometimes called “Black Pils” • OG: 1.046-1.052 FG: 1.010-1.016 • ABV: 4.4-5.6% SRM: 17-30 • IBU: 18-28

12. KostritzerShwarzbier (Black Lager) • Founded in 1543 in East German spa town of Bad Kostritz • Believed to have started as an ale until 1800s • Available in draft only until 1950s

13. KostritzerShwarzbier (Black Lager) • Initially two bottled versions • 1.048 beer with low attentuation (3.5% ABV) • 1.056 beer with added sugar pasteurized for low attenuation sweet beer • Reformulated after fall of Berlin wall • Malt: 50% Pilsner, 43% Munich, 7% Roasted • OG: 1.050 ABV: 3.5% • Further reformulated more recently • ABV: 4.6%

14. Brewing Dark Lagers – Malt • Munich malt base (up to 100%) for Dunkel • Munich & Pilsner malt base for Shwarzbier • Pale lager malt base for American Dark • Dark “coloring malts” used sparingly to minimize roasted flavors (more liberally in Schwarzbier) • Carafa makes a good choice for “coloring malt”

15. Brewing Dark Lagers – Malt • Melanoidin malt can be used to enhance malt flavor • Aromatic malt can be used to enhance malt aroma • Avoid crystal malts (undesirable residual sweetness) • Use mild un-hopped malt extracts

16. Brewing Dark Lagers – Hops • Low-alpha acid hops with delicate flavors for bitterness preferred • Hallertauer derivatives work well for bittering (Mt. Hood, Liberty, Perle, Hersbrucker) • Finishing hops should be minimal if any • Noble finishing hops such as Saaz or Tettnang preferred

17. Brewing Dark Lagers – Water • Use carbonate water to buffer acidity from dark malts • RO Water + 1 tsp/5gal CaCO3 • San Diego filtered water okay – could be blended with RO water to soften the water • Avoid high sulfate water – may accentuate a harsh bitterness in finish

18. Brewing Dark Lagers – Yeast • Use attenuative lager yeast • BJCP guidelines result in 71-82% attenuation • Create a large yeast starter • Re-pitching from a previous fermentation is recommended for large yeast pitch

19. Brewing Dark Lagers – Brewing Techniques • Decoction mashing • Traditional German technique that produces full malt flavor and aroma • More likely to be an asset for Bock beers • Infusion mashing • Simpler technique that works well for these Dark Lager styles • Works well for today’s fully modified grains

20. Brewing Dark Lagers – Fermentation • Cool wort to fermentation temperature prior to pitching • Aerate the wort vigorously – 100% oxygen works best • Fermenation temp < 55F (50F preferred) • Fermentation process is exothermic, so monitor internal fermentor temperature • No refrigeration required to make lagers in San Diego winters

21. Lagering & Carbonating • Lager at 32F for 3-6 weeks or longer and rack off of sediment • Use forced carbonation & counter-pressure bottling to avoid yeast sediment

22. Gamelin Dunkel (12 gallon) • 14 lb. Dark Munich Malt (10L) • 7 lb. Munich Malt (6L) • 1 lb. Aromatic Malt (26L) • 2.25 oz Hallertauer (3.9%) – 60 minutes • 0.5 oz Perle (8.2%) – 60 minutes • 0.5 oz Tettnang (4.1%) – 15 minutes

23. Gamelin Dunkel • RO Water + • 1.5 tsp CaCO3 (per 5 gal) • 0.5 tsp CaSO4 (per 5 gal) • 0.5 tsp NaCl (per 5 gal) • White Labs Bock yeast

24. Gamelin Dunkel • Brew Date: 3-25-11 • Mash @ 150F for 1.5 hours • OG: 1.050 • Re-pitch from previousbrew session • Oxygenated with 100% O2 • Fermentation @ 50F • FG: 1.016 • IBU: 25