Here's a recipe that Wottaguy likes, that is probably somewhere in the middle. It looks like a great beer and I really have to make it:
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Recipe: HL Dusseldorf ALT
Brewer: wottaguy
Style: Dusseldorf Altbier
TYPE: All Grain
Recipe Specifications
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Batch Size: 6.00 gal
Boil Size: 8.40 gal
Estimated OG: 1.052 SG
FG: 1.009
Estimated Color: 14.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 48.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 77.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Ingredients:
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Amount Item Type % or IBU
3 lbs MFB Pale Ale Malt (2-3 L) (2.5 SRM) Grain 27.47 %
3 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger Durst (2.0 SRM) Grain 27.47 %
2 lbs 8.0 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 22.89 %
1 lbs Amber Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 9.16 %
1 lbs Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 9.16 %
4.0 oz Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 2.29 %
1.9 oz Carafa II (412.0 SRM) Grain 1.10 %
0.8 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 0.46 %
1.25 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (60 min) Hops 39.6 IBU
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (15 min) Hops 8.5 IBU
2 Pkgs Dusseldorf ALT (White Labs #036) [Starter 2 Liter Yeast-Ale
Mash Schedule: 5 Gallon Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 10.92 lb
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5 Gallon Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 3.26 gal of water at 164.5 F 150.0 F
Notes:
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Ferment @ 58 - 60 deg F for 14 days or until done. I hold mine in the primary for 21 days then keg, and lager and force carb at 38 deg F. Carb to get 2.5 - 3.0 vol CO2.
Let it age for at least 4 weeks while lagering and carbing.
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Pale Alt
7-C Düsseldorf Altbier
Author: E. Johnson after info from Uerige
Date: 3/14/09
Size: 5 gal
Efficiency: 75%
Attenuation: 81.7%
Calories: 154.35 kcal per 12.0 fl oz
Original Gravity: 1.047 (1.046 - 1.054)
Terminal Gravity: 1.009 (1.010 - 1.015)
Color: 9.62 (11.0 - 17.0)
Alcohol: 5.02% (4.5% - 5.2%)
Bitterness: 31.0 (35.0 - 50.0)
8 lb Weyermann Pilsner Malt
1 lb Best Malz Light Munich
2 oz Weyermann Caramunich® TYPE I
0.75 oz Weyermann Chocolate Wheat Malt
1.25 oz Perle (7.5%) - first wort
1 oz Liberty '07 (4.0%) - boiled 20 min
1 oz Sterling '07 (7.5%) - boiled 2 min
Dusseldorf Alt (White Labs #036) 1 gallon starter
Schedule:
Mash 145°F, 45', 154°F, 15' Primary between 62-64°F. Secondary at ~50°F.
I was very excited about the beer going into carbonation. It was a nice color, malty but bitter with a lot of noble hop flavor.
Now, at about 8 weeks post brewday, I thought I'd add some more observations. First, and I should have seen this from the recipe, what I made is probably more of an overly hopped Koelsch than an Alt. I hadn't realized, from the darker beers I've made with this yeast, how similar the flavor profile was to WLP029. Since I let this ferment a little too warm for an Alt, it probably got too fruity for the style. My experience with Koelsch is that the winey esters reduce with some aging.
The carbonation has accentuated the beer's dryness, bitterness, the hop flavor and the yeast esters and made the malt recede. I probably needed half the flavor/aroma hops than I added. Also, I need more malt backbone, either by bumping up the Munich or Caramunich, adding Aromatic Malt, or raising my mash temperature.
The beer really hasn't had time to lager, yet, so I'll check it over the next few weeks. During that time it will finish dropping clear and should smooth out quite a bit and could turn into a great beer, but I doubt I made what I was shooting for. I've been through this before though, and I know that beers that taste great at the end of primary usually taste great once they've properly finished.