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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel• 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%

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

Kostritzer Shwarzbier (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

Kostritzer Shwarzbier (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: 1.050ABV: 3.5%

• Further reformulated more recently– ABV: 4.6%

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”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gamelin Dunkel• Brew Date: 3-25-11• Mash @ 150F for 1.5 hours• OG: 1.050• Re-pitch from previous

brew session• Oxygenated with 100% O2• Fermentation @ 50F• FG: 1.016• IBU: 25