I bought a bunch of hops this past weekend, including some very pretty 4.4% leaf Spalt Select. Since I have a cake of Munich lager yeast to harvest, I thought I would put it to good use in a deliciously balanced beer. How about this (4-gallon batch):
Ca 90ppm, SO4 150ppm, Cl2 60ppm, HCO3 150ppm
7lb Pils
3lb Munich 6.5L
1oz Spalt 60min 22 IBU
1oz Spalt 10min 5 IBU
Whirlfloc & Wyeast Nutrient
200ml WY2308 slurry
Double decoction, 145-158-168 (long rest at 145 for fermentability)
90min boil, ferment 50F
1.053 OG, 1.013 FG, 5 SRM, 27 IBU
The only Dort I've had in the past ten years is a Flensburger Gold. I'd like a crisper, fresher taste - will 150ppm SO4 help with that?
Will be interested to hear the result. Wish I could provide useful input but my Dortmunder is nowhere near done. IIRC, I used a similar recipe (including the double-D) but a bit less Munich and used Hallertau.
However, I'm pretty sure I went with a more malty CL/SO4 ratio...more Cl than SO4 but neither was as high as your SO4 (I typ like less 'crispness' than many people do). I used WY2278 Czech Pils (Pilsner-Urquell-D strain) for the same reason you're using WY2308...had it 'ready-to-harvest'. Mine is slated for around 6/6 to be ready.
EDIT: 944play...do you think the HCO3 is too high @ 150ppm for a beer this light? I'd have to check my notes but I'm sure I diluted my water with quite a bit of distilled as I usually do with really light beers. But I have yet to make a really satisfying light lager so...maybe I shouldn't. They're decent and way better than BMC but just not; "omg that is so effing delicious" good.
__________________ Early brewers were primarily women, mostly because it was deemed a woman's job. Mesopotamian men, of some 3,800 years ago, were obviously complete assclowns and had yet to realize the pleasure of brewing beer.- Beer Advocate
Last edited by SpanishCastleAle; 04-16-2009 at 03:27 PM.
944play...do you think the HCO3 is too high @ 150ppm for a beer this light?
Well, since Dortmund water is around 220, I figure it should be ok per style. If this was helles or Boh Pils, I would go buy some RO.
I'm sampling my B3 Vienna. It's reminding me that I should not be brewing lagers. For one thing, I don't have a lagering fridge, so it's been outside at night and in a cooler in the day, when I remember, averaging about 55. For another, I don't have the pipeline or the patience. It's tasting so-so right now, but I KNOW it would be killer if it just spent a month in the cold.
Brewing now, just doughed in. Did not have much gypsum on-hand, so my water will look like:
Ca: 64
Cl2: 73
SO4: 58
EDIT: Halfway through boil. 75% efficiency, exactly as I formulated for.
Teig from decoction
60min add, 1oz. They look so pretty at this stage
Recirculating chiller
(Inadequately) washed yeast in 4L jug
Straining hops from chilled wort
Ugh, whole hops....
A lot of work for four gallons of beer...
Now I am rewarding myself with a Deschutes Dissident
Looks like a winner! Racked my naturally-carbed Dort just Thursday and it's still a point or two high (1.015 from 1.053) but fully carbonated. Still dialing this natural-carb process in.
__________________ Early brewers were primarily women, mostly because it was deemed a woman's job. Mesopotamian men, of some 3,800 years ago, were obviously complete assclowns and had yet to realize the pleasure of brewing beer.- Beer Advocate
Good commercial German lagers are really hard to come by, especially here. I don't think I've seen ANY of the BJCP Dort examples for sale locally -- the Flens I had was in Texas. Anyway, Flensburg is 500km from Dortmund, so how representative could it be?
Well, Exports are brewed all over Germany. Almost every brewery who puts out a Pilsner also has an Export. I see them on a regular base at the local beer stores, just keep your eyes open. You should not have a problem finding an Export.
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Ugh. I'm 80% sure this beer has a Brett infection.
1. It won't stop fermenting.
2. It's getting some BIG bubbles on top.
3. I think I taste a twinge of Brett in the beer that I repitched from.
EDIT: Just kegged it at 1.012, and pretty tasty. If it's infected, it's not a bad one! Maybe just tired yeast.
Update: This beer is FANTASTIC - as long as it's cold and carbonated! It's a little thick and sweet otherwise, but the hops really pop with flamboyant herbal tones, the head is rich and foamy, and the beer is a nice clear gold.
I bought another grainbill to match with the other 2oz of Spalt:
8lb German Pils
1lb Belgian Aromatic
Now I know everyone here will get their panties in a wad saying that's too much Aromatic, but if it's really just like extra-dark Munich, I'm sure I'm going to love it.
Dortmunder, feat. Spalt Select
For one thing, I don't have a lagering fridge, so it's been outside at night and in a cooler in the day, when I remember, averaging about 55. For another, I don't have the pipeline or the patience. It's tasting so-so right now, but I KNOW it would be killer if it just spent a month in the cold.
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