Schwarzbier Schwarzbier (based on BCS), took 3rd

Scored 33

my grains, hops, and yeast came from AustinHomeBrew
Recipe started a while back based on the brewing classic styles

My water is somewhat hard, very slightly acidic, some iron.

6.0 # Munich
4.5 # Pilsner (german 2-row)
6 oz crystal 40
6 oz chocolate malt
4 oz black barley (500 srm)
4 oz carafa III

I did a double decoction:
infuse 4.41 gal at 157.2 to get first step of 148F for 60 minutes
with 30 minutes left, pull decoction 1, heat decoction 1 to 158F, let it rest for 10 minutes, then heat to a boil for remaining 15 minutes of Mash rest.
return decoction 1 slowly to main mash, until you get to 158F in main mash. Any remainder should be cooled to 158 then added in.
Immediately pull decoction 2 and bring it to boil during this 30 minute 158F mash rest.
return decoction 2, whole thing. You want 168F or higher ideally.

I batch sparged.

90 minute boil,
1.65 hallertauer 3.9% @ 60min
0.5 hallertauer 3.9% @ 20min
0.5 hallertauer 3.9% @ 0min

chill, whirlpool, siphon to carboy, aerate with aquarium pump through hepa filter off and on until reached 30 minutes of pumping time (letting foam subside as necessary and counting time to a total). Pitch dry yeast directly into fermenter, fermenter at about 68F by this time, and in lager freezer set to 50F with 1 degree differential, so it quickly is taken to 50F.

after 2 weeks or so, ramp up 1 degree every 12 hours to 62F and finish out a week.

Rack to keg, chill to 32F, store for 1 month, then enjoy.

I used the BierMuncher Bottle Filler to fill bottles from keg to send to competition.

Awesome, subscribed! (To remind me to brew it later). Is the Black Barley = Black Roasted Barley?

yeah, and just a dang touch of it, too, or you'll taste it.

I've done one thing on a porter I wanted to darken, which was to sprinkle an ounce or two of it on top of the mash while vorlaufing and use that to help darken it up. I don't know that this keeps out any roasty flavor, but it at least does help darken things easily enough.

Ok cool. I was just wondering why the black roasted barley instead of black patent. I am still learning about the different tastes/color each type of grain imparts.

re-reading the descriptions of black roasted barley and black patent, I'm not 100% sure why I chose one over the other. The dryness rings a bell when picking online at Austin it's also in the description (I love dry beers), but I could also have possibly just had a brain-fart and picked one over the other. I think it may be difficult to tell them apart at 4oz per 5.5 gallon batch, though.

btw, the jamil show podcast on schwarzbier is very interesting. I was looking for carafa special II and pale chocolate (de-husked) due to that, I believe, but ended up not finding them at austin and using regular chocolate and carafa III.
Some time when I can get what I originally want, I may have to try again and compare.

I added the score (33), since I have received my judges sheets.

Im about to brew a batch of this for my buddy who absolutely loves the new Guinness Bkack Lager. What yeast did you use in this brew?

I brewed it. It was one of my first two lagers. I used 34/70 for my yeast and this beer came out great! Just a few bottles left. Ive tasted it next to several black lagers, and this beat every one of em!!

has anyone else brewed this? OP seems to be inactive here. thinking about brewing my first lager this fall.

I haven't brewed this, but brewed a version of Jamil's schwarzbier based on what I had on hand...

27L batch, 1.056OG, 1.012FG
3.1kg bestmalz munich
2.3kg bestmalz pilsen
0.19kg wy caramunich 1
0.19kg Joe White chocolate malt (Australian)
0.11kg wy carafa special 111
0.08kg JW Roasted barley (Australian)

25g Magnum at 60min
16g Spalter at 20min
16g Spalter at 2min

Danish lager yeast (because it's what I had, I'd go with a German yeast if I had it).

It is one of the best beers I've ever made (in over 100 batches).