Hop schedule for Bitter finish in Altbier

[adam01]

I'm trying to have my Altbier finish bitter. Rahr's Gravel Road and Shiner's Old time Alt
both had a great malt taste at the beginning and then finished with a great bitter taste.

What can I do to replicate this taste ?

 

[sptaylor70]

There are several altbier recipes that you can look to. I would use something clean and European (e.g. Hallertau, Mt. Hood, Liberty, Saphir, Spalt, Tettnang), get ~10 IBU from a FWH addition, ~15 IBU from a 60-minute addition, and ~10 IBU from a 15-minute addition.

 

[adam01]

I've used both FWH and normal 60 min boil schedules. Neither produce the desired
effect. I've tried Kaiser Alt, plus recipes from The Alt book from Horst.

 

[sptaylor70]

Have you looked at your water chemistry? What yeast are you using? Have you written to Rahr and asked for the Gravel Road recipe?

 

[adam01]

Yeast is wy1007.

I've contacted Rahr; I can't get anything from the brewers about this let alone the recipe.

I've been working water chemistry. But don't know a good target. Dallas water is becoming unpredictable due to their second source of high mineral content.

 

[sptaylor70]

Yeast - You could try experimenting with Wyeast 2565 Koelsch or White Labs WLP029 Koelsch. Each has a reputation for playing up the hops more than the Duesseldorf strain. Further afield alternatives might be Wyeast 2112 Steam yeast or Wyeast 1332 (which a buddy of mine liked for his IPAs because the yeast itself is bitter).

I love my hometown (Garland), but I didn't love the water. The only suggestion I have is to start with distilled and turn it into something like Burton water, again to emphasize the bitterness.

For recipe help, you might ask another semi-local brewery whose alt you like: Shiner had an alt; Cedar Creek has a smoked alt; Hops & Grain and 512 (both in Austin).