What are your Favorite German styles to brew and why?

[TimelessCynic]

So I'm really into brewing German styles of beer now. I just love the malt charecter i get from decocting the mash. I make hefeweizen, kolsch, bock and a killer doppelbock.

What other German styles are fun to make and drink and why?


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[ncbrewer]

My favorite is first on your list - hefeweizen. I brew it often.

 

[Derrminator]

I really enjoy an Altbier I made. I never had one and commercial examples are hard to come by so I made my own. Not sure how it compares to the ones in Germany but it's delicious.

 

[wobdee]

I've been trying to fine tune a Pils and an Oktoberfest all year and I'm getting real close to that German flavor and aroma. Now I'm getting into decoction and want to start brewing Munich Dunkels.

 

[mmb]

My favorite German style is the Munich Dunkel. It's a fantastic beer with a nice malt backbone but it is still sessionable. And it's a fairly standard brewing process.

 

[thCapn]

Bavarian Hefeweizen, Kolsch (which I dry-"hop" with chamomile), and Schwartzbier. I fell in love with Maisel's Hefe when I lived in Germany many years ago, while I really enjoy the clean, crisp character of the other two. I find that character to be a fun interplay with the roasted flavors in the Schwartzbier. I'll probably try my hand at an Oktoberfest/Maerzen in the future.


--
th Cap'n in Portland, Oregon

 

[catdaddy66]

Love a good German Pilsner! Also like a hefeweizen and bock/doppelbock. My first lager will be a German style which may be done in the next 4-6 weeks.

The reason I like these is that they are malt forward styles, with a hint of hop character. That may be why I resisted IPA's for so long, though I've come to love a few of these recently. Still consider my taste a 'malt first' palate!

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[Talgrath]

Auch! You can't leave off the beer of Oktoberfest, the Marzen!

 

[ram5ey]

Märzen, helles, and maibock. So good.

 

[klaggy]

My favorite by far is a Marzen then next to that as a Close second is German Pilsner, but I do love me good clean kolsch


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[BigEd]

I love the simple elegance of German beers, the classic malty flavors and the Noble hops. In my rotation are Helles, Oktoberfest,Munich Dundel, Kolsch, Altbier, Dortmunder, Maibock and the Doppelbock I'm drinking at this moment.

 

[JPourciau]

I've successfully brewed Munich Helles, Dortmunder Export, Maibock, Kölsch, and a raspberry Hefeweizen for SWMBO. I too enjoy German beer. I have an Alt kit waiting for my next brew day with plans for a Schwarzbier and Oktoberfest in the future.


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[Cyclman]

Triple decocted Maibock is on tap right now, fabulous. Have also made a dunkel doppelbock, double decocted and delicious, especially with dark chocolate sorbet.

 

[ArcaneXor]

There are so many fantastic German beer styles. Personally, I brew Koelsch and Berliner Weisse most often, but I am hoping to develop and fine time house recipes for Doppelbock and Munich Dunkel next year.

 

[beersk]

I really like Munich Helles, Pilsner, Dortmunder, Hefeweizen, Oktoberfest/Marzen/Vienna lager, and Schwarzbier the most. I brew a lot of those, or at least try to. Lagers take more time though and I don't have a lagering freezer, otherwise, 90% of beers I make would be lager. As it is now, I brew maybe 25 to 50% lagers. Been brewing a lot of hefeweizen this year, which is especially nice because it's a quick turn around beer.

 

[TimelessCynic]

I really like Munich Helles, Pilsner, Dortmunder, Hefeweizen, Oktoberfest/Marzen/Vienna lager, and Schwarzbier the most. I brew a lot of those, or at least try to. Lagers take more time though and I don't have a lagering freezer, otherwise, 90% of beers I make would be lager. As it is now, I brew maybe 25 to 50% lagers. Been brewing a lot of hefeweizen this year, which is especially nice because it's a quick turn around beer.

You gotta try wyeast 2565 kolsch. Pseudo lager. Grain to glass within 2 weeks. My new favorite yeast.


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[tberry]

Im going to brew a Hefeweizen this week and Im considering using either a single, double or trip decoction. Ive also read mixed review on the benefits and the need with todays grains. I have in my mind that I will get a more complex malt character but figured I would ask some German Beer experts. Any thoughts?

 

[TimelessCynic]

For sure more malt characteristics.

Just try a single decoction to start and assess. You will be VERY surprised at how much more complex of a malt profile your beers have.

128-132 F then bring up to 148-156F for your main mash temp.

There are good decoction calculators online and a good Wikipedia (if i remember correctly) page on decoction mashing with some graphs.


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[blizz81]

I have wanted to brew a doppelbock for a long time and feel now that we finally have a mash tun that holds temp, that when it gets a bit cooler for the lagerator, it will be time. Doppelbock and Marzen will likely be my go-to Deutsches brews. Have never done a decoction / step mash, figure I'll probably have to do it the water-addition way as opposed to counting on my RIMS (110v/1500W) to raise temp.

 

[beersk]

You gotta try wyeast 2565 kolsch. Pseudo lager. Grain to glass within 2 weeks. My new favorite yeast.


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Well, perhaps I will. Thanks for the suggestion.

I guess I didn't say why I like to brew the German beers I brew. Mainly because they're very sessionable and that's the kind of beer I like to brew. And many of them are more malt focused than hop forward. I tend to like balance more than anything and a lot of the German styles really have a nice balance. Plus, the malt character of German pils malt is just wonderful compared to any domestic malt.

 

[Darwin18]

Kolsch, Pilsners, Helles, etc. They're all great.

 

[brnooewb]

My faves are hefeweizen, dunkelweizen, a good pils, weizenbock, and rauchbier.
I have brewed the hefe's. I'm hoping to get set up to lager here soon so I can do a pilsner. And maybe in the future a rauchbier.


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[brewbama]

I love the German Alt. it is a complex tasty treat!


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[Qhrumphf]

I like em all, when they're well done. Unfortunately I lack a proper fermentation fridge and I'm not about to attempt a Swamp Cooler Pilsner. So lagers are off the table for my brewing for the time being.

But I think I brew a pretty good Hefe, Düsseldorf Alt, and Kölsch. My Weizenbock is pretty good too. As is my Berliner Weisse.

I've got a Gose and a Lichtenhainer on the brewing horizon, just haven't gotten to em yet.

 

[TimelessCynic]

I just grabbed a pack of wyeast 2487 hella bock yeast for a doppelbock i am going to make. Anyone ever use this yeast? Experiences?

Last time i used wyeast 2206 Bavarian lager yeast and it came out great. My LHBS was sold out so i had to make a substitute on the spot. Hope I won't be disappointed after aging for 6 months.


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