BJCP Category 4A: Dark American Lager

[KingBrianI]

For some reason lately I've been craving American Lagers (partially due to the couple of threads people started expressing their enjoyment of these beers and partially due to me always developing the craving this time of year to coincide with watching football). Anyway, as I'm drinking these beers, I can't help but think what it would taste like if you took a beer like that (2-, or 6-row barley and ~20% rice or corn adjunct) but gave it a touch of color and caramel flavor with some crystal malt. I'd never heard of any such thing but thought it would be a great session beer. Crisp, refreshing, and with enough flavor to make it interesting. So I went to the guidelines to see if anything like that existed or if I had just imagined a new category. Much to my surprise, I found category 4A: Dark American Lager, and it explained exactly what I was looking for. It also said small amounts of darker malts could be used for color and a very subtle roasty flavors. So that got the wheels turning. Imagine a beer with maybe 75% 2-row, 20% flaked corn, and 5% crystal 40. Maybe a touch of carafe special to darken it up and give it a hint of cocoa flavor. Bittered to maybe 15 IBU and mashed at 148 or so for 90 minutes to get it as dry as possible. I'd probably only aim for 4.5% or so since it's meant to be a sessiony kind of beer. Why doesn't anyone brew these?

 

[jasonsbeer]

Sounds tasty. Sam Adam's Winter Lager would most likely fit into this category, although I could also see it as a specialty beer. It has a few spices in it.

 

[KellyK]

I'm uncertain what you mean by why doesn't anyone brew these? Breweries do make them, Dixie Blackend Voodoo and Shiner Bock are two widely available commercial examples of a Dark American Lager. I like Blackened Voodoo, although it tends to have fairly high level levels of diacytal in my most recent experiences with it. I'm not a personal fan of Shiner. There should be other examples listed in the guides as well if you want to go on a beer quest to try some.

On the homebrew scale, I think they're also fairly widely brewed, though probably not as frequently as Schwartzbier or Munich Dunkle, the other category 4 friends of Dark American Lager. I've judged this category several times in competition and have always had a decent smattering of all three sub styles in the category.

FYI: Winter lager is a spiced/christmas beer category 21B.

 

[Mongrel]

Try to get a hold of Full Sail's Session Black

 

[KingBrianI]

Kelly, sorry I wasn't clear. I meant it seemed like it was a category overlooked by homebrewers. I've never heard of anyone brewing one and glancing through the database there are no recipes either. I did see the list of commercial beers that fit the style in the guidelines and will be looking to try those I haven't had.

 

[Yooper]

Kelly, sorry I wasn't clear. I meant it seemed like it was a category overlooked by homebrewers. I've never heard of anyone brewing one and glancing through the database there are no recipes either. I did see the list of commercial beers that fit the style in the guidelines and will be looking to try those I haven't had.

I've never even considered them, to be honest. The few lagers I make tend to be "special" lagers. I make a maibock nearly every year, an oktoberfest, and then one other lager. This year it's a BoPils, but I did consider a blonde dopplebock like Capital Brewery's (out of Madison, WI) I even discussed a potential recipe for a blonde dopplebock with John Palmer last summer.

I'd consider a dark lager like a dopplebock or another bock beer, but I never even thought about an American Dark Lager! I don't know why, really, but it just doesn't sound that appealing to me. I'd rather have a dark ale with the more flavorful English yeast, I guess.

I'm not much of a fan of schwarzbier, either. I guess an American dark lager would be like an American version of schwarzbier? With the adjuncts and all?

 

[KingBrianI]

I guess an American dark lager would be like an American version of schwarzbier? With the adjuncts and all?

That's what I'm picturing. Something crisp and dry like an american premium lager but with a touch of caramel flavor (but no sweetness) and maybe a touch of some of the darker cocoa or roast flavors for a little complexity. I think it would make a great beer to enjoy while watching football.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

On a related note; I think category 3 should be stripped of the 'European' moniker and just be called 'Amber Lager' and have an American Amber Lager subcategory added. Beers like Brooklyn Lager and even Boston Lager (even though the hops don't come across as American) would be examples. Differences between it and Vienna Lager would be a little less body (maybe), more bitterness, more hop flavor, more hop aroma (American hops OK/good), and slightly higher gravity/ABV.

I occasionally brew American Amber Lagers and can never enter them because they don't fit into any style and would probably be 'overwhelmed' in category 23.

 

[christo65]

For kicks and giggles, here's my recipe that basically fits exactly what you are describing. It ended up with a nice roast/chocolate note from the carafa special.

Brewer: Christo
Beer: Mickey D's
Style: American Dark Lager
Type: All grain
Size: 5.5 gallons
Color: 37 HCU (~18 SRM)
Bitterness: 14 IBU
OG: 1.049
FG: 1.010
Alcohol: 4.8% v/v (3.9% w/w)

Grain:
6 lb. American 2-row
1.5 lb. American 6-row
6 oz. Carafa Special III
.5 lb. American crystal 60L
1 lb. Flaked corn

Mash: 78% efficiency

Boil: 75 minutes SG 1.041 6.5 gallons

Hops:
0.25 oz. Magnum (13.6% AA, 60 min.)
0.5 oz. Hallertauer (4.25% AA, 10 min.)

 

[motobrewer]

something like Berghoff Sundown Dark?

 

[KingBrianI]

That's very similar to what I had in my head. I'm curious what kind of character you're getting from the 6 oz of carafa? Does it come off as significantly roasty or just a hint of roast or more of a cocoa presence? That's the one part of the recipe I haven't really nailed down yet. My experience with dehusked malt is lacking.

 

[Malticulous]

Here is a simple one I have lagering. I bottled a few that didn't fit into secondary. They were spot on.

5.5 gallons, 1.057, Light Brown, ~18 IBU

6 lb Belgian Pilsner
3 lb rice (cereal mashed, that seems to get more flavor than just using minute rice)
1 lb Munich (8L)
3 oz Roasted Barley (added late in the mash)
90 minute mash at 149F

.75 oz Palisades added at 45 minutes in the 90 minute boil.

Wy2035

The imported base malts give it a good maltyness. The roasted barley gave plenty of color and little flavor. It's light and crisp yet malty and dark.

 

[christo65]

It is a medium roast note - carafa special to me is a light sweet chocolate type roast - there are no coffee or tar or nutty notes to it which is good as that would probably be too bittering in an American Lager. I think it stands out a bit in this recipe due to not much else there. Next time I make I may back it down to 4 oz. as it definitely was noticeable.

My Schwarzbier uses 1/2 lb with caramunich and 40% munich malt. It is a bigger beer overall and more flavorful but still quite refreshing. My Dark American was based on it, just trying to back down the overall "oomph", further lightening with the flaked corn.

 

[motobrewer]

what about using pilsner as a base?

 

[KingBrianI]

what about using pilsner as a base?

It would probably make a good beer but the guidelines for the style specify a 2-row or 6-row base. Having said that if it's not being entered into a competition who cares.

 

[motobrewer]

hm, i think i might do this:

8lb pilsner
1lb flaked corn
7oz carafa special III
1oz saaz at 60
.5oz saaz at 0

 

[motobrewer]

you know what? i think i might extract this

6lb northern brewer pilsner syrup
7oz carafa special III

hm, no adjuncts......ah well.

 

[KingBrianI]

you know what? i think i might extract this

6lb northern brewer pilsner syrup
7oz carafa special III

hm, no adjuncts......ah well.

You could go with rice syrup solids if you wanted to include some kind of adjunct.

 

[Malticulous]

The guidelines also mention Beck's Dark, Saint Pauli Girl Dark, Warsteiner Dunkel, and Heineken Dark Lager. Most of those probably use no corn and continental malts, most likely pilsner.

 

[motobrewer]

well i wasn't trying to stick to guidelines, i was intrigued by kingbrian's post and thought it would be interesting to brew a "CAP Dark". which probably would have to include some adjunct.

 

[motobrewer]

regarding my original 8lb pilsner 1lb corn recipe....

does pilsner have enough DP to convert the corn?

 

[rlynge]

I believe it does however I believe that you should give it more time with a longer rest. 90 minutes aught to do it.

 

[rlynge]

Here is a simple one I have lagering. I bottled a few that didn't fit into secondary. They were spot on.

5.5 gallons, 1.057, Light Brown, ~18 IBU

6 lb Belgian Pilsner
3 lb rice (cereal mashed, that seems to get more flavor than just using minute rice)
1 lb Munich (8L)
3 oz Roasted Barley (added late in the mash)
90 minute mash at 149F

.75 oz Palisades added at 45 minutes in the 90 minute boil.

Wy2035

The imported base malts give it a good maltyness. The roasted barley gave plenty of color and little flavor. It's light and crisp yet malty and dark.

I see you had some of this and it turned out well....what do you think about using a kolsch yeast with this?

 

[Malticulous]

I think Alt or American ale yeasts would do better. After lagering I thought it needed more hops. I'd put in a 1/2 oz of Tettnanger at five minutes. In spite of the guidelines I think it needs to be over 20 IBU and I think some listed there are.