Black lager with Munich malt

[Octavius]

We visited the Front Street Brewery in Wilmington, NC.

Usually I would go for an IPA but they had "Swamp Lager" (4% abv) on sale and it was black so I gave it a try. Man! It was so delicious I stuck with it for the rest of our stay.

The brewer says it is based on Caraphils and Dark Munich malts.

I'd really like to make an ale equivalent of this, using what I have to hand - Whitbread S04 yeast and Maris Otter grain. Yeah, it won't be the same, but hey, I am not exactly a connoisseur. I just want that roasted malt taste!

OK, so I need some advice on the quantities for a 5 gal brew.

Also the hops - I have Willamette, Columbus and Nugget. Which one, how much and when. Ha!

I would really appreciate any suggestions!

Cheers!

 

[chickypad]

Probably your best bet is to look for a low gravity porter recipe, and ferment cool to cut down on the esters from the English yeast. I don't think it'll be that close to a scwarzbier but it would at least be a lower ABV roasty beer that you can make with what you have.

 

[BigEd]

The brewer says it is based on Caraphils and Dark Munich malts.

I'd really like to make an ale equivalent of this, using what I have to hand - Whitbread S04 yeast and Maris Otter grain. Yeah, it won't be the same

No, it will be a porter. Add some chocolate malt and a little black patent or Carafa II along with a bit of crystal to your MO, ferment with the S04 and it will give you a nice English porter. Grab a pound of nice Munich malt with the dark to round things out. Very good but it isn't going to taste the same as a Dunkel, which is what the other beer is. The dark Munich provides most of the color there along with the deep, rich, malty signature flavor of the beer.

8 lbs Maris-Otter
.5 lb Crystal 55L
.75 lb Chocolate malt
.25 black patent or Carafa II
1 lb German dark Munich (Weyermann II or other)

.5 oz Nugget @ 60 min
1 oz Willamette @ 20 min