Danish Farmhouse Ale - 2 recipes from 1868

[Protos]

Great thread, indeed!

just ask for some more recipes.

Please, please, please, a recipe for Bitterøl!
I brewed Wiibroe and Thor, but didn't dare yet to delve into the bretty realm of Gammeltøl (nowhere to get sweaty-horsey Bretts, have only cherry-ish which I think won't go well with the style).

To all interested in old Danish beers, look what I found in Ron Pattinson's blog.
Another example of a style hybrid: Germanic grist & hops fermented with English yeast in an English style.
1871 Carlsberg Mild
Will brew it soon.

UPD: Fixed the link

 

[Knox]

Please, please, please, a recipe for Bitterøl!
I brewed Wiibroe and Thor, but didn't dare yet to delve into the bretty realm of Gammeltøl (nowhere to get sweaty-horsey Bretts, have only cherry-ish which I think won't go well with the style).

If you want to make it more Oud Bruin, I think it would be fine. It is after all a farmhouse ale, so do as you please

BITTERØL
Sadly the author only provides a single recipe for this style of beer and little production information. It is the black sheep of sections in the book. But from what we get we can make a template for the style, which you can formulate your recipe around. Here is the description, translated.

Bitterøl is a dark ale with a powerful malty flavour and distinct bitterness. The normal Bitterøl had about the same original extract as Hvidtøl nr.1, but was more attenuated and therefore had a higher alcohol content [...]. The characteristics of Bitterøl is the darkbrown colour, made by using Hvidtmalt and a bit of roasted malt.

Before we go into the ingredient description lets tackle what is meant by the Original Extract as Hvidtøl nr. 1. In Denmark the categorisation for alcohol strength was always defined by taxation and the names of the categories provided. Think of them as the English and Scottish way of making a distinction between the same style of beer based on ABV. Adding to this confusion is the process of partigyling, which was an imported technique from the UK which all Danish Hvidtøl Breweries used to make the most out of their mash. So they would often start with one beer they were supposed to make and then write each subsequent beer afterwards they made in the same journal entry. But assuming you are not partigyling, the classifications for Bitterøl go as shown in the table below.

Name	Original Extract (in SG)	Final Extract (in SG)	ABV	Attenuation Rate
Dobbelt Bitterøl	1.055	1.017	5.0%	68.0%
Bitterøl nr. 1	1.048	1.017	4.1%	63.7%
Bitterøl nr. 2	1.036	1.012	3.2%	66.0%
Bitterøl nr. 3	1.028	1.010	2.4%	63.7%

These numbers are taken from my personal little collection of old documents copies and what is presented in the book.

MALTS
Traditionally a specific style of malt was used called Hvidtmalt (Lambic Style Malt, Wind Malt, or Air Dried Malt) for these Danish ales. If you are able to get your hand on it, try and make the beers with this type of malt. Sadly it is not produced here in Denmark any more, so Danish homebrewers have a hard time making these older style of beer.
As breweries got their hands on indirect wood ovens we begin to see darker malts take over in the production of ales in Denmark. In the beginning this was called Brunmalt (Brown Malt). Later as the brewers and maltsters became better at controlling the kilning it emerged as a Munich Malt with some extra toast to it.
Roasted barley or malt has always been part of the style. Mainly used to colour correct the beer.

From here you have two options for your malt bills. The Wind Malt Bill and the Pils-Munich Bill.
The Wind Malt Bill

• 96-97% Wind Malt.
• 3-4% Roasted Barley or Malt (800-1300 EBC).

The Pils-Munich Bill

• Up to 50% Pilsner.
• Up to 50% Munich Light (12-16 EBC).
• Up to 4% Roasted Barley or Malt (800-1300 EBC).

These malt bills will get you to around 40-48 EBC, all depending on the Roasted Malt and Munich malt you decide on. As a bonus and something worth trying out, is this third bill option.

The Brown Malt Bill

• Up to 45% Pilsner.
• Up to 45% Munich Light (12-16 EBC).
• Up to 33% Brown Malt (175-200 EBC).

HOPS
As with a lot of the other danish beers, low alpha acid hops are used. They are there to preserve the beer and provide bitterness, not for aroma and flavour. However, I think depending on your malt bill you should pick hops that can stand up to the malt. Just make sure they are following the characteristics described below.

• AA% of 4 or below.
• Average 5grs/l, adjust according to your AA%.
• Cold (Dry) hopping is appropiate.
• Floral, Herbal and Noble flavour and aroma is traditional.
• Stone Fruit, Apple and Pear flavour and aroma is appropiate.
• Citrus and Tropical flavour and aroma is inappropiate.

Some recommendations are Spalt, Saaz, Mittelfrueh, Hersbucker, Perle, Tettanger, Lublin, Novotomyskie, Bobek, Celeia, Styrian Golding, EKG and Fuggle.

YEAST
If you look back at the table, you will notice the low attenuation being a characteristic. Danes have always preferred sweeter beers with more of a mouthfeel. Therefore pick your favourite low attenuating ale yeast. Light esters and phenolics are appropiate.

Some recommendations are Wyeast 1318, Wyeast 1099, WLP023, WLP002 and Safale S-33.

BOOK RECIPE FOR 25 LITER DOBBELT BITTERØL FROM BRYGGERIET RABESHAVE, 1893
6.3kgs of Malt (Pils-Munich)
0.25kg of Roasted Barley
125grs of Hops + Handful for Cold Hopping (The handful should be around 1-2 gr / liter)
Original Gravity 1.055
Final Gravity 1.017-1.023

PROCESS
Luckily this beer is easy to brew, as Danish Hvidtøl Breweries tended to be more simplistic compared to the Danish "Bavarian" Breweries. This was often due to equipment and financial limitations which forced a different approach to making quality beer.

Mashing Schedule:

1. Infusion mash, higher end of the rest @ 65-67C for 60-90 mins.
2. Optional: mash out @ 75-78C for 10 mins.

You can easily do a standard 1 hour boil. The hopping schedule is simple as well:

1. 60-100% of the hops @ beginning of boil.
2. Optional: up to 5 grs of carragen moss @ 10 mins before boil end.
3. 0-40% of the hops @ flameout/hopstand/whirlpool.

Fermentation profile is as follows:

1. @ room temperature until fermentation has finished.
2. Cold Crash @ 4C for 3-6 days
3. If you are cold hopping and kegging, add it as you rack it into its serving vessel.
4. If you are cold hopping and bottling, add it while it fermentation is most active.

It is meant to be drank young, so no need to wait until clear.

 

[Protos]

What a great write up, Knox! So detailed and clear! Thank you a lot!
The recipe looks nice and easy to do.

Wind Malt... That sounds much like the malt which I malted last Summer for my Kveiks. It's, exactly, Air-Dried on the Wind, as they did on the roofs of their barns. I made a bit too much of it and I brew Kveiks rarely (just don't care for that peculiar Kveik-yeast twang), so this Bitterøl recipe seems like a perfect occasion to use it more often! The DIY malt came out quite decent: clean, grainy and grassy. Fermented with an English strain it will surely make a nice beer.
The Brown Malt option, however, sounds even more tempting. I just imagine what a treat it could be if 33% of that excellent Crisp Brown Malt was added into the grist.
Will think it over, which option to choose.

 

[Knox]

What a great write up, Knox! So detailed and clear! Thank you a lot!
The recipe looks nice and easy to do.

Wind Malt... That sounds much like the malt which I malted last Summer for my Kveiks. It's, exactly, Air-Dried on the Wind, as they did on the roofs of their barns. I made a bit too much of it and I brew Kveiks rarely (just don't care for that peculiar Kveik-yeast twang), so this Bitterøl recipe seems like a perfect occasion to use it more often! The DIY malt came out quite decent: clean, grainy and grassy. Fermented with an English strain it will surely make a nice beer.
The Brown Malt option, however, sounds even more tempting. I just imagine what a treat it could be if 33% of that excellent Crisp Brown Malt was added into the grist.
Will think it over, which option to choose.

Sorry for the late reply.
I would like to try malting myself, however I think my SO would be quite annoyed that my brewery ( *cough* our laundry room) floor would be covered in sprouting barley.

Regarding the brown malt bill, it would be experimental. I know that in the UK they had something called Diastatic Brown Malt, which I think this would be more akin to. Something I should have specified in my write up on second thought.

Tell us when you have decided )

 

[The_Antikveik]

Always nice to see some actual historically documented detail of brewing practices in Europe, rather than anecdotal tales steeped in mysterious beliefs. I was doing some literature research the other day and came across a preprint, waiting peer review, I think, that claimed kveik had been used in Norway for over 400 years. Knowing such claims (at least in a scientific journal) need to be supported with some credible evidence, my curiosity was excited enough to be drawn in to investigate the sources of evidence. Unfortunately, it referenced a non-science based blog

 

[Protos]

I won't say my sprouting barley took too much space. I put the grain to sprout onto damp cloth in several wooden crates, stacked one on another. The stack would perfectly fit into a laundry room (if I handn't a shed, which I have). I felt it would be easier to control the process if the grain was divided into several smaller batches. And it turned out correct. If I had all of it malted as a single batch, I'd definitely screw it.
What really took a lot of space though, was drying. I had to spread the malted grain all over the shed roof. The greatest problem turned out to be birds! Not so much for pecking the grain as for pooping on it. Found no mentions how to avoid that in any malting manuals available to me. I wonder, how did they counteract this problem in the glory days of old. Probably, in those simpler times they just didn't worry too much about that. I did worry, so had to discard some malt which had been pooped on. Next time I'll have to construct a scarecrow, probably

I deciced to go with the hybrid between the 1st and 3rd options: DIY Wind Malt plus some Crisp Brown Malt to get same colour (and better flavour) as I would get with adding Black Malt. Can't wait when my Fullers ESB finishes, to ferment Bitterøl on its (Lal London) cake!

UPD:
By the way, Knox, do you know what's the year for the Bitterøl recipe?
It's somehow missed in the citation, unlike with the three other recipes.

 

[Knox]

Always nice to see some actual historically documented detail of brewing practices in Europe, rather than anecdotal tales steeped in mysterious beliefs. I was doing some literature research the other day and came across a preprint, waiting peer review, I think, that claimed kveik had been used in Norway for over 400 years. Knowing such claims (at least in a scientific journal) need to be supported with some credible evidence, my curiosity was excited enough to be drawn in to investigate the sources of evidence. Unfortunately, it referenced a non-science based blog

In all honesty, I am also doing a bit of injustice with focusing so much on this one source. I would wish I had the cash to buy some of the more antique brewing manuals from 18XX to have more first hand sources. However, the few I could find in antique stores cost serious cash. So I am trying my best to go through thrift store book sections to see if I can find one of these valued boozy grails.

I won't say my sprouting barley took too much space. I put the grain to sprout onto damp cloth in several wooden crates, stacked one on another. The stack would perfectly fit into a laundry room (if I handn't a shed, which I have). I felt it would be easier to control the process if the grain was divided into several smaller batches. And it turned out correct. If I had all of it malted as a single batch, I'd definitely screw it.
What really took a lot of space though, was drying. I had to spread the malted grain all over the shed roof. The greatest problem turned out to be birds! Not so much for pecking the grain as for pooping on it. Found no mentions how to avoid that in any malting manuals available to me. I wonder, how did they counteract this problem in the glory days of old. Probably, in those simpler times they just didn't worry too much about that. I did worry, so had to discard some malt which had been pooped on. Next time I'll have to construct a scarecrow, probably

There is a museum near where I live that I believe has a reconstruction of a malt house. I plan on visiting and asking them if they have tried using it.
I don't think they put it onto the roof, but in an attic with plenty of air flow. Probably had blinders or a mesh to restrict bugs and birds spoiling the malt.

I deciced to go with the hybrid between the 1st and 3rd options: DIY Wind Malt plus some Crisp Brown Malt to get same colour (and better flavour) as I would get with adding Black Malt. Can't wait when my Fullers ESB finishes, to ferment Bitterøl on its (Lal London) cake!

UPD:
By the way, Knox, do you know what's the year for the Bitterøl recipe?
It's somehow missed in the citation, unlike with the three other recipes.

Sounds like a really good mix. I am sure the brown malt will shine in such a malt bill. I hope it will taste well!
I updated the recipe with the year.

 

[The_Antikveik]

In all honesty, I am also doing a bit of injustice with focusing so much on this one source. I would wish I had the cash to buy some of the more antique brewing manuals from 18XX to have more first hand sources. However, the few I could find in antique stores cost serious cash. So I am trying my best to go through thrift store book sections to see if I can find one of these valued boozy grails.



There is a museum near where I live that I believe has a reconstruction of a malt house. I plan on visiting and asking them if they have tried using it.
I don't think they put it onto the roof, but in an attic with plenty of air flow. Probably had blinders or a mesh to restrict bugs and birds spoiling the malt.


Sounds like a really good mix. I am sure the brown malt will shine in such a malt bill. I hope it will taste well!
I updated the recipe with the year.

Have you tried the national library archives in Copenhagen? Easier and a lot cheaper than buying old texts. I bet there’s a wealth of info to mine in those archives.

 

[Protos]

Yay! I got the DANSK ØL 1850-1950 book today! A trove of recipes! Lots of!
Two recipes I've already brewed from this book (thanking to Knox!) attracted me for being very traditional, but not exactly same as German or English. These beers will be a nice change of pace when I crave something new but don't want go extreme or exotic.
From the new recipes, Skibsøl impressed me the most so far. Now I know what I gonna brew after my Bitterøl and what I gonna use my surplus of Best Rauchmalz for!
The book is indeed very informative and beautifully illustrated. Of course, it's hard to read as I don't know Danish. My very basic Swedish skills help me to understand a bit more than I would have otherwise, but I see that Google Translate makes quite a decent job with the optically recognized text.

Thank you Knox for your help and for referencing the book! It's a must have in any library on traditional European brewing.

 

[Protos]

What a book! Many (if not most of) recipes require attenuation of 40% or lower, which seems to have been typical for Danish traditional brewing of the time. It wasn't just the yeast strain fermenting low, it's something they did with the casks (haven't translated that part yet). Even the author himself says he failed to recreate such a low attenuation and gives parallel suggestions (60-70% att.) for modern yeasts to each of those recipes.

I'm captivated with the idea of making a superlight (0.5%ABV) smoked ale of 22% attenuation (Skibsøl №2 of 1893: OG1.018 / FG1.014). Just wonder what flavour it may have. Time to experiment with super low attenuation. The book gives a suggestion to ferment with a real top-cropping yeast (Lal Verdant, why not) and skim the barms out 4-6 times per day. Will see.

 

[The_Antikveik]

I'd be interested in what was done to limit attenuation to 40%. I can't see any yeast willingly leaving that much sugar behind, assuming it was mostly fermentable.

The frequent skimming for the smoked superlight ale is probably to limit yeast/fermentation, to promote a 'stuck fermentation'. I guess the ale was consumed fairly quickly rather than being stored for any length of time. Being so light and nutritious it probably went off in no time; like genuine liquid bread, best consumed on the day!

 

[Miraculix]

I'd be interested in what was done to limit attenuation to 40%. I can't see any yeast willingly leaving that much sugar behind, assuming it was mostly fermentable.

The frequent skimming for the smoked superlight ale is probably to limit yeast/fermentation, to promote a 'stuck fermentation'. I guess the ale was consumed fairly quickly rather than being stored for any length of time. Being so light and nutritious it probably went off in no time; like genuine liquid bread, best consumed on the day!

There are yeasts that only ferment up to a real low amount of alcohol, but obviously, as soon as they give up, other yeasts take over and continue to ferment.

I'm also curious what they did to the barrels to stop the fermentation. My guess is also that they drank it rather quickly and that it was stored as cold as possible. Probably also more of a winter thing for them.

 

[Protos]

Yes, it's written those beers were meant to be consumed very fresh, ready in a week after the brewday. Very sweet and lightly hopped, they were indeed prone to spoiling. Although, I see there was a style where the spoilage was expected and valued: the Gammeltøl, which they added sugar to when drinking, to balance out lactic and acetic sourness.
I've read the cask part finally, what I understand is that they filled the fermentation cask in such a way that every time it was tapped the pressure extruded a part of yeast (so, the suggested barm skimming emulates this process in a way). It seems like a proper technique to stall fermentation, I wonder why S. Wrisberg (the author) himself didn't manage to recreate the super low attenuation. Need to try that myself. I like sweet beers, and I don't expect them to be cloying with such a low OG.

 

[monkeymath]

Based on what I've read, if you just take "any random yeast from the wild", then more likely than not it attenuates poorly and cannot deal with alcohol. Modern beer yeast is the result of a long history of selection by humans. And most strains that we use today derive from just a few common ancestors that were apparently shared and distributed.
So if there was a farmhouse brewing culture secluded from commercial/industrial operations, relying on their own yeasts, then I'd vaguely expect such poor attenuation. If lactobacillus gets in on the fun, which again: I would expect, and sours the wort early on, then that'll make it even harder for the yeast.

But I would like to emphasize my knowledge on yeast is practically negligible.

(And yes, I know Lambic is made from wild organisms and it's dry AF, but it takes several years and a rather elaborate process.)

 

[Protos]

Need to note, it's not really farmhouse practices that's described in the book. Rather it's full-fledged 19th century industry, before the advent of pilsners. Those beers in question were produced by breweries, not by homesteads.

 

[McMullan]

Ethanol production is a wild type trait for our favoured yeasts. It's of great ecological importance for yeast in that it gives them a competitive advantage in the wild. Even before commercial/industrial operations were engineered ethanol was always the desired product for brewers, for that 'spiritual high'. So I'd say Danish farmhouse brewers in the 19th century, and much before then, were more likely pitching effective brewer's yeast comparable to what we use today, as evidenced by the description of the superlight smoked ale. The challenge to produce a light nutritious ale seems to have been restraining what appear to have been highly active, top-cropping yeast.

Edit: Based on it actually being a 19th century industry (in 'rural' Denmark) we can assume, with even more confidence, they were pitching proper brewer's yeast, I'd say.

 

[Protos]

Yes, there's no doubts they used proper brewers yeast and not some other bugs to ferment their beers (though bugs, like Lactos, were sometimes also employed in addition). The author says those low-attenuating strains have long been lost and suggests the lowest-fermenting modern yeasts (WLP002, S-33 etc.) as substitutes.

 

[McMullan]

There are yeasts that only ferment up to a real low amount of alcohol, but obviously, as soon as they give up, other yeasts take over and continue to ferment.

The phrase 'wild yeast' often refers to mixed microbial communities in environmental samples, not necessarily just yeast as such. Compared with a well-pitched brewery fermentation, spontaneous fermentations are usually much slower processes, depending on what's being consumed as fermentable sugar source and what's consuming it. However, Saccharomyces species typically have quite high ethanol tolerances. Although it's true that in most cases ethanol levels in nature are low, about 0.5% or so, this has more to do with constraints on yeast cell density and limited access to sugars, e.g. in intact fruits, not low ethanol tolerance. Although fermentation of a brewer's barley wort is a controlled, artificial environment, in nature it isn't unusual to find patches of overripe fermenting fruit containing in excess of 8% ethanol. I doubt there's ever been a lack of decent fermentation yeasts, since the dawn of human civilisation.

 

[Miraculix]

The phrase 'wild yeast' often refers to mixed microbial communities in environmental samples, not necessarily just yeast as such. Compared with a well-pitched brewery fermentation, spontaneous fermentations are usually much slower processes, depending on what's being consumed as fermentable sugar source and what's consuming it. However, Saccharomyces species typically have quite high ethanol tolerances. Although it's true that in most cases ethanol levels in nature are low, about 0.5% or so, this has more to do with constraints on yeast cell density and limited access to sugars, e.g. in intact fruits, not low ethanol tolerance. Although fermentation of a brewer's barley wort is a controlled, artificial environment, in nature it isn't unusual to find patches of overripe fermenting fruit containing in excess of 8% ethanol. I doubt there's ever been a lack of decent fermentation yeasts, since the dawn of human civilisation.

Why did you quote me? I do not see a connection between the quoted text and your answer.

 

[McMullan]

Why did you quote me? I do not see a connection between the quoted text and your answer.

There are yeasts that only ferment up to a real low amount of alcohol

Probably something to do with that?

 

[ba-brewer]

Do I have some that I sent to @Protos earlier. They are the most interesting of them all. They are in Danish but in ( ) I provide some clarifying termology and suggestions for substitution. If you don't like what you see just tell me and I will add a few more in here for you and others to pick from.

25 LITER RABESHAVE LAGERØL
3,4 kg Toradet malt (two-row. You can sub it out with Pilsner malt.)
2,3 kg Seksradet malt (six-row. Note: This is a pretty special thing in Denmark, as 6-row is unavailable here for homebrewers, it is only used as feed barley for pigs here)
57 gram Humle (the hops refered to is either Saaz, Spalt or Mittelfrueh. Pick your favourite)
Original gravity 1055
Final gravity 1023 (high FG because it was probably transfered into a lagering vessel to carbonate)

25 LITER THOR LAGERØL
4,2 kg Lagermalt (lagermalt was a danish malt that is not made anymore. You can substutite it with a 50/50 of Light Munich and Pilsner malt)
0,4 kg Karamelmalt (Low-to-Mid colour caramel malt, pick your favourite really)
7,5 gram Farvemalt (a roasted malt or barley)
50 gram Humle (same as above)
Original gravity 1042
Final gravity until fermentation stops. (No final gravity was provided in the recipe)

25 LITER WIIBROE PILSNERØL
4,7 kg Pilsnermalt
120 gram Engelsk malt (this English malt is not disclosed, but it is very likely a brown malt or a dark caramel malt)
21 gram Hallertauer humle (Mittelfrueh specifically)
22 gram Ausha humle (this is a hop variety which is extinct and no information is provided by the author, but some literature refer to Ausha as a Danish variety bred from a British hop, so try use a UK hop)
Original gravity 1042
Final gravity 1015

PROCESS
A little note before the process description: Danish "Bavarian" (e.i. Lager) breweries did decoction mashing for their beers. However if you want to skip decoction I recommend adding 4-5% of Melanoidin Malt, to compensate.

Regarding mashing, you can decide on either doing a traditional decoction mash or a modern step mash. If you are trying to recreate these recipes I would not use a single infusion as it would be far from how most Lager and Pilsners are being brewed nowadays here in Denmark.
If you plan on decocting, follow your favourite decoction method (single, double or triple, all three have been used in Danish brewing). If it is your first time decocting I recommend reading Meanbrews Premium Czech Pilsner procedure on decocting. He explains it pretty well.
Mashing Schedule:

1. Optional: Acid Rest @ 40C for 40 mins.
2. Protein Rest @ 50C for 30 mins.
3. Alpha Rest @ 62-65C for 60 mins.
4. Mash out @ 72C for 15 mins.

In terms of boiling, traditionally it was a 2 hour boil, but you can easily do a standard 1 boil and adjust your hops to fit with the bitterness.
Hop Schedule:

1. Full Hop dose @ Beginning of boil.
2. For Wiibroe: Ausha Hops as Dry Hop.

Fermentation for Danish Lagers and Pilsners has changed a lot since its inception but I will provide the traditional schedule and vessels used. A fun note, I used finished my education at a large Danish Brewery (for Danish standards it was large) and they still fermented at the traditional temperatures even thou they had pressure vessels and modern yeast to work with. Just to show that breweries tend to be conservative in their production method and it was really cold in winter there!
Fermentation schedule:

1. Primary Fermentation @ 8-9C for 8-12 days or until fermentation is done.
2. Optional: Diacetyl Rest @ 14C for 2-3 days.
3. Cold Crash @ 4C for 2-4 days.
4. Rake into Lagering Vessel (to get it off the yeast).
5. Lagering Rest @ 4C for 3-5 months (taste along the way and begin to drink it when you think it is in its prime).

My recommendation here is to do a open fermentation. As it is the most traditional way and it is a fun thing to do. I love watching the krausen grow and smelling the fermentation. You can easily do this in a large soup pot that is 5l larger then your aimed batch size. You clean the soup pot with some lye or caustic soda followed with an acid rinse and a disinfectant at the very end.
Open vessel cleaning schedule:

1. Caustic Clean: Make a 1% solution of Lye or a 2% solution of Caustic Soda @ 80C and let it soak for 30 mins (In some countries Lye and Caustic Soda can be the same thing, but often Lye has some added chemicals that are more aggressive. 1% solution means 1ml to a 100ml. If you have a water boiler you can reach the 80C easily).
2. Rinse out with hot water.
3. Acid Clean: Make a 2% solution of your favourite Acid CIP product with cold water and let it soak for 20 mins (I use Distilled Vinegar, it is cheap and effective. However other ones on the market are Chemipro CIP, Five Star SaniClean, etc.).
4. Rinse out with cold water.
5. Soak with your favourite sanitiser product (StarSan, Oxi, etc.).
6. Optional: If your favourite sanitiser requires a rinse, do a rinse.

I hope this provides with a potential recipe, otherwise as written at the very top just ask for some more recipes.

Thanks again for the detailed reply and recipes.

I brewed the RABESHAVE LAGERØL yesterday. I went the melanoidin route but did do a stepped mash process starting with a protein rest. I had a good boil-off so my gravity was a bit high at 1056 but close enough. Color was a very light gold.

I will not do an open ferment but I will transfer the wort to a keg prior to final gravity to naturally carb while doing a diacetyl rest.

This was my grain bill for 4 US gal and 70%BHE, was suppose to be 1054 and ~20IBU
5lb Viking Pilsner
3lb Canada Malting 6row
6oz melanoidin malt
30gm hallertau MF 60min
WY2042 Danish Lager Yeast

 

[Protos]

Could be nice to compare our Lagerøls here after they're ready!

UPD: Ah, I see, we've brewed different Lagers: yours from Rabeshave and mine from Thor. Anyway, a nice idea to post here our results when we have them ready!

 

[Knox]

Thanks again for the detailed reply and recipes.

I brewed the RABESHAVE LAGERØL yesterday. I went the melanoidin route but did do a stepped mash process starting with a protein rest. I had a good boil-off so my gravity was a bit high at 1056 but close enough. Color was a very light gold.

I will not do an open ferment but I will transfer the wort to a keg prior to final gravity to naturally carb while doing a diacetyl rest.

This was my grain bill for 4 US gal and 70%BHE, was suppose to be 1054 and ~20IBU
5lb Viking Pilsner
3lb Canada Malting 6row
6oz melanoidin malt
30gm hallertau MF 60min
WY2042 Danish Lager Yeast
View attachment 757259

What a beautiful wort you have there! I really love the look of it.
I cannot wait to see tasting notes from all you guys.

I am happy to see the recipe notes were useful.
Sorry I haven't been on or replied lately, I have been at a brewer course, which I passed.

 

[ba-brewer]

What a beautiful wort you have there! I really love the look of it.
I cannot wait to see tasting notes from all you guys.

I am happy to see the recipe notes were useful.
Sorry I haven't been on or replied lately, I have been at a brewer course, which I passed.

Congratulation on your success passing the brewers course.

The beer got kegged on day 5 when it was at ~90% attenuated and has been spunding at 20psi for 6 days now. It is finally starting to slow so I will let it go a few more days before I lager it. Once I tap the keg in 6 or 8 weeks I will post a pic and comments.

I bought enough grain to do the RABESHAVE LAGERØL and THOR LAGERØL so I will be doing the Thor recipe soon while I still have fresh yeast from the first one.

 

[Protos]

Congratulations, Knox!

Meanwhile, my Thor Lager and Wiibroe Pilsner are lagering, and yesterday I brewed Vestindisk Skibsøl 1899 (Rauchmalz + MJ M10 Workhorse, never thought such a combination was ever possible!), and Dobbelt Bitterøl stands in line.
If I ever figure out how to gain a 20-40% attenuation (Lallemand says it's possible if I mash at 80-85°C, I struggle to believe that, but as long as that comes from no other than LALLEMAND, I gonna try), I'll brew Hvidtøl and the weaker Skibsøl from the book as well. This thread is definitely going to have a lot of new postings from us!

 

[J.Miller]

Thanks all, for a great thread!
I'm soon going to brew the Dobbelt Bitterøl, or another Bitterøl recipe provided. Any suggestions for a water chemistry profile? I plan on using RO water, or RO diluted well water from my home, and added minerals depending on the profile.
When I read this: "Danes have always preferred sweeter beers with more of a mouthfeel", I was convienced to do this. After all, I am part Danish!

 

[Knox]

Thanks all, for a great thread!
I'm soon going to brew the Dobbelt Bitterøl, or another Bitterøl recipe provided. Any suggestions for a water chemistry profile? I plan on using RO water, or RO diluted well water from my home, and added minerals depending on the profile.
When I read this: "Danes have always preferred sweeter beers with more of a mouthfeel", I was convienced to do this. After all, I am part Danish!

Danish water is famously chalky and minerally. Here is a table of an average Danish water composition. I sometime use my tap water here for brewing because we don't use chlorides in water treatment. It often makes for pretty hoppy and dry beers.

So I would recommend use a malty water profile, historically Danish brewers did a lot of tricks to get a favourable water profile.

 

[J.Miller]

Thank you Knox!

 

[Protos]

Great source, Knox, thanks!
J. Miller, when I was searching for water profiles for my Danish Beers, I found a great collection of water profiles from different countries at Brewer's Friend. I use one of the listed Copenhagen profiles.
It closely matches my own tap water profile without the need of adding any salts. I just boil it.

 

[J.Miller]

Thanks Protos, I didn't think to look at Brewer's Friend.