Altbier Dusseldorf Alt

[chewyheel]

Recipe Type

All Grain

Yeast

Wyeast 1007 German Ale

Yeast Starter

1 Liter made out of 2 old packs

Batch Size (Gallons)

5.25

Original Gravity

10.049

Final Gravity

10.008

Boiling Time (Minutes)

80

IBU

41

Color

Deep Brown

Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)

7 days at 60 degrees

Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)

Cold conditioned for 2 weeks at 37 degrees

Tasting Notes

Crisp with smooth malt character up front, finishes semi dry and slightly bitter

Grain Bill
6 lbs German Bohemian Pilsner
3 lbs Munich Light
8 oz CaraMunich III 60L
4 oz Acidulated Malt
2 oz Blackprinz 500L

Mash
Single infusion mash at 150 degrees for 1 hour. Batch sparge with 170 degree water for 15 minutes. Collect approximately 6.5 gallons.

Boil & Hops
1 oz Saaz pellets 2.8% at 80 minutes
1 oz German Perle pellets 7.2% at 60 minutes
.5 oz Saaz pellets at 5 minutes

Additives
Whirfloc tab at 10 minutes
Yeast nutrient at 10 minutes

All water used was bottled spring water from Food Lion

Wyeast 1007, 1 liter starter. I highly recommend making a starter, especially if you are going to be fermenting on the cold side like I did at 60 degrees. Don't skip the cold conditioning either, it is worth the wait.

This beer is very smooth and has a great balance of malt and hops, this is probably my favorite style to make since it's not easy to find commercial brands domestically.

 

[jekeane]

I'm reading the altbier book right now. I'm looking forward to brewing one soon.

 

[catdaddy66]

My only attempt at a German altbier was awesome! Not as dark as this recipe, it came out very much like a California common with about ten more ibu's. It gets better with every serving. As a matter of fact, I need to put it in my pipeline very soon.

I need to do this one.

 

[Chillilight]

allow me to ask a question re: conditioning here. I am still in the learning phase. I am reading Greg Hughes book Home Brew Beer and am looking at the Düsseldorf Altbier recipe. One thing I am trying to understand is the CONDITIONING info (ie above speaks of 2 weeks cold 37 in secondary), the book mentions 7 weeks at 37. I bottle ... and the part that I am not understanding is .. do you bottle and let sit for 2 weeks at ie 64-68 for carbonation and then condition at said temps for several weeks or do cold condition first and then bottle?

 

[smata67]

allow me to ask a question re: conditioning here. I am still in the learning phase. I am reading Greg Hughes book Home Brew Beer and am looking at the Düsseldorf Altbier recipe. One thing I am trying to understand is the CONDITIONING info (ie above speaks of 2 weeks cold 37 in secondary), the book mentions 7 weeks at 37. I bottle ... and the part that I am not understanding is .. do you bottle and let sit for 2 weeks at ie 64-68 for carbonation and then condition at said temps for several weeks or do cold condition first and then bottle?

Following fermentation, you need to bottle and then let the bottles sit at room temperature for 3 weeks or so to carbonate. At that point, you can chill one of them to ensure proper carbonation. If too flat, wait another week or two and test again. Once carbonated, begin cold conditioning and then start drinking after 6 weeks or so. The longer you let sit cold, the better they become. I have some that have been cold conditioned for 6 months. They just get smoother with age.

 

[IslandLizard]

(ie above speaks of 2 weeks cold 37 in secondary)

I'd skip that secondary.
There's nothing they do that needs fixing and only cause problems, such as oxidation and infection. Let the beer be where it is, in your "primary" and only fermenter.

When bottling, rack to your bottling bucket containing your priming sugar, stir gently to make sure the priming sugar is well dispersed, and bottle.