Brewing Clamper
Well-Known Member
For you Nor Cal'ers here, anyone have a recipe that would come close to this? I love this beer and I can safely say it's the SWMBO's favorite dark beer second only to Kostritzer. Thanks!
Moonlight's Death & Taxes
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I’ve had it a couple times and really enjoy it as well. Maybe something along the lines of Jamil's schwarzbier? With a small addition of roasted barley and/or chocolate malt to give it a bit more of a roasty edge than the usual carafa special German schwarzbiers. Good luck.
Edit: recipe - http://beerdujour.com/Recipes/Jamil/The_Jamil_Show_-_Schwarzbier.html
Edit: recipe - http://beerdujour.com/Recipes/Jamil/The_Jamil_Show_-_Schwarzbier.html
I agree - that beer's super good. You might just want to write to Moonlight and see what they say. It's a pretty small operation, I think, mostly one guy as far as I know. Let us know what you find out!
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Brewing Clamper
Well-Known Member
Lol! Funny you mention that, I just shot off an email to Brian. I met him over the Summer at the Northern California Homebrewers' Festival. He gave an awesome talk and passed around some of his new beer (stout...ish close to porter) that had no hops but redwood tips. It was pretty awesome. I'm not sure how, but after the talk I ended up chatting with him over a few pints and he gave me a Moonlight Brewing pint glass. We also have an acquaintance in common though I'm not sure if this is good or bad... hopefully he'll find the time to answer me... will keep posted...
Cool. Definitely let us know what you find! My favorite from him is the Twist of Fate. The website describes it as an Amber, but to me it tastes like a hoppier Bitter. They have it on handpump at Toronado ... served that way it's just plain awesome.
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Brewing Clamper
Well-Known Member
Wow, ok so he responded very quickly! He didn't give me a recipe, not that I expected one but he did say it was easy to make. I won't quote the email since I don't have his permission to do so. I will paraphrase:
Essentially it's a lager base with 10% dark malt blend to taste. He did mention black malt, choc malt, roasted barley & black barley. He says "moderate hopping rate" with horizon for bitter and perle & German spalt for finish. OG of P12.7º and ferment with lager yeast as low temp as it will allow to minimize esters.
That's pretty much all he said. I started working on a recipe and could use some opinions. Here's what I have so far:
Taxes & Death
4-C Schwarzbier (Black Beer)
Author: Omar González
Size: 5.0 gal
Efficiency: 70.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 171.6 kcal per 12.0 fl oz
Original Gravity: 1.052 (1.046 - 1.052)
|======================#=========|
Terminal Gravity: 1.013 (1.010 - 1.016)
|===============#================|
Color: 28.65 (17.0 - 30.0)
|======================#=========|
Alcohol: 5.07% (4.4% - 5.4%)
|==================#=============|
Bitterness: 30.9 (22.0 - 32.0)
|======================#=========|
Ingredients:
4.0 lb Pilsen Malt
6 lb Munich Malt
.5 lb Black Malt
.2 lb Black Barley
.2 lb Chocolate Malt
.2 lb Roasted Barley
.6 oz Horizon (12.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
.4 oz Perle (8.3%) - added during boil, boiled 5 min
.4 oz Spalt Spalter (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 5 min
Essentially it's a lager base with 10% dark malt blend to taste. He did mention black malt, choc malt, roasted barley & black barley. He says "moderate hopping rate" with horizon for bitter and perle & German spalt for finish. OG of P12.7º and ferment with lager yeast as low temp as it will allow to minimize esters.
That's pretty much all he said. I started working on a recipe and could use some opinions. Here's what I have so far:
Taxes & Death
4-C Schwarzbier (Black Beer)
Author: Omar González
Size: 5.0 gal
Efficiency: 70.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 171.6 kcal per 12.0 fl oz
Original Gravity: 1.052 (1.046 - 1.052)
|======================#=========|
Terminal Gravity: 1.013 (1.010 - 1.016)
|===============#================|
Color: 28.65 (17.0 - 30.0)
|======================#=========|
Alcohol: 5.07% (4.4% - 5.4%)
|==================#=============|
Bitterness: 30.9 (22.0 - 32.0)
|======================#=========|
Ingredients:
4.0 lb Pilsen Malt
6 lb Munich Malt
.5 lb Black Malt
.2 lb Black Barley
.2 lb Chocolate Malt
.2 lb Roasted Barley
.6 oz Horizon (12.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
.4 oz Perle (8.3%) - added during boil, boiled 5 min
.4 oz Spalt Spalter (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 5 min
drummstikk
Well-Known Member
Did you ever make this? How did it taste? My only comment (without having made anything yet!) is that D&T has such a smooth body -- I might guess there is a small wheat or oat addition.
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Brewing Clamper
Well-Known Member
I did make this. It lagered for about two months. It has too much of a roast to it so I might reduce the roasted barley. It has a noticeable coffee/chocolate finish. I has been getting better as it conditions in the frigo. I have a few batches ofother stuff to brew but I'll be brewing this again before the end of the summer. Wheat or oats, now that's an idea!
Nick916
Member
Anyone here had the Moonlight "Left for Dead" Sour Black? I had it about two weeks ago and it was excellent. I really want to try and make it but not sure where to start.
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Brewing Clamper
Well-Known Member
Nick916 said:
Wonder if it was a D&T gone bad..
Nick916
Member
Actually I'm wondering if it is basically "Death & Taxes" aged with some lacto yeast. It had similar body and similar taste up front. The "Left for Dead" wasn't quite as roasty as D & T. Try the left for dead if you get the chance.
Dunerunner
Well-Known Member
Why not ask Brian Hunt? Sonoma isn't that far away for you guys! They may be a spontaniously fermented version?
Nick916
Member
I thought about asking but wasn't sure if that was bad form. Do brewers give away their secrets that easy?
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Brewing Clamper
Well-Known Member
Nick916 said:
Some brewers do and some don't. Brian was very friendly and when I asked for help with a Homebrew version of D&T he sent me his grain bill & hops in no time. He's very Homebrew friendly...
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Brewing Clamper
Well-Known Member
OSBrain said:
No, not yet. This year was slow for my brewing. I'm hoping to ramp it up now that I'm working on a new system. I have at least three other brews t do before I put this back in rotation. I'll definitely do it in the next few months and keep updating.
Yeah, I thought it was meh. I got a lot of vinylish phenolics.
My uninformed stab at a D+T-like black lager that tasted GREAT at racking time, but caught a lacto-bug in the keg that I neglected to break down after I bought it went like this:
8lb 2-row
2lb US Munich 10L
10oz Carafa Special III
4oz Black Roasted Barley
Single infusion @153ºF
.66 oz Tradition @FWH, 15, and 5
WLP830 @50ºF
1.052 OG, 1.014 FG, 27 IBU by Rager
I'd brew it again just the same but with more emphasis on bittering based on the taste at racking. It was more chocolatey than D+T.
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