The Schwarzbier! Or, as it’s known in its homeland, the “black beer.” This nifty little brew hails from Germany, a place where they take their beer as seriously as a vegan takes their tofu. Now, “Schwarz” means black in German, and indeed, this beer is as black as my sense of humor on a Monday morning. I enjoy brewing this one because it’s like a wolf in sheep’s clothing – dark and intimidating on the outside, but a surprisingly smooth and quaffable lager underneath.
Ingredients
Alrighty, now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty:
- 6 lbs Pilsner malt extract
- 2 lbs Munich malt extract
- 1 lb black malt (for steeping)
- 1 lb chocolate malt (for steeping)
- 2 oz Hallertau hops (4.8% AA)
- 1 packet German lager yeast (Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager or similar)
- 3/4 cup of corn sugar for priming
- One muslin bag (not the kind you use for your nightly facial, please)
Instructions
- Start by heating 2.5 gallons of water in your brew kettle. Don’t be tempted to use it for a hot tub.
- While that’s heating up, put your crushed black and chocolate malts into that fancy muslin bag and tie it off.
- Steep the grains in the heated water at around 155°F for about 30 minutes. Imagine it as a cozy malt bath.
- Take out the grain bag and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Next, you’re going to want to remove from heat and stir in the Pilsner and Munich malt extracts. Do it slowly to avoid lumps, like adding sugar to your grandma’s iced tea.
- Bring it back to a boil and add your Hallertau hops, then simmer that lovely pot for 60 minutes.
- Cool your wort down and transfer it into your fermenter, topping up with water to reach 5 gallons.
- Add your yeast once the temperature has dropped to around 70°F and give it a good stir.
- Now, sit tight and let it ferment at 50°F for two weeks. After primary fermentation, raise the temperature to 55-60°F for a diacetyl rest of 48 hours.
- After this rest, lower the temperature to 35-40°F and leave it to lager for 4 weeks.
- Bottle it up with priming sugar and leave it for another 2 weeks before you get to crack one open.
Expected Stats
Here’s the stats you’d expect for our swanky Schwarzbier:
- Original Gravity (OG): 1.048 – 1.052
- Final Gravity (FG): 1.010 – 1.016
- Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 4.4 – 5.4%
- Bitterness (IBUs): 22 – 32
- Color (SRM): 17 – 30
The hallmark of Schwarzbier is the ability to balance the dark, roasty malts with a clean lager profile. The secret sauce is in the lagering. That cold, slow fermentation helps create a beer that’s smooth and mellow, like a teddy bear in a leather jacket. It keeps the yeast from creating too many fruity esters and spicy phenols that could overwhelm the malt flavors. As for the diacetyl rest, this helps to minimize any buttery flavors in the beer.
The chosen yeast, Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager, is a real gem. It’s a stalwart German strain that’s reliable, like a BMW. It’s perfect for Schwarzbier because it produces a clean, malty beer with minimal fruity and phenolic flavors. And it’s versatile enough to handle the cold lagering temperatures, just like a German in winter!
Schwarzbier is probably one of the oldest beer styles in the world, predating even your Uncle Bob! It can be traced back to medieval Germany, specifically the Thuringia and Saxony regions. Also, despite its dark color, Schwarzbier is actually fairly light in body, kind of like how despite its dark exterior, Batman is really just a philanthropist in a bat suit.
Craving for some commercial Schwarzbier? Well, you’re in luck! Try out Köstritzer Schwarzbier, Mönchshof Schwarzbier, or Einbecker Schwarzbier. They’re as good as it gets without a homebrew setup!
The end product of this Schwarzbier recipe will be a lager that’s black as night, but smooth and drinkable. You’ll taste a balance of roasty malts with a hint of chocolate and coffee, and a finish that’s crisp from the lager yeast. It’s a beer that’s well worth the wait and will only improve with a bit of aging. Heck, it’s like the George Clooney of beers – getting better with age!
So, grab your grains, hops, and yeast, and let’s get brewing. In a month or two, you’ll be sipping on a delicious, homemade Schwarzbier, that’ll make you shout “Prost!” from the rooftops!
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