Bamberger Hofbräu® Schwarzbier

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I enjoy some lager variety in my life, and dark lagers add a fun dimension to my brewing (and tasting). Although Munich dunkel has special place in my heart, schwarzbier is another great standby.

This time around, I followed the Bamberger Hofbräu® Schwarzbier recipe from the Dark Lagers book by Kraus-Weyermann and Dornbusch (you can also download a version on the Weyermann website). In terms of the grist, it’s probably closest to my Twisted Schwarzbier recipe, in that it uses primarily pilsner malt. However, rather than using just dark grains to produce the color, some Sinamar provides the final color adjustment. I have never used Sinamar before, so I was happy to have an excuse to explore this ingredient. My hop selection is very different from the original recipe (Magnum+Vanguard, vs. Perle+Spalter), but I am okay with that.

No Spaceballs jokes this time.

Bamberger Hofbrau Schwarzbier

  • 9 lb. Barke pilsner malt (Weyermann)
  • 1 lb. Munich II malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 lb. Carafa Special III malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 lb. Carapils malt malt (Briess)
  • 3 oz. acidulate malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.9 oz. (25.3 g) Sinamar extract (Weyermann), added at end of boil
  • 0.3 oz. Magnum hop pellets (16.5% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Vanguard hop pellets (6.5% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. Diamond lager yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.050 s.g., 1.011 f.g., 5.2% abv, 26 IBU, 21 SRM
  • Claremont tap water, with Campden tablet to remove chloramines
  • Full volume mash at 149° for 60 minutes and 10 minute mash-out at 168°

Procedure

  • I mashed in with 7 gallons of water at 155°, to hit 149°. I recirculated and held it at this temperature for 60 minutes, and then raised the mash to 168° for 10 minutes, before pulling the grains.
  • In total, I collected 6.1 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.045, for 68% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After a 60 minute boil, I turned off the heat and chilled down to 70° before transferring it to the fermenter. I chilled down to 49° in my fermentation chamber, before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed this beer on 31 December 2022, fermenting at 50°. Starting gravity was 1.051.
  • I pulled the beer to garage ambient temperatures (55° to 60°) after 1 week.
  • I kegged the beer on 20 February 2023. Final gravity was 1.014, for 72% attenuation and 4.9% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Deep, deep brown in appearance with a tan head; when you shine a light through it, it is very clear and dark brown with a reddish cast. The head is persistent, but not particularly fluffy.
  • Aroma
    • Malty, with a slight hint of dark chocolate.
  • Flavor
    • Rounded and bready yet highly drinkable maltiness, with a dark chocolate aspect. Yeast character is clean. Moderate bitterness that balances well against the malt.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, smooth and very slightly dry finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a really nice dark lager. It hits some nice malty notes, without being cloying or burnt-roasty. A little more head retention would be nice (hence my lower score), but even so I’m quite happy with this beer.
  • Overall
  • 8/10

Nut Nut Brown Ale

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I particularly enjoy dark English-style beers during the winter, and brown ale is a particularly nice style for my tastes. So, I put together a British Brown Ale recipe from an amalgamation of various online versions.

Nut Nut Brown Ale

  • 10 lb. Golden Promise malt (Simpsons)
  • 4 oz. crystal 75 malt (Bairds)
  • 4 oz. chocolate malt (Bairds)
  • 3 oz. Special B malt (Dingemans)
  • 1.25 oz. East Kent Goldings hop pellets (5.0% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.25 oz. Fuggles hop pellets (4.6% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 pkg. Windsor ale yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.047 o.g., 1.013 f.g., 4.5% alpha, 27 IBU, 17 SRM
  • Full volume mash at 156° for 60 minutes and 10 minute mash-out at 168°
  • Claremont tap water with Campden tablet

Procedure

  • I mashed in with 7 gallons of water at 162°, to hit a target mash temperature of 156°. I added 6 mL of 88% lactic acid to adjust the pH, at the start of the mash. After 60 minutes of recirculation, I increased the temperature to 168° and held it there for 10 minutes, before pulling the grains.
  • I collected 6.1 gallons of runnings at a gravity of 1.044, for 69% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the kettle to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After a 60 minute boil, I turned off the heat, chilled the wort, and transferred it to the fermenter.
  • I brewed this beer on 19 November 2022. It had a starting gravity of 1.049. I held the temperature at 68° for fermentation.
  • I kegged the beer on 10 December 2022. It had a final gravity of 1.025, for 3.1% abv. This was surprisingly low attenuation, which I attribute to the high mash temperature.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Deep cinnamon brown color with brilliant clarity; pours with a thin and persistent off-white head. Very pretty!
  • Aroma
    • Coffee and chocolate; light yeasty esters too; very pleasant.
  • Flavor
    • Cocoa and rich bread crust in the malt; moderate bitterness; slight yeasty esters again like in the aroma, with a very pleasant quality.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, smooth finish with a very very slightly dry quality.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • It’s not perhaps the most exciting style for me (relative to a porter or stout), but this is a super tasty beer that has come into its own. It’s interesting that it doesn’t taste nearly as thick as it should given the final gravity. The caramel qualities that this style is supposed to have aren’t terribly prominent, and the bread crust character is a bit off for the style also. This is a really interesting beer, but not to the literal BJCP standards. It would be a 10 on its own, but I gave it a 6 given the style considerations. It should probabkly have more caramel malts in the grist to hit the style marks.
  • Overall
    • 7/10

Tropical Dream IPA

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I crafted this recipe to be very tropical hop-forward, with Voss kveik to accentuate any citrus qualities. The kveik choice also let me not be so fussy about temperature; in the end, I’m not sure I’m 100% happy with that decision, but even so the beer is pretty darned good. The hops are amazing!

Tropical Dream IPA

  • 12 lb. 2-row malt (Rahr)
  • 0.5 lb. biscuit malt (Dingemans)
  • 5 oz. crystal 15 malt (Great Western)
  • 5 oz. corn sugar, added to boil
  • 1.15 oz. Magnum hop pellets (10.1% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1 tsp. BruTanB, 10 minute boil
  • Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Enigma hop pellets (19.2% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 1 oz. HBC 586 hop pellets (11.5% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 1 oz. Vic Secret hop pellets (18.4% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 1 pkg. Voss Kveik Ale Yeast (Lallemand)
  • 1 oz. Enigma hop pellets (19.2% alpha), dry hop in keg
  • 1 oz. HBC 586 hop pellets (11.5% alpha), dry hop in keg
  • 1 oz. Vic Secret hop pellets (18.4% alpha), dry hop in keg

Target Parameters

  • 1.060 s.g., 1.010 f.g., 6.6% abv, 67 IBU, 6 SRM
  • Full volume mash at 149° for 60 minutes and 10 minute mash-out at 168°
  • Claremont tap water with Campden tablet, adjusted to hit 113 Ca, 7 ppm Mg, 92 ppm Na, 194 ppm SO4, 110 ppm Cl, 156 ppm HCO3.

Procedure

  • I heated 7.25 gallons of water to 155°, and added the grains along with 8 mL of 88% lactic acid for pH adjustment. I maintained the mash at 149° for 60 minutes, with recirculation, and then raised the mash to 168° for 10 minutes.
  • In total, I collected 6.25 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.045, for only 60% mash efficiency. Awful! I’ve had major issues with my grain mill lately, and this was pretty much the last straw. I added a bit of DME to adjust things.
  • I added 7 g of gypsum to the boil, to hit my water target.
  • I brought the wort to a boil, adding the hops and finings per the recipe.
  • After a 60 minute boil, I chilled the wort slightly (down to around 195°), did the whirlpool, and then did the initial chilling of the wort. I finished the chill overnight at ambient, letting things settle down to around 68°.
  • I brewed this beer on 26 November 2022, pitched the yeast on 27 November 2022, and let the beer ferment at ambient. Starting gravity was 1.055.
  • I kegged the beer on 29 December 2022. Final gravity was 1.012, for 5.6% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • The beer pours relatively clear, with a light-gold appearance and a persistent white head. Overall, it’s a very pretty brew!
  • Aroma
  • Lots of hop aroma–guava, honeydew, and orange; very nice!
  • Flavor
    • The beer has a prominent pithy bitterness, with guava, melon, and bright citrus character. The malt is light, clean, and malty sweet. The yeast quality has a very slight bit of ester character; it’s not bad, but gives some kind of Belgian character to the brew. The yeast holds fairly well against the hops, but as an American IPA it would be better without the kveik.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, medium carbonation, dry finish with lingering bitterness.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • Yes, but I would likely do it without the kveik; perhaps swap in some American ale yeast instead? There is some type of ester in the background that keeps it from being truly clean. There are no off-flavors; just…something…that clashes a bit. The hop combination is fantastic, though!
  • Overall
    • 7/10

2022’s Homebrew Highlights

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The year of 2022 was a bit slower in terms of brewing than some years (22 batches versus 31 last year), because things were just plain hectic. The start of 2023 was even more hectic, hence the fact that it is February before I posted the review for 2022. Even so, I got in some nice brews last year. Here is a recap!

  • Favorite Batch
  • Least Favorite Batch
    • 2022 Orange Summer Wheat Ale. So much went wrong with this batch, and by the time I sampled it from the keg, it was pretty dismal. This was a failure of equipment and technique, not recipe.
  • Experimental Recipe with Most Potential
  • Amber Rye Ale. I had a ton of fun creating this recipe, and it turned out amazing, too! I’m definitely brewing it again.
  • Most Fun New Style/Recipe to Try
  • Big Surprise Belgian Pale Ale. I didn’t expect this one to turn out as well as it did.
  • Upcoming Beer With Most Potential
  • I brewed a schwarzbier at the end of December, and I’m hopeful for it.
  • Best Technique Added to Repertoire
  • Last year was a bit boring; I didn’t really add any new techniques. I suppose that’s OK; stick with what works!
  • Best Ingredient Added to Repertoire
  • Although I started with it in 2021, Diamond Lager yeast became my go-to for lagers in 2022. It’s such a great dry yeast — head and shoulders above dry versions of 34/70, which leave a bit of a tartness I don’t care for. It’s a staple of my brewing supplies now.
  • Favorite Book(s)
  • I didn’t have any new acquisitions that blew me away this year. The Dark Lagers book I received for Christmas 2021 has continued to be enjoyable, and The Fermentation Kitchen is excellent for brewing-adjacent projects. I did get the new Book of Hops — it’s very pretty and full of interesting tidbits, but is probably better suited for those earlier in their brewing journey, or general beer enthusiasts versus more advanced homebrewers.
  • Other Milestones
    • I made beer vinegar for the first time this year, and it was a fun (and tasty) effort. There will be more of this (and other fermentables) in 2023!
  • Overall Stats
    • I brewed 22 batches of beer in 2022, around 120 gallons.
    • IPAs were the major beer of 2022, with 5 batches out of 22. As a category, lagers were 6 out of the 22 batches. This isn’t too different from 2021.

Monks’ Fortitude Märzen

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I’ve never made a märzen before, and was intrigued by a recipe in the September 2022 issue of BYO, for Monks’ Fortitude Märzen (paywall). My version is virtually identical, other than using a different dry lager yeast.

Monks’ Fortitude Märzen

  • 8.5 lb. Vienna malt (Weyermann)
  • 3 lb. Munich II malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 lb. Carared (Weyermann)
  • 1 oz. Hersbrucker hop pellets (4.3% alpha), first wort hop and 75 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Hersbrucker hop pellets (4.3% alpha), 30 minute boil
  • 1 tsp. BruTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Hersbrucker hop pellets (4.3% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. Diamond Lager dry yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.055 o.g., 1.009 f.g., 6.1% abv, 24 IBU, 8 SRM
  • Full volume mash at 145° for 40 minutes, 156° for 40 minutes, and 10 minute mash-out at 168°
  • Claremont tap water, with Campden tablet

Procedure

  • I mashed in with 7.25 gallons of water at 145°, adding 7 mL of 88% lactic acid. I maintained temperature at 145° for 40 minutes, before stepping up to 156° for 40 minutes and then 168° for 10 minutes.
  • I collected 6.5 gallons of wort with a gravity of 1.046, for 67% mash efficiency.
  • I forgot to add the CaraRed (argh! too many distractions during my brew day) in the initial mash, but was able to steep it in hot wort for 20 minutes at the start of the boil. I then filtered out the grains and added the steeped liquid to the boiling wort. This should probably kick my efficiency up to around the target.
  • I added hops and finings per the recipe, boiling for a total of 75 minutes.
  • I hit a target gravity of 1.055, exactly on the nose. I chilled the beer
  • I brewed the beer on 8 October 2022, and chilled it overnight to 48°. The next morning, on 8 October 2022, I pitched the yeast.
  • I started fermentation at 48°, and let it free rise to 50° on the first day.
  • I brought the beer out to ambient on 12 November 2022, and let it sit at this temperature until kegging on 19 November 2022.
  • Final gravity was 1.012, for 5.7% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Brilliantly clear and light amber hue, with a persistent off-white head.
  • Aroma
    • Malty! There is also a slight bit of spicy hop character. Yeast profile is very clean.
  • Flavor
    • The beer has a rich malty character, with an off-dry finish and a bread-crust quality. Very drinkable! Bitterness is moderate, well matched with the maltiness.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium body, med\ium carbonation, smooth and off-dry finish.
  • Would I brew this again?
    • Yes! This is wonderfully drinkable and well attenuated, and a very nice lager. It’s a good version of this style.
  • Overall
    • 10/10