Tag Archives: german ale

Alstadt Altbier 2.3

Posted on by
Reply

My Alstadt Altbier is one of my favorite recipes, and now we’re into the sixth iteration for this fall. I inevitably have some variation, but the core philosophy of Pilsner+Munich+Vienna at the core with a ~60L crystal/caramel malt of some sort to round out the profile (and a bit of Carafa Special II for color) has been consisten. The main difference from last batch is that I used all Caramunich I instead of a 50/50 mix of Caramel Munich 60L and Caramunich II. I also switched up the yeast a bit this time, because Lallemand’s Köln strain is no longer available.

Recipe Name

  • 6.5 lb. Viking Pilsner Zero malt
  • 1.5 lb. Munich malt (BestMalz)
  • 1.5 lb. Vienna malt (Weyermann)
  • 1 lb. Caramunich I (Weyermann)
  • 2 oz. Carafa Special II (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, added to mash
  • 2 oz. Spalt Spalter hop pellets (4.3% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Spalt Spalter hop pellets (4.3% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 1 pkg. Kaiser liquid yeast (Imperial G02)
  • 1 pkg. SafAle German Ale (Fermentis K-97)

Target Parameters

  • 60 minute infusion mash, 152°, full volume mash
  • 1.048 o.g., 1.011 f.g., 4.9% abv, 35 IBU, 13 SRM
  • Claremont tap water, adjusted with Campden tablet

Procedure

  • I made a 1L shaken-not-stirred vitality starter for the yeast (which had a package best-by date of January 2025). I used a can of starter propper with distilled water, started at 2:30 pm on brew day.
  • I heated 7.3 gallons of water to 157° and added the grains, letting it settle at 152° for 60 minutes, with recirculation. Unfortunately, I had mis-entered the strike water temperature, so I overshot the mash temperature by about 10 degrees. Once this was done, I raised the temperature to 168° for a 10 minute rest before removing the grains.
  • The mash yielded 6.5 gallons of runnings at at gravity of 1.040, for 65% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. Once the boil was done, I chilled to around 80° and then transferred to the fermenter for an overnight chill the rest of the way.
  • I brewed the beer on 30 August 2025. Starting gravity was 1.046.
  • The starter had minimal signs of life by the afternoon of 31 August 2025, so I pitched the starter as well as a packet of K-97. I fermented at 64°.
  • The fermentation kicked off vigorously within 12 hours.
  • I kegged the beer on 11 September 2025. It had a final gravity of 1.015, for 4.1% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Pours with a creamy ivory head of reasonable persistence. The beer itself is a deep amber, and brilliantly clear.
  • Aroma
    • Light caramel and malty aroma at a moderate level, with light toffee notes; no major yeast aroma. Slight herbal hop character.
  • Flavor
    • Medium malty and light caramel flavor. Medium high bitterness. Herbal and spicy hop character, at a moderate level.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Moderately light body, medium carbonation, slightly dry finish. The body is surprisingly thin.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This very is decent, but the body is a little lighter than usual, and the flavor seems thinner relative to my recollections and past notes. I might increase the mash temperature next time (but not as much as was here). This is not my best version of the beer! It’s odd that it feels so thing given the final gravity.
  • Overall
    • 6/10

Salty One Gose

Posted on by

I’ve never made a gose before! This confession is probably not terribly surprising for those who know my brewing preferences, because I find most sour beers a little too annoying to deal with. Kettle sours take time, and other sour processes are prone to contamination of subsequent batches in the same equipment. Plus, I find many sours just a little too sour to be drinkable beyond a half glass. That said, gose is only lightly tart and lower alcohol, which puts it into the space of beers I enjoy. I think the main thing deterring me from the style in the past was the annoyance of having to dial in the sourness without overshooting (undershooting?) the pH.

Then, I spotted a neat recipe in the January 2025 Zymurgy magazine–a brew called “Salty One Gose” that won gold in the European Sour Ale category at NHC 2024. Crafted by Jonathan Hernandez of Waterville, Maine, the beer drew my interest because it used kettle soured sauergut added to the main kettle in order to hit the perfect level of sourness. So, you’re essentially blending wort for a desired result.

I modified this beer only slightly from the original recipe. The published version was 6 gallons, so I reduced it towards a 5.25 gallon batch. I also adjusted the amount of pilsner malt required downwards, anticipating high efficiency (as is typical of my batches with minimal grain volumes). I used a mix of Viking and MCM malt, because I had a pound of the latter on-hand to use up. Finally, I used whole Saaz hop cones from South Dakota; hops are a minor consideration for this style, so I wasn’t too concerned about alpha level, aroma, or flavor.

Coriander choice took some thought–although I have it on-hand for cooking, it had been in the pantry for a few years, and I was worried about freshness. So, I ordered a small quantity online; the package didn’t document origin of the spice, but when I smelled the crushed seeds they had the fresh lemon quality I was looking for.

Recipe Name

  • 1 gallon sauergut (added to kettle at boil)
    • 1 lb. pilsen light DME (Briess)
    • 1 pkg. Wildbrew Sour Pitch (Lallemand)
  • 3.5 lb. white wheat malt (Briess)
  • 2.5 lb. pilsner zero malt (Viking)
  • 1 lb. pilsner malt (Montana Craft Malting)
  • 2 oz. rice hulls
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, added to mash
  • 1 oz. Saaz whole hops (est. 1.5% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 8 g. coriander seed, crushed, 10 minute boil
  • 13.1 g kosher salt, added at end of boil
  • 1 pkg. Köln Kölsch-style yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • Full volume mash with 5 minute rest at 131°, 40 minute rest at 147°, 30 minute rest at 161°, and 10 minute rest at 168°
  • 1.042 o.g., 1.007 f.g., 4.6% abv, 5 IBU, 3 SRM
  • Mash water adjusted to 37 ppm Ca, 20 ppm SO4, and 51 ppm Cl.

Procedure

  • Two days before the primary brew day (April 3), I measured out 1.1 gallons of RO water (4.164 kg), added 1 lb. of Briess pilsen light dry malt extract, 1.5 tsp. (7.5 mL) of 88% lactic acid, and then boiled this for 4 minutes. Next, I chilled the wort to 90°, before pitching the entire packet of the lacto culture.
  • I started the initial culture on the evening of 3 April 2025, kept a heating pad under it, and wrapped it in a blanket, to hold temperature at 85° to 90°.
  • By April 5, the pH looked to be around 3.2 or 3.3 as measured by pH strips. This was brew day!
  • I mashed in with 6.5 gallons of RO water and mineral adjustments, with 0.9 g gypsum and 2.6 g calcium chloride. I heated the strike water to 134°; once the grains were added, I held the temperature at 131° for 5 minutes, before heating to 147° for 40 minutes, raising to 161° for 30 minutes, and then mashing out at 168° for 10 minutes.
  • Because I had such a low volume of grains, I had exceptional mash efficiency at 1.034 with 6.9 gallons, for 89% mash efficiency.
  • As the main runnings were coming to a boil, I boiled the saurgut prepared earlier and added it to the kettle, getting a pre-boil gravity of 1.035.
  • I brought the kettle to a boil, adding hops, BrewTanB, coriander, and salt per the recipe. After a full 90 minute boil, I turned off the heat and chilled to 72° before transferring to the fermenter.
  • I chilled the wort to 64° in the fermenter, holding it at that temperature for initial fermentation.
  • I brewed the beer on 5 April 2025, and had a starting gravity of 1.043.
  • I kegged the beer on 18 May 2025, with closed transfer. Final gravity was 1.009, for 4.5% abv.
  • My tasting at the time of kegging showed it to be an exceptional beer–the coriander flavor and aroma were perfect, as was the salt balance. After the initial carbonation and tastes, I decided to up the carbonation to about 3.2 volumes.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • A light yellow, moderately hazy beer, pouring with a fluffy white head of excellent persistence; the head leaves lacing down the side of the glass.
  • Aroma
    • Bright, medium-light aroma of coriander and fresh sea breeze; a light bread dough aroma behind that
  • Flavor
    • Lightly and pleasantly tart; a light lemony coriander flavor alongside fresh sea breeze from the salt. “Doughy” malt flavor of medium intensity. Low bitterness, with no hop character to speak of.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Rounded mouthfeel, high level of carbonation, dry mouthfeel on the finish, medium-light body. Very drinkable and very refreshing!
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • Yes! This is an amazing beer and a solid first attempt at a gose. I had to adjust the carbonation upwards a bit, because it was a bit flabby on my first few pours, but once that was dialed in it notched the beer to perfection. The coriander and salt balance are spot-on, as is the level of tartness. I might use K-97 next time around, to retain the haze at a slightly higher level for longer, but this is just an awesome beer as is. I especially like the partial kettle sour method, so that I was able to hit a low level of acidity with minimal fuss.
  • Overall
    • 10/10

Snowdrop Kölsch 2025

Posted on by

This kölsch recipe is one of my favorites, and I have brewed it annually since 2023. The recipe is pretty dialed in, except for the fact that on this brew I misread it and added a half pound of Munich II when assembling my grain bill. Oops! I anticipated it would up the maltiness a bit in a way that’s outside the norm for this beer (and style), which was indeed the case.

My supply of Edelweiss hop blend (business closed) and Köln Kölsch-style yeast (discontinued by manufacturer) is dwindling. I need to start thinking about my next iteration of the recipe. The hops are manageable, but it still is a bummer that I don’t yet know of a good dry yeast alternative! K-97 takes waaaay too long to clear and has a vinous character I don’t quite care for in some cases.

Snowdrop Kölsch

  • 9.5 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 0.5 lb. Munich I malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 lb. Munich II malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB (mash)
  • 1 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 45 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 2 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 1 pkg. Köln Kölsch-style yeast (Lallemand)
  • 1 oz. Biofine Clear (added to keg)

Target Parameters

  • 1.048 s.g., 1.011 f.g., 25 IBU, 4 SRM, 4.9% abv
  • Full volume mash, 60 minute mash at 152°, 10 minute mash-out at 168°
  • RO water with added minerals to hit target of 50 ppm Ca, 5 ppm Mg, 6 ppm Na, 54 ppm SO4, 72 ppm Cl, 0 ppm HCO3, -38 ppm RA

Procedure

  • Starting with 7.25 gallons of RO water, I added 0.4 g of sea salt, 1.4 g of epsom salt, 1.7 g of gypsum, and 3.6 g of calcium chloride, in order to reach my target water parameters.
  • I heated the strike water to 158° before adding the BrewTanB, grains, and 1 tbs. of 10% phosphoric acid (for pH adjustment).
  • I held the mash at 152° (with recirculation) for 60 minutes, and then heated the mash to 168° for a 10 minute mash-out, before pulling the grains.
  • In total, I collected 6.6 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.041, for 68% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After 60 minutes, I chilled the wort to 66° and transferred to the fermenter. I pitched the yeast during the transfer.
  • During fermentation, I held the temperature at 62°.
  • I brewed this beer on 17 February 2025. Starting gravity was 1.049.
  • I kegged the beer on 9 March 2025, using a closed transfer. It was pretty hazy at this point in the sample glass and will likely take awhile to drop clear.
  • Final gravity was 1.011, for 5.0% abv.
  • I added BioFine Clear on 24 March 2025, and put the beer on tap on 26 March 2025. It was brilliantly clear by this point! I had overshot the carbonation a bit, so it took some time to work things down. I used the pressure release valve on the keg and also served without the gas line connected, which over the course of a few days got it closer to “pouring without a massive dose of foam.”

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Pours with a low yet very persistent white head. The beer itself is brilliantly clear and light yellow. This is probably the best looking kölsch I have ever made! The Biofine Clear definitely came through.
  • Aroma
    • Lightly fruity yeast character with a red apple quality. Low hop and malt character; slightly floral hops.
  • Flavor
    • Moderate level of maltiness and medium bitterness. Slightly fruity yeast character. The malt flavor is not quite as grainy as I personally would like in a kölsch–it’s more of a down-the-middle malty quality–but still nice. It’s a very drinkable beer!
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, medium-high carbonation, smooth finish, crisp.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a great recipe! The malt flavor is not quite as delicate as I would prefer (hence the 9/10 instead of 10/10), but that’s my fault for messing up the grist. I overcarbonated the beer just a little too, but that will amp down over time.
  • Overall
    • 9/10

Alstadt Altbier 2.2

Posted on by

I love it when I have honed a house recipe, and altbier is one of my annual favorites. This is largely similar to what I made previously; the 2024 version is my fifth brew of the recipe! Compared to last year, I altered the CaraMunich addition to include a blend of Caramel Munich 60L (Briess) and Caramunich II, versus just Caramunich I as I did last year. Because the 2023 version was a bit harsh on bitterness, I swapped out the Magnum hops and went with Spalt alone for the hop additions. Finally, I used a blend of K-97 and Köln dry yeasts; sadly, Köln’s days are numbered in my brewery, because it has been discontinued by Lallemand.

Alstadt Alt 2.2

  • 6.5 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 1.5 lb. Munich I malt (Weyermann)
  • 1.5 lb. Vienna malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 lb. Caramel Munich 60L (Briess)
  • 0.5 lb. Caramunich II malt (Weyermann)
  • 2 oz. Carafa Special I malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, added to mash
  • 2.0 oz. Spalt Spalter hop pellets (4.3% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1.0 oz. Spalt Spalter hop pellets (4.3% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 pkg. Köln Kölsch Style Ale Yeast (Lallemand)
  • 1 pkg. SafAle German Ale yeast K-97 (Fermentis)

Target Parameters

  • 1.048 s.g., 1.011 f.g., 4.9% abv, 35 IBU, 14 SRM
  • 60 minute infusion mash, full volume, 152°
  • Claremont tap water treated with Campden tablet

Procedure

  • I mashed in with 7.5 gallons of water at 157°, to hit a mash temperature of 152°. I added 4 mL of 88% lactic acid and held the mash here (with recirculation) for 60 minutes, before raising to 168° for the 10 minute mash-out.
  • After removing the grain basket, I had 6.5 gallons of wort with a gravity of 1.043, for an efficiency of 71%.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding malt and finings per the recipe. After the 60 minute boil, I chilled to 80° and transferred to the fermenter. I let it chill a bit down to 60° in the fermentation chamber, before pitching the yeast and setting the fermentation temperature to 64°. I ended up using a mix of yeast, because the K-97 was a year past expiration.
  • I brewed the beer on 11 August 2024, and it had a starting gravity of 1.051.
  • I let the beer free-rise to 66° on 22 August 2024, when I started fermenting a pale ale. Finally, I let the beer finish at ambient on 22 August, around 75° to 80°.
  • I kegged the beer on 23 August 2024, and it had a final gravity of 1.011. This works out to 5.3% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Deep copper color, very clear, with a fine and reasonably persistent ivory colored head.
  • Aroma
    • Bread crust malt aroma at the front, along with dark caramel. A slight touch of spicy hop aroma.
  • Flavor
    • Relatively bitter beer; malt flavor is of dark breadcrest and rich mattiness. I pick up some dried fruit character, from the malt/yeast interplay.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium body, medium carbonation, slightly dry finish.
  • Would I brew this again?
    • This remains a wonderful althier recipe, despite slight tweaks over the years. It took a bit of time to clear, but is now fantastic! I love this beer!
  • Overall
    • 10/10

Snowdrop Kölsch 2024

Posted on by

Kölsch is a simple style in so many ways, but a hard one to do well. After a few iterations, I perfected a recipe that works well for me. I first brewed Snowdrop Kölsch in 2023, and it’s a definite winner. I made a batch earlier this year, but it unfortunately (and frustratingly!) got infected, so I did a deep cleaning in the fermenters for my second attempt. This one succeeded!

Other than slight changes in malt brand (Rahr pilsner instead of Viking) and building up my water from scratch, this is identical to the 2023 edition of the recipe. There is no sense in messing with perfection! Sadly, Lallemand has discontinued their German ale yeast, so I will have to search for a different strain in future years. This is a shame, because I quite like it! I suppose it’s back to liquid yeast whenever my dry yeast supply runs out.

Snowdrop Kölsch

  • 9.5 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 0.5 lb. Munich I malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB (mash)
  • 1 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 45 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 1 pkg. Köln Kölsch-style yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.046 s.g., 1.010 f.g., 24 IBU, 4 SRM, 4.6% abv
  • Full volume mash, 60 minute mash at 152°, 10 minute mash-out at 168°
  • RO water with added minerals to hit target of 50 ppm Ca, 6 ppm Mg, 6 ppm Na, 54 ppm SO4, 72 ppm Cl, 0 ppm HCO3, -39 ppm RA

Procedure

  • Starting with 7.25 gallons of RO water, I added 0.4 g of sea salt, 1.4 g of epsom salt, 1.7 g of gypsum, and 3.6 g of calcium chloride, in order to reach my target water parameters. I heated the water to 157° before adding the grains and holding the mash at 152° (with recirculation) for 60 minutes. Next, I heated the mash to 168° for a 10 minute mash-out, before pulling the grains.
  • In total, I collected 6.6 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.041, for 73% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After 60 minutes, I chilled the wort to 78°, let it settle for a bit, and transferred to the fermenter. I chilled the wort to 60° in the fermentation chamber before pitching the yeast, and fermented at 64°.
  • I brewed this beer on 23 June 2024. Starting gravity was 1.048.
  • I kegged the beer on 12 July 2024, using a closed transfer.
  • Final gravity was 1.009, for 5.2% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Exceptionally clear, light yellow beer with somewhat persistent white head. It is pretty in the glass!
  • Aroma
    • Grainy sweet aroma, light fruity character. Very subtle floral hop note.
  • Flavor
    • Light malty character, medium-low bitterness. Slight fruitness, of the pear/apple variety (but not strictly apple; it has more depth than that!). Slight floral hop quality.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, smooth and pleasant finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a very good kölsch! I don’t know that it’s my best–the hop aroma is a little more subdued than last year’s version–but this one still hits the notes!
  • Overall
    • 9/10