Blue Stallion Brewing Co.
Dear Replicator,
I visited Lexington, Kentucky for a family wedding and was informed that Blue Stallion Brewing was a “must visit.” Popping into a local pizza spot I noticed Blue Stallion’s Dunkel on draft and was eager to give it a whirl. One sip and I knew why . . . crisp, clean, delicious, and easy-drinking. This was my go-to beer for the rest of the trip. Before long it was the exclusive sipper of our group of five, with the exception of when we went to the brewery proper and worked our way through their extensive tap list. So here I am back home and I can’t get that Munich dunkel out of my head. Can you work your magic?
Jeremy Bersano
St. Charles, Illinois
Reading a magazine dedicated to homebrewing, it’s refreshing to come across a successful pro brewer who got his start the old fashioned way — by homebrewing! JR Redmon may be the new Head Brewer at Lexington, Kentucky’s Blue Stallion Brewing Co., but his brewing history goes back to modest roots of stovetop brewing.
Roots In Homebrewing
“I was going to the University of Kentucky, majoring in agricultural economics,” said Redmon. “I hoped to work for a grain supply company or a hop yard. I serendipitously met a homebrewer, talked about brewing my own beer and eventually upgraded to a SABCO BrewMagic® system. My friend and I brewed 300 or so batches on that system, some of which have transcended to Blue Stallion Brewing.”
Redmon took on the hobby that would become his life for the next several years around the same time that the future owners of Blue Stallion Brewing Co. were formulating a brewery business plan. The Donnelly brothers, Kore, Xavier, and Zac, along with Nico Schulz and Jim Clemons, wanted to be part of a burgeoning Lexington craft beer scene. Each person brought unique attributes and ideas to the table, which are showcased in the brewery’s beers.
Enter Blue Stallion
Schulz’ German heritage is on display with the brewery’s core beers based on classic German styles such as hefeweizen, helles, and Pilsner. The Donnellys’ contributed a popular Irish red as well as its most popular beer, the Dunkel. Blue Stallion also brews popular American styles such as hazy IPAs and sours. Being located in Bourbon country, the brewery taps into a huge local resource, spent Bourbon barrels, used for aging some of the brewery’s finest offerings.
Blue Stallion’s name is an ode to its local roots. Central Kentucky is horse country, while the local college’s (University of Kentucky) main color is blue. Combining these two local references created a name that locals would easily embrace. Redmon’s addition to the team took an already popular and successful venture to yet another level.
“We focus on safety, quality, and efficiency,” said Redmon. “We went from owner-operated to manager-operated since I started here. My industrial engineering experience, especially my knowledge of lean manufacturing processes, helped me to have the autonomy I have now. That, and my time spent living in Germany, learning to understand and appreciate all that goes into some of the world’s greatest beers.” At Blue Stallion, the goal is to brew “boldly traditional craft beer.”
“When we brew the Dunkel, as well as our other German offerings, everything is done with the Reinheitsgebot (German purity law) in mind,” said Redmon.
Blue Stallion Dunkel
The mainstay of the Blue Stallion Brewing lineup is the extremely popular Dunkel. The 5.5% ABV, 25 IBU lager showcases rich, sweet aromas with bready flavors and a hint of caramel/toffee. At 18 SRM, the reddish-amber Munich dunkel is on the light side of the color spectrum (28 SRM is considered the high side), while containing all the flavor of darker versions of the style.
A base of Munich malts complemented by character malt additions of CaraMunich® III and CaraAmber® (which provide most of the color), are balanced with a light dosing of noble hops to create a true-to-style Munich dunkel. A touch of CaraFoam® and/or dextrine malt helps to provide head retention and the desired mouthfeel. Carbonating to 2.7 v/v gives the beer additional effervescence.
The area’s water plays a huge role in the finished product.
“People call our Dunkel one of Lexington’s best beers made,” said Redmon. “The reason is the water. We have a lot of limestone in the water. Calcium content is really high because of the limestone and that accentuates the caramel and toffee notes.”
Employing a single infusion mash, a 60-minute saccharification rest at 152 °F (67 °C) is followed by a 15-minute vorlauf before being transferred to the kettle for a 60-minute boil. After whirlpool, the beer is chilled and fermentation starts at 52 °F (11 °C). After a few days of high kräusen, the beer is allowed to rise one degree per day until it reaches 60 °F (16 °C). The temperature rise helps complete fermentation and doubles as a diacetyl rest.
Besides ensuring a proper pitch rate for lagers, Redmon encourages adding a second dose of oxygen 8–16 hours after knockout to ensure a complete fermentation.
The Dunkel is best served in an Oktoberfest-style half- or full-liter mug. The brewery’s in-house restaurant recommends a pairing with tomato bisque and grilled cheese or beef dishes, such as their popular beef crudo.
Blue Stallion Brewing Co.’s Dunkel clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.053 FG = 1.012
IBU = 25 SRM = 15 ABV = 5.4%
A single infusion-mashed Munich dunkel on the light side of the color spectrum with rich, sweet aroma notes, bready flavors, and a hint of caramel/toffee.
Ingredients
8.25 lbs. (3.7 kg) German Munich II malt (8 °L)
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) pale malt
14 oz. (397 g) CaraAmber® malt (26 °L)
14 oz. (397 g) CaraMunich® III malt (56 °L)
8 oz. (227 g) dextrin malt
4.9 AAU Hallertau Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.35 oz./10 g at 14% alpha acids)
2.1 AAU Hallertau Magnum hops (20 min.) (0.15 oz./4 g at 14% alpha acids)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops (0 min.)
SafLager W-34/70, Imperial Yeast L13 (Global), White Labs WLP830 (German Lager), Omega OYL114 (Bayern Lager), or Wyeast WY2124 (Bohemian Lager) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Build your water profile to an “amber balanced” one with a 75:60 ppm sulfate:chloride while also making sure your mash pH is between 5.2 and 5.4. Mill all the grain and add 3.2 gallons (12.2 L) of strike water to achieve a mash temperature of 152 °F (67 °C). Hold temperature for 60 minutes. Raise mash temperature to 168 °F (76 °C) for mashout, if possible. Then start a 15-minute vorlauf. Collect 5.7 gallons (21.6 L) of wort into your kettle. Bring wort to a boil and boil for 60 minutes, making the hop additions accordingly. Add any finings such as Irish moss, Whirlfloc®, or Koppakleer®, if desired, in the last 5–10 minutes of the boil.
At the end of the boil, whirlpool, then let settle for 15 minutes. Cool wort and send to your fermenter. Pitch more yeast (about double) than you would a traditional ale targeting about 1.5 million cells per mL degree Plato. Oxygenate thoroughly if using a liquid yeast strain. Ferment at 52 °F (11 °C) for the first two days and then slowly raise the temperature to 60 °F (16 °C).
After terminal gravity is reached and there is no presence of diacetyl, you may cool down to 52 °F (11 °C) . . . this is a good opportunity to harvest yeast to use again for another batch. If not harvesting, then cold crash down to 34 °F (1 °C) and hold for a minimum of 30 days. After approximately 30 days, remove all of the yeast from the bottom of the fermenter and add a clarifying agent such as Biofine® or gelatin. Let beer clarify for a few days then keg or bottle. Bottle with priming sugar or force carbonate the serving keg to 2.7 volumes of CO2.
Blue Stallion Brewing Co.’s Dunkel clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.053 FG = 1.012
IBU = 25 SRM = 15 ABV = 5.4%
Ingredients
4.4 lbs. (2 kg) Munich dried malt extract
6.6 oz. (187 g) extra light dried malt extract
14 oz. (397 g) CaraAmber® malt (26 °L)
14 oz. (397 g) CaraMunich® III malt (56 °L)
8 oz. (227 g) dextrin malt
4.9 AAU Hallertau Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.35 oz./10 g at 14% alpha acids)
2.1 AAU Hallertau Magnum hops (20 min.) (0.15 oz./4 g at 14% alpha acids)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops (0 min.)
SafLager W-34/70, Imperial Yeast L13 (Global), White Labs WLP830 (German Lager), Omega OYL114 (Bayern Lager), or Wyeast WY2124 (Bohemian Lager) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Since there won’t be any mashing, simply raise 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to a temperature somewhere around 150 °F (66 °C). A little higher or lower is fine. Put your CaraMunich®, CaraAmber®, and dextrin malts in a muslin bag and steep for 30 minutes. Remove the bag, letting the liquid drip without squeezing the bag. Next, remove the pot from the heat source, and slowly pour in about half of your total extract, stirring the entire time. Return to flame, raise to boil and boil for 60 minutes, adding hops as indicated. If you want to add a clarifier such as Whirlfloc® or Irish Moss, or a yeast nutrient, do it with 5–10 minutes left in the boil. Add the remaining extract with 5 minutes left in the boil, but be sure to take pot off the heat source, pour extract very slowly, and stir in. At the end of the boil, top up to 5.5 gallons (21 L). Follow the all-grain recipe for the fermentation and packaging instruction.
Tips For Success:
Water profile, mash temperature, oxygen additions, and aging are all keys in making a crisp and refreshing lager. Blue Stallion’s JR Redmon recommends a second dose of oxygen 8–16 hours after knockout to ensure a solid and full fermentation.
