Article

Dark Lager

OG = 1.040 to 1.050 FG = 1.010
to 1.021 IBUs = 14 to 20
SRM = 10 to 20

The dark lager is a smooth, easy drinking beer. It is slightly sweeter than its pale cousins and has more body. Brilliantly clear with a deep copper to dark brown color, there is minimal, if any, roasted or chocolate character contributed by the dark grains.

Dark lagers retain their light taste with little malt or hop flavor or aroma. This style will erase any misconceptions about dark beer. It is lively and light and not too assertive. A dark lager is a perfect beer to introduce to a light beer drinker who doesn’t know the pleasures of dark beer.

This month’s recipe is our clone of Löwenbräu Premium Dark Original Munich Formula. In the Middle Ages, Bavarian brewers discovered that when they stored their beer in wooden casks in subterranean caves, the naturally occurring Bavarian yeast would continue to ferment the beer in near-freezing temperatures and then settle at the bottom of the vessel. This cool fermentation and storage produced a crystal clear, smooth beverage. Because the beer remained in the caves for a long time this beer was called “lagern,” which in German means “to store.”

Löwenbräu Dark has a dense head that sits on a rich, effervescent brown beer. The aroma is a pleasing mix of caramel malt with a slight hop nuance. Medium-bodied, this dark lager has a crisp, smooth mouthfeel. Löwenbräu finishes dry and doughy, with a mild residual sweetness. This beer is delicious fresh, so plan to drink it as soon as the lagering is complete.

Commercial Beers To Try

Many breweries make a dark version of their light lager. Classics to try are Michelob Dark, Abita Amber, Beck’s Dark and Saint Pauli Girl Dark. There should be little or no roast malt aroma and a light, flowery hop character. There may be some fruity aromas due to the yeast and/or hop variety used. The color should be copper to dark brown with bright clarity. Hop bitterness is very low to nonexistent with no diacetyl or fruitiness. Along with two- or six-row barley, dark lager can contain some adjuncts such as corn or rice.

HOPS, MALT and YEAST

Only bittering hops are commonly used in this style. Some of the more popular ones are Cluster, Chinook, Columbus, Northern Brewer and Tettnang.

The base grains that can be used are U.S. two- or six-row pale malt or pilsner malt. Munich malt can be used to achieve a slightly bready character. Cara-Munich or crystal malt can be added to impart a caramel flavor. Just a touch of chocolate malt can be used to achieve the dark color.

Many different lager yeasts can be used. Our favorites are Munich Lager (Wyeast 2308), Bavarian Lager (Wyeast 2206), German Lager (White Labs WLP830) or American Lager (Wyeast 2035 or White Labs WLP840). If cool lager temperatures (47° to 55° F) cannot be maintained, then California Lager (Wyeast 2112) yeast can be used. Ferment at 58° to 65° F.

Serving Suggestions

Serve at 48° F in a pilsner glass with grilled, medium-rare lamb chops smothered in a gravy made with dark lager, rosemary, wild mushrooms and shallots.

Accompany with whipped potatoes infused with garlic and lemon zest, and steamed baby spinach topped with feta cheese and Kalamata olives.

LÖWENBRÄU DARK CLONE

(5 gallons, extract with grains)
OG = 1.051 to 1.053 FG = 1.012
to 1.013 SRM = 31 IBUs = 28

Ingredients

18 oz. Belgian cara-Munich malt
8 oz. German Munich malt
2.5 oz. British chocolate malt
3.5 lbs. Bierkeller light malt extract syrup
3 lbs. Muntons extra light dry malt extract
5 AAUs Northern Brewer (0.50 oz. of 10% alpha acid) (bittering)
3.2 AAUs Tettnanger (0.75 oz. of 4.3% alpha acid) (bittering)
1 tsp. Irish moss
Munich Lager yeast (Wyeast 2308) or American Lager (White Labs WLP840)
1-1/4 cup Muntons extra light dry malt extract for priming

Step by step

Bring one gallon of water to 155° F, add crushed grain and hold for 30 minutes at 150° F. Strain the grain into the brewpot and sparge with one gallon of 168° F water. Add the dry malt, malt syrup and bittering hops. Bring the total volume in the brewpot to 2.5 gallons.

Boil for 45 minutes, then add the Irish moss. Boil for 15 minutes and remove the pot from the stove. Cool wort for 15 minutes in an ice bath or with a wort chiller. Strain into the primary fermenter and add water to obtain 5-1/8 gallons.

Add yeast when wort has cooled to below 80° F. Oxygenate-aerate well. Ferment at 47° to 52° F for 7 days, then rack into secondary (glass carboy). Ferment at 47° to 52° F for 4 weeks, then bring the fermenter to 60° to 62° F until target gravity has been reached and the beer has cleared (approximately 2 weeks). Then prime and bottle. Carbonate at 70° to 72° F for 2 to 3 weeks. Store at cellar temperature.

Partial-mash option: Mash 1.25 lbs. German two-row pilsner malt and the specialty grains in 1 gallon water at 150° F for 90 minutes. Sparge with 1.5 gallons water at a temperature of 168° F. Then follow the extract recipe, omitting 1.75 lbs. of Muntons extra light dry malt extract from the boil.

All-grain option: Mash 8.33 lbs. German two-row pilsner malt and the specialty grains in 2.5 gallons of water at 150° F for 90 minutes. Sparge with 5 gallons of water at 168° F. The total boil time is approximately 90 minutes.

Add 6.6 AAU of bittering hops for the last 60 minutes of the boil. Add the Irish moss as indicated by the extract recipe.

Issue: February 2001