The Special Altbiers of Düsseldorf
It had been a long train ride and my friend, Jason Ledford (True Symmetry Brewing in Suisun, California) and I had just arrived in one of my favorite cities, Düsseldorf, Germany. We were tired and hungry. A short walk took us to Brauerei Schumacher and we were excited to see that we had stumbled onto their special Latzen release. We found a couple empty seats at a table and enjoyed a wonderful evening of Schweinshaxe (delicious, fall-off-the-bone pork knuckle with a fried, crispy skin) and their fabulous Latzenbier.
These days craft breweries around the world often have at least one special release every few months. In Düsseldorf, four of the five remaining classic altbier breweries have annual special releases that they have been celebrating for a long time: Füchschen, Schlüssel, Schumacher, and Uerige. These special beers are all bigger versions (5.5–6% ABV) of the delicious altbier that they brew and serve every day. The story goes that historically beers like this were created by brewers brewing a special batch and secretly sharing it with those in the know. In fact, the word “sticke” and “stike” are said to be derivations of the Plattdeutsch (or low German) word “stickum,” meaning “secretly.” Latzen, on the other hand, seems to be derived from the first brews of this beer being stored in the cellar “op de Latt,” or up on the racks.
After such a wonderful time at the Latzen release, I knew I had to be there for the other special releases and a plan was hatched to attend the Schumacher Latzen, Uerige Sticke, and Zum Schlüssel Stike releases in the fall of 2023.
I won’t say attending any one of these is difficult, but since the closest they are all ever scheduled to each other is about a month apart, it does take some planning, dedication, and an understanding spouse to attend all three. I did think about trying to add the fourth special release, Füchschen’s Weihnachtsbier (Christmas beer), but being in Düsseldorf on Christmas Eve will have to wait for a future adventure.
Each brewery’s taproom/restaurant is spectacular. Housed in old buildings, they feature lots of gorgeous wood, arched ceilings, and tile. Uerige, a favorite with many travelers, has a complex of smaller rooms with upturned barrels serving as tables. Each of these breweries has some outdoor space as well and during the special releases it can get crowded inside and out. However, this being a friendly and welcoming city, there always seems to be room to squeeze in a few more people. If you see some empty space at a table, just ask and the wonderful people of Düsseldorf will welcome you with a smile. Many of the tables will seat (or stand) eight or more people, so it makes sense to share. It is a wonderful way to meet new people. I have never been to one of these breweries without making new friends and during the special releases the crowds, the bands, and the wonderful beer make for an even more jovial atmosphere.
People frequently ask me which altbier is my favorite, which is hard to choose. I drink a lot of Schlüssel and Schumacher when I am there. If forced to pick one as the best, I would go with Schlüssel, although Schumacher is a very close second and has one of my favorite Köbes (traditional waiter), Fabio. Yet, Marlon at Schlüssel is excellent too. Of all the Köbesse in Germany, these two are the best, ensuring your glass is never empty, expertly timing the delivery of your next altbier just as you finish the last, and doing so with a great sense of humor. A great Köbes really adds to the experience, which is why I love both
Schlüssel and Schumacher.
Düsseldorf Altbier
Düsseldorf altbier is a well-balanced, lagered, top-fermented beer with a rich and complex malt character. The flavor and aroma often have bready, nutty, and caramel notes. A firm hop bitterness balances the malt and good examples range from balanced to firmly bitter. Even though some can be bitter, the hop character is never stronger than moderate. Altbier is more about the flavors of fermentation, malt character, and balance. It is never a very hop-forward beer, apart from the dry-hopped Uerige Sticke. In all cases, malt and fermentation character are the focus of this style. Fermentation is very clean for an open fermentation beer with some fruity notes. While it should have a medium body, the finish should still be more dry than sweet. As for the special release beers, they tend to be bigger with a touch more malt character than the everyday altbier. You might not think that a beer brewed with 1% more alcohol (6% versus 5% ABV) is a big deal, but that is 20% stronger than normal and can have quite an effect when it is so easy to drink.
Schlüssel Altbier, the most award-winning altbier in Düsseldorf, is chestnut brown at an SRM of 18 (35 EBC). The beautiful red highlights twinkle in the taproom lights under a tight, creamy white head. It has a nutty and bready malt character with some very slight caramel notes in the background. It is smooth and rich, yet finishes dry. Noble hops at 32 IBU balance out any residual malt sweetness and provide a lovely, delicate hop note in the finish. Fermentation is flawless, providing a clean, lager-like beer, but with the character and esters from open fermentation. At 5% ABV, it is easy to quickly consume liters of this beer before you realize it. Their Stike Altbier is similar to their everyday beer, but bigger, richer, and just a tiny bit sweeter up front, balanced by a higher 38 IBU. At 6% ABV, this beer is also flawlessly fermented, keeping the alcohol almost imperceptible.
Schumacher Altbier, the oldest altbier brewery in Düsseldorf, pours with a dense, creamy foam over the top of clear, deep golden-amber beer. Notes of caramel, toffee, bready malt, and noble hops predominate, with a clean character, but with yeast notes from the top fermentation done in open fermenters. They use a decoction mash and brew to 4.6% ABV and approximately 40 IBU, giving it a more bitter impression than the Schlüssel Altbier. Latzenbier, at 5.5% ABV, is a bit more malty than their everyday Altbier, yet still nicely balanced toward the bitter.
Uerige Altbier, dark amber with highlights of rosewood, has the distinction of being the most bitter of the group, but the overall impression is not wildly bitter, as some might lead you to think. It is just slightly more bitter than the Schumacher Altbier, yet the Schumacher Altbier tends to have a little more hop aroma and flavor. The use of a Caramalt seems to temper the reported 45–50 IBUs down to a more mellow overall balance. The initial impression is soft and sweet, followed by the bitterness. Notes of honey and biscuit are predominant, and a very slight roasted note can be found in the finish. Their Sticke Altbier at 6% is dry hopped, giving it the boldest nose of these three special altbiers. Uerige also brews a Doppelsticke 8.5% ABV version, which they export to the USA.
Carbonation on all Düsseldorf altbiers, although moderately high (around 2.8 volumes) in the barrel, ends up around 2.3 volumes of CO2 in the glass due to the aggressive gravity dispense and large foamy head. The result is a malt-forward beer with a creamy mouthfeel.
Altbier Brewing Process
The brewing of altbier at Schlüssel, Schumacher, and Uerige share many common processes. All use step mashing, but only Schumacher still uses decoction. The steps generally start with a protein rest. For example, Schlüssel starts at 133 °F (56 °C) and ends at 169 °F (76 °C) through several steps. The grist at Schlüssel is simply Pilsner and Carafa® Special II from Weyermann. Uerige uses Pilsner, Carafa® Special I, and caramel malt. Schumacher Assistant Brewmaster Christian Lastowski confirmed for me that they do not use any dark roasted malts. I believe they use only Pilsner and caramel malt.
After vorlauf, these brewers may lauter for an hour or more into the kettle and then boil for 50–70 minutes. Hop additions are traditional hops such as Hallertau Tradition, Perle, and Spalt done during the boil. The original gravity of the wort is around 1.046–1.050 SG (11.5–12.5 °P). The beer is cooled at Schumacher and Uerige using a coolship and what they call a “drip-cooler” (aka a Baudelot chiller) where the wort cascades down the outside of a series of horizontal pipes that have chilled water running through them. Uerige says their wort goes into fermentation at 68 °F (20 °C), while Schumacher says their fermentation is at 72 °F (22 °C). At Schlüssel, due to the space constraints of the building, they use a more modern plate chiller and can cool their wort down to 63 °F (17 °C) for fermentation. I do think this lower initial temperature is one of the factors that makes Schlüssel my favorite of the Düsseldorf altbiers.
All use open fermentation with their own strain of a top-fermenting yeast and get a new yeast pitch every 6–12 months. Fermentation in the open fermenters is quick and violent, producing a giant rocky head that lifts the braun hefe, or brown yeast, up to the top where it is either skimmed off or spills over the edge of the fermenter to a drain. Dirk Rouenhoff, Brewmaster at Schlüssel, points to removal of this type of trub as critical to getting a smoother bitterness in a higher IBU beer. If I were attempting to clone any of the great Düsseldorf altbiers, I would make sure I used open fermentation and skimmed off the braun hefe. At Schlüssel, they brew double batches to fill one of the 77-barrel (90-hL) fermenters, the first batch in tank at 63 °F (17 °C) and the second batch goes in warmer, matching the current fermentation temperature of the first batch. While the fermenters are usually located in the lower reaches of the buildings, where temperatures tend to be cooler, there is no temperature regulation on these open fermenters. Temperatures from fermentation can rise as high as 73 °F (23 °C) at Schlüssel. Fresh yeast for the next batch is skimmed off the top using a large perforated stainless paddle. The perforations allow any beer to run out of the yeast before it is moved to a stainless container for the next pitch. It is important to note that although the yeast used is Saccharomyces cerevisiae, they refer to their yeast and their beer as top-fermented, not as ale or lager. This is why you might find altbier referred to as using hybrid yeast or hybrid fermentation.
With healthy yeast, open fermentation, and no temperature regulation, the fermentation quickly reaches the stage where it is transferred to the maturation tanks. This usually happens within 2–3 days of filling the fermenter. In the case of Schlüssel, they transfer when the beer reaches 1.016 SG (4 °P). The still active yeast finishes fermentation in the sealed tank, naturally carbonating the beer. Due to the Reinheitsgebot Beer Purity Law of 1516, which they all adhere to, they are not allowed to force carbonate their beer. At Schlüssel, spunding the tank at 1.016 SG (4 °P) allows them to carbonate the beer to 5.5 g/L (2.8 volumes) of CO2. Rouenhoff, who is also a sommelier, says that without enough carbonation, the beer loses its signature creamy mouthfeel. Depending on the brewery, after 10–28 days of maturation and lagering at 32–39 °F (0–4 °C), they centrifuge and then filter the beer to brilliant clarity and a very smooth flavor.
From there, the beer is either sent to bottling, kegging for other local bars to serve, or put in special wooden barrels for serving in the brewery taproom. The wooden barrels are lined with Durolit, a food-safe polyamide-based plastic coating, so there is no flavor from the wood. However, the barrels do serve a purpose other than looking pretty on the bar. It is very important that they serve the beer at the right temperature, ideally 41–44 °F (5–7 °C), emptying each barrel before the beer becomes too warm. The thick wood of the barrels provides some insulation, keeping the beer from warming up too quickly. At Schlüssel, they have a rule that the 26.4-gallon (100-L) barrel must not be on the bar for more than one hour. When busy, they can dispense and serve one of these barrels within 17 minutes. It really is an impressive sight to see.
Brewing Your Own Altbier
If you are going to brew your own version of a special altbier, your recipe can be simple or complex. However, the key to brewing altbier is using the proper yeast and, if possible, using open fermentation. Keep in mind that all German beers are easy-drinking and even though you might want rich malt character, you want to keep the beer from being too full and rich. The best way to achieve that great German malt character is with high-quality, full-flavored base malts and excellent fermentation practices. The bulk of the grist should be a continental Pilsner malt. You can experiment with different color German caramel malts and percentages, but approximately 5% of a mid-color (40 to 80 °L) malt is plenty. If you need a little more color, a small portion of a huskless dark malt such Weyermann Carafa® Special or Briess Midnight Wheat adds color without adding roasty notes. Roast character should be avoided in altbier.
Extract-only brewers could use a Munich malt extract. Most Munich malt extract is a blend of Munich and Pilsner (or other pale malts) in different percentages and most blends are close enough for a decent altbier.
If you want to truly replicate these special beers, a step mash, with or without decoction, is needed. You will not get the color necessary without getting excellent utilization of the malts. If you find your color is lacking, you can make a tea with some Carafa® Special and use it to bring the color up. If you must use a single-infusion mash, target 148–154 °F (64–68 °C). Use higher mash temperatures for lower gravity beers and beers with fewer specialty grains, and a temperature on the lower end of the scale for higher gravity versions and ones with larger amounts of specialty grains.
Hop character should be minimal to moderate in altbier, and most examples have some subtle background noble hop character that comes across as peppery or floral. In general, most of the hops are for bittering, and then a moderate flavor hop addition during the last 15–20 minutes of the boil of ½ to 1 oz. (14 to 28 g) of noble hops for a 5-gallon (19-L) batch. Keep it subtle and use only classic German hops such as Spalt, Hallertau Tradition, Hallertau Mittelfrüh, and Perle. The balance of bittering versus malt sweetness can be even or firmly on the bitter side. The bitterness-to-starting gravity ratio (IBU divided by the decimal portion of the specific gravity) ranges from 0.6 to 1.1. I like to target around 0.9 for the brew day, because during the long lagering period after fermentation some of the bittering will settle out, leaving the beer less bitter than initially brewed.
Each of these brewers use open fermentation, which makes a significant difference in the finished beer. Getting the proper ester profile of altbier is tricky and this is the key. In the past I have used enclosed fermentation vessels for altbier. However, in my test brews for this article, I used an 8-gallon (30-L) food-grade, rectangular plastic bin without a lid. I used a frame of PVC piping to support some plastic sheeting about a foot above the bin, and this gave me room to scoop off the bits of braun hefe raised by the yeast. I used White Labs WLP036 Düsseldorf Alt for these tests and the results were excellent. I have tried lager yeast and clean American ale yeasts in the past, and the results have been very good. However, for great altbier your best choice is most likely White Labs WLP036 (Düsseldorf Alt), Wyeast 1007 (German Ale), or something similar. I pitch approximately 1 million cells/mL/°P, which is about 25% more than I do for most ales. I like to start fermentation cool, in the low 60s °F (17 °C) and then let the temperature ramp up toward the end of fermentation.
I prefer to wait until fermentation is complete, including any steps such as a diacetyl rest, before lowering the beer temperature. The yeast is far more active and able to reduce fermentation byproducts at higher temperatures. Once I am certain the yeast have completed every job needed, I use a period of cold storage near freezing. This time in storage allows very fine particulates to settle out and the beer flavors to mature.
Going to the Source
I urge you to go to the wonderful town of Düsseldorf to try authentic altbier for yourself. The rich history and the quality of the beer makes this an amazing destination for any beer geek. The friendliness of the people makes it even more memorable. You can easily visit the altbier breweries in town (Füchschen, Kürzer, Schlüssel, Schumacher, and Uerige) in an enjoyable afternoon/evening. Make sure to drink the beers at the breweries. As my friend Fabio says, “Beers are best experienced at the brewery.” No truer words have ever been spoken. If you are staying near the Hauptbahnhof (train station) or arriving on the train, it is a short walk from there to Schumacher. The Altstadt (old town) is another 15-minute walk from Schumacher. Once at the Altstadt, you can wander between Uerige, Schlüssel, Kurzer, and Füchschen easily. Take the clean and quick metro back to the train station. It is just a couple stops and a few Euros.
If you are in Germany and do not have a few hours to spend on trying the breweries in Düsseldorf, Dirk Rouenhoff, Brewmaster at Schlüssel, created Altbier United to promote all of the in-town altbier producers. You can find stores in and around Düsseldorf (one next to Uerige) that sell a gift pack with all five Altbiers along with a special altbier glass and tasting notes. You can also order online
for shipment within Germany at www.gutgebraut.de/
Clone Recipes
Schlüssel Stike clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.061 FG = 1.015
IBU = 38 SRM = 12 ABV = 6%
Ingredients
12.4 lbs. (5.6 kg) Pilsner malt
2.5 oz. (71 g) Weyermann Carafa® Special II malt
8.6 AAU Hallertau Tradition hops (30 min.) (1.3 oz./38 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
10 AAU Perle hops (30 min.) (1.3 oz./38 g at 7.5% alpha acids)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
White Labs WLP036 (Düsseldorf Alt), Wyeast 1007 (German Ale), or SafAle K-97 yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
I currently use all Weyermann malts for my German beers. Feel free to substitute any high-quality malt of the same type and color from a different supplier. However, it is critical that the Carafa® Special only be substituted with another dehusked malt. Otherwise, the beer will turn out roasty. The Düsseldorf brewers often use whole hops, but pellets are seen more often these days. Just make sure that the hops you use are German-grown varieties.
The water profile in Düsseldorf favors chloride-to-sulfate at 1.26-to-1 and is moderately hard. If your water is soft, a bit of gypsum and calcium chloride will help.
A step mash is standard for altbier. The step mash for this recipe starts at 133 °F (56 °C) and then progresses through 144 °F (62 °C), 158 °F (70 °C), and 169 °F (76 °C). Keep the first rest short, just long enough to see that you hit your strike temperature. Then rest 20 to 30 minutes each on the next two rests and finally rise to the mash out temperature. Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.75 gallons (25.5 L).
The total wort boil time is 90 minutes. Add the Hallertau and Perle hops with 30 minutes remaining in the boil. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil. Chill the wort to 63 °F (17 °C) and transfer to an open fermentation bucket or bin. Aerate thoroughly if using a liquid strain and then pitch the yeast.
The beer should warm with fermentation activity. If it appears to be fermenting too hot, above 73 °F (23 °C), you can move the fermentation to a cooler area. If fermentation seems sluggish at all after the first 24 hours, move fermentation to a warmer area. With healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete within a few days, but do not rush it.
If you wish to more closely mimic the real thing, you can rack the beer over to a keg with a spunding valve when it reaches 1.016 SG and let natural fermentation develop carbonation. Alternatively, ferment it out completely and then force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2.8 volumes. After a month or more of cold conditioning at near-freezing temperatures the beer should be ready to enjoy.
Extract with grains option: Replace the Pilsner malt with 7 lbs. (3.2 kg) of Pilsen dried malt extract. Begin by placing the crushed Carafa® malt in a muslin bag and steep it in 4 gallons (15 L) of water as it heats up to 170 °F (77 °C). Remove grains, allowing the liquid to drip back into the kettle. Remove from heat and stir in the dried malt extract. Stir until completely dissolved. Bring wort up to a boil and stir in the hops. Boil for 30 minutes.
After the boil is complete, chill to 63 °F (17 °C) and top up fermenter to 5.25 gallons (20 L) with water.
Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe for fermentation and packaging instructions.
Schumacher Latzenbier clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.013
IBU = 42 SRM = 7 ABV = 5.5%
Ingredients
10.5 lbs. (4.8 kg) Pilsner malt
12.5 oz. (354 g) Weyermann CaraMunich® Type I malt
5.6 AAU Hallertau Tradition hops (60 min.) (0.86 oz./24 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
3.2 AAU Perle hops (60 min.) (0.43 oz./12 g at 7.5% alpha acids)
4.3 AAU Spalt hops (20 min.) (0.86 oz./24 g at 5% alpha acids)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
White Labs WLP036 (Düsseldorf Alt), Wyeast 1007 (German Ale), or SafAle K-97 yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
I currently use all Weyermann malts for my German beers. Feel free to substitute any high-quality malt of the same type and color from a different supplier. The Düsseldorf brewers often use whole hops, but pellets are seen more often these days. Just make sure that the hops you use are German-grown varieties.
The water profile in Düsseldorf favors chloride-to-sulfate at 1.26-to-1 and is moderately hard. If your water is soft, a bit of gypsum and calcium chloride will help.
This beer should be made using a decoction mash. First infuse the mash at 133 °F (56 °C). Your first decoction should be approximately 4 quarts (3.8 L) of mash, boiled and returned to the mash tun for a rest temperature of 153 °F (67 °C). The second decoction would be approximately 5.5 quarts (5.2 L) to reach mash out at 169 °F (76 °C). Keep the initial infusion rest short, just long enough to see that you hit your strike temperature, then pull the first decoction. Then rest 40 minutes on the saccharification rest. Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.75 gallons (25.5 L).
The total wort boil time is 90 minutes. Add the Hallertau and Perle hops with 60 minutes remaining in the boil and the Spalt with 20 minutes remaining. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil. Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and transfer to an open fermentation bucket or bin. Aerate thoroughly if using a liquid strain and then pitch the yeast.
The beer should warm with fermentation activity. If it appears to be fermenting too hot, above 73 °F (23 °C), you can move the fermentation to a cooler area. If fermentation seems sluggish at all after the first 24 hours, move fermentation to a warmer area. With healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete within a few days, but do not rush it.
If you wish to more closely mimic the real thing, you can rack the beer over to a keg with a spunding valve when it reaches 1.016 SG and let natural fermentation develop carbonation. Alternatively, ferment it out completely and then force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2.8 volumes. After a month or more of cold conditioning at near-freezing temperatures the beer should be ready to enjoy.
Extract with grains option: Replace the Pilsner malt with 6 lbs. (2.7 kg) of Pilsen dried malt extract. Begin by placing the crushed CaraMunich® malt in a muslin bag and steep it in 4 gallons (15 L) of water as it heats up to 170 °F (77 °C). Remove grains, allowing the liquid to drip back into the kettle. Remove from heat and stir in the dried malt extract. Stir until completely dissolved. Bring wort up to a boil and add first hop addition. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the second hop addition with 20 minutes remaining.
After the boil is complete, chill to 68 °F (20 °C) and top up fermenter to 5.25 gallons (20 L) with water.
Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe for fermentation and packaging instructions.
Uerige Sticke clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.061 FG = 1.015
IBU = 64 SRM = 10 ABV = 6%
Ingredients
12 lbs. (5.4 kg) Pilsner malt
3.7 oz. (106 g) Weyermann CaraMunich® Type I malt
2.2 oz. (64 g) Weyermann Carafa® Special I malt
6.3 AAU Hallertau Tradition hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
4.4 AAU Perle hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 7.5% alpha acids)
9.7 AAU Spalt hops (20 min.) (2 oz./58 g at 5% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Spalt hops (dry hop)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
White Labs WLP036 (Düsseldorf Alt), Wyeast 1007 (German Ale), or SafAle K-97 yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
I currently use all Weyermann malts for my German beers. Feel free to substitute any high-quality malt of the same type and color from a different supplier. However, it is critical that the Carafa® Special only be substituted with another dehusked malt. Otherwise, the beer will turn out roasty. The Düsseldorf brewers often use whole hops, but pellets are seen more often these days. Just make sure that the hops you use are German-grown varieties.
The water profile in Düsseldorf favors chloride-to-sulfate at 1.26-to-1 and is moderately hard. If your water is soft, a bit of gypsum and calcium chloride will help.
A step mash is standard for altbier. The step mash for this recipe starts at 126 °F (52 °C) and then progresses through 144 °F (62 °C), 158 °F (70 °C), and 169 °F (76 °C). Keep the first rest short, just long enough to see that you hit your strike temperature. Then rest 20 to 30 minutes each on the next two rests and finally rise to the mash out temperature. Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.75 gallons (25.5 L).
The total wort boil time is 90 minutes. Add the Hallertau and Perle hops with 60 minutes remaining in the boil and the Spalt with 20 minutes remaining. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil. Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and transfer to an open fermentation bucket or bin. Aerate thoroughly if using a liquid strain and then pitch the yeast.
The beer should warm with fermentation activity. If it appears to be fermenting too hot, above 73 °F (23 °C), you can move the fermentation to a cooler area. If fermentation seems sluggish at all after the first 24 hours, move fermentation to a warmer area. With healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete within a few days, but do not rush it.
If you wish to more closely mimic the real thing, you can rack the beer over to a keg with a spunding valve when it reaches 1.016 SG and let natural fermentation develop carbonation. Alternatively, ferment it out completely and then force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2.8 volumes. After a month or more of cold conditioning at near-freezing temperatures the beer should be ready to enjoy.
Extract with grains option: Replace the Pilsner malt with 7 lbs. (3.2 kg) of Pilsen dried malt extract. Begin by placing the crushed CaraMunich® and Carafa® malts in a muslin bag and steep it in 4 gallons (15 L) of water as it heats up to 170 °F (77 °C). Remove grains, allowing the liquid to drip back into the kettle. Remove from heat and stir in the dried malt extract. Stir until completely dissolved. Bring wort up to a boil and add first hop addition. Boil for 60 minutes adding the second hop addition with 20 minutes remaining.
After the boil is complete, chill to 68 °F (20 °C) and top up fermenter to 5.25 gallons (20 L) with water.
Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe for fermentation and packaging instructions.
