Beer Style: Dark Lager Family
Weizen Trippelbock
Inspired by The Livery’s Trippel Weizenbock. Steve Berthel told us that, “Most lagers do not use black patent, chocolate, or roast barley in the recipes. I favor a two-hour boil with dark crystal malts to achieve the raisiny, toffee flavors.” He combines extra dark 155–165 °L English crystal malt with bready German base malts (malted wheat, Pilsner, Vienna, and dark Munich). Moderate hopping with Perle and Tettnang provide the balance. Mike’s second attempt to dial in this recipe is currently resting in a 5-gallon (19-L) malt whisky barrel from Balcones Distillery in Texas.
Devil’s Backbone Brewing Co.’s Morana clone
In December 2010, head brewer Jason Oliver of Devil’s Backbone Brewing Co. of Roseland, Virginia collaborated with Alistair Reece, homebrewer and beer blogger (http://www.fuggled.net/), on a traditional double-decocted tmavé. Reece penned the recipe and named the beer for the Slavic goddess of death and renewal. Oliver has won an astonishing amount of brewing medals and is a staunch proponent of decoction mashing (see inset), and Weyermann floor malted Bohemian Pilsner malt.
New Belgium Brewing Company: 1554 Black Lager clone
This unique dark lager uses a recipe that was destroyed by a flood in 1997 and the recreated by the researcher Phil Benstein and New Belgium Brewmaster Peter Bouckaert, based on ancient Belgian beer texts.
Weeping Radish Farm Brewery: Black Radish clone
This schwarzbier has the characteristic clean lager feel and features a mild hop bitterness with complementary roasted malt notes.
Great Northern Brewing Co.’s Fred’s Black Lager clone
According the The Great Northern’s website, “A dark beer with a soft bite, Fred’s is brewed using a special de-bittered dark malt, fermented cold & lagered at least 4 weeks. A smooth brew with light roastiness.”
Great Basin Brewing Co.’s Smoke Creek Rauchbier clone
A dark rauchbier brewed by Great Basin Brewing out of Sparks, Nevada which won gold medal at the 2006 GABF. If you don’t want to smoke your own malts, they can be purchased, but smoking your own malts can be a fun endeavor.
Flossmoor Station Brewery Black Wolf Schwarzbier clone
This German-style schwarzbier is a lovely dark brown color and features notes of toasted malt and coffee. A past GABF award winner.
Lakefront Brewery: Eastside Dark clone
This Bavarian dark lager is a blend of three specialty grains, creating a rich, smooth, dark beer that anyone can enjoy.
Old School Dunkel
Jamil Zainasheff provides readers with a classic recipe for German dunkel. Sometimes less is more in recipe development.
Schwarzviertler — A Shadowy Dunkel From A “Dark Block”
This article is about an unusual, very dark Bavarian dunkel called Schwarzviertler that I encountered during my peregrinations through the world of beer. It is made by Braumeister Cornelius Faust of Brauhaus
Munich Dunkel
In Munich they brew dunkel, which simply means “dark” in German. This recipe is for a dark, clean, malty lager that goes great with oompah bands and Bavarian pretzels.
Brauerei Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel Clone
The Ayinger brewery was established in 1878 and has been named one of the “Top Ten Breweries in the World” for four consecutive years at the World Beer Championships. The brewery lies some 15 miles outside of Munich, in a picturesque valley at the foot of the Alps, in the 1200-year-old village of Aying.
The trademark of the Aying beers is their incredible maltiness. This dunkel is a classic example of its style. It has a rich, chestnut-brown color with a creamy beige head. The aroma of warm, sweet malt has nuances of toffee. There is a big, round malt palate that ends with a hint of coffee and hops.
