Flossmoor Station Brewery Black Wolf Schwarzbier

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.013 IBU = 30 SRM = 28 ABV = 5.5%

Ingredients

9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) Pilsner malt
11 oz. (0.32 kg) Munich malt (20 °L)
4.8 oz. (136 g) aromatic malt
11 oz. (312 g) Carafa II® malt
1.6 oz. (45 g) roasted barley
4.6 AAU German Perle hops (80 min.)
(0.6 oz./17 g of 7.7% alpha acids)
2 oz. (57 g) German Hallertau hops (10 min.)
White Lab WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or Saflager 34/70 yeast
3/4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Mash the Pilsner, Munich, and aromatic malts at 148–152 °F (64–67 °C) for 60 minutes. Add the Carafa II® and roasted barley to the mash just before sparging. (A decoction mash could and should be used if your system allows.) Sparge as normal, and bring the wort to a boil.

Boil for 90 minutes, adding the hops at the times indicated in the ingredients list. When the boil is complete, chill the wort down to pitching temperature, transfer to a fermenter, and pitch the yeast.

Start the fermentation at 70 °F (21 °C) and once initial fermentation starts, lower the temperature to the low 50’s °F (~11 °C). Ferment to final gravity at 52–54 °F (11–12 °C). Lager at 32–34 °F (0–2 °C) for 4–8 weeks. Then bottle or keg as usual.

Extract with grains option:
Reduce amount of Pilsner malt to 3 oz. (85 g). Add 2 lbs. (0.91 kg) of light dried malt extract and 4.25 lbs. (1.9 kg) light liquid malt (late addition). Steep the specialty grains at around 152 °F (67 °C in 2 gallon (3.8 L) of water in a large kitchen pot. Put the crushed grains in a large steeping bag and submerge bag in the kitchen pot for 30–45 minutes. At the end of the steep, remove the bag from the steeping pot and let drip dry for a minute or so. Add the “grain tea” to your brew pot and add the light liquid malt extract. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the hops at the times indicated in the ingredients list. With 15 minutes left in the boil, stir in the liquid malt extract. After the boil, cool the wort, top up with enough cool water to make 5 gallons (19 L), aerate, and pitch yeast. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.