Löwenbräu Dark clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains) OG = 1.055  FG = 1.013 IBU = 28  SRM = 31  ABV = 5.5%

Ingredients

18 oz. (0.51 kg) German caramel Munich malt
8 oz. (0.23 kg) German Munich malt
2.5 oz. (71 g) Carafa® III malt
1 oz. (28 g) Sinimar® extract
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Pilsen liquid malt extract
2.75 lbs. (1.3 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
5 AAU Northern Brewer (60 min.)(0.5 oz./14 g at 10% alpha acids)
3.2 AAU Tettnanger (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g of 4.3% alpha acid)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.) Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian Lager) or White Labs WLP820 (Oktoberfest Lager) or Mangrove Jack M76 (Bavarian Lager)
3/4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step

Bring one gallon (4 L) of water to 155 °F (68 °C), add crushed grain and hold for 30 minutes at 150 °F (66 °C). Strain the grain into the brewpot and wash the grains with one gallon (4 L) of 168 °F (76 °C) water. Add the dried malt extract and the liquid malt extract and stir until completely dissolved. Add the bittering hops and then bring the total volume in the brewpot to at least 3 gallons (11 L) or more.

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 5.25 gallons (20 L). Add yeast when wort has cooled to below 68 °F (20 °C). Oxygenate/aerate the wort well.

Ferment at 47 to 52 °F (8 to 11 °C) for 14 days, then rack into secondary (glass carboy) for and additional 2 weeks of aging. Bring the fermenter to 60 to 62 °F (16 to 17 °C) until target gravity has been reached and the beer has cleared (approximately 1 week). Then prime and bottle or keg and force carbonate.

All-grain option:

Replace the malt extracts with 10 lbs. (4.5 kg) German Pilsner malt. Mash the Pilsner malt and the specialty grains in 15 quarts of water at 150 °F (66 °C) for 90 minutes. Sparge with 5 gallons (19 L) of water at 168 °F (76 °C). The total boil time is approximately 90 minutes.