Maple Amber Lager

All-Grain Recipe

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.044*  FG = 1.008
IBU = 23  SRM = 17  ABV = 5.8%
* Prior to maple syrup addition

Ingredients

6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Pilsner malt
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Munich malt
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) melanoidin malt 
4 oz. (113 g) crystal malt (60 °L)
4 oz. (113 g) chocolate wheat malt 
4 AAU Tettnanger hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4% alpha acids)
4 AAU Tettnanger hops (10 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4% alpha acids)
4 AAU Tettnanger hops (5 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4% alpha acids)
24 fl. oz. (700 mL) very dark maple syrup (secondary) 
Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager), White Labs WLP830 (German Lager), or
SafLager W-34/70 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Mash grains at 152 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge as normal and boil for 60 minutes adding hops according to ingredients list. Cool the wort to fermentation temperature and aerate the wort if using a liquid strain.

Ferment at lager temperatures, 50–54 °F (10–12 °C). When fermentation is complete, rack to a secondary vessel and add 24 fl. oz. (700 mL or 2.1 lbs./1 kg) maple syrup. After beer has completed secondary fermentation of maple syrup, lager for additional three weeks before packaging.

Extract With Grains Recipe

To brew this recipe using extract with grains, replace the Pilsner, Munich,
and melanoidin malts from the all-grain recipe with 3 lbs. (1.4 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract, 1 lb. (0.45 kg) Munich dried malt extract, and 4 oz. (113 g) Carapils® malt.

Place all the crushed grains in a large muslin bag and add to 4 gallons (15 L) of water. Turn on the heat and when the water reaches 170 °F (77 °C) remove the grains and allow them to drip back into the kettle. Turn off heat and add the malt extract. Stir until all the extract is dissolved then bring wort to a boil. Boil 60 minutes, adding hops as indicated. Cool the wort to fermentation temperature, top up to 5 gallons (19 L) and aerate the wort if using a liquid strain. 

Follow the remainder of the instructions in the all-grain recipe.