Old School Dunkel

Old School Dunkel, all-grain recipe

(5 gallons/19 L)
OG = 1.054 (13.4°P)  FG = 1.014 (3.6°P)
IBU = 23  SRM = 20  ABV = 5.3%

Ingredients

11 lb. (5 kg) Durst or Weyermann Munich Malt (8 °L)
5 oz. (143 g) Weyermann Carafa® Special II (huskless) (430 °L)
4 AAU Hallertauer pellet hops (1 oz./28 g at 4% alpha acids) (60 min.)
2 AAU Hallertauer pellet hops (0.50 oz./14 g at 4% alpha acids) (20 min.)
White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager), Wyeast 2308 (Munich Lager) or Fermentis Saflager S-23 yeast

Step by Step

Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.5 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (a liquor-to-grist ratio of about 3:1 by weight) and a temperature of 154 °F (68 °C). Hold the mash at 154 °F (68 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring or with a recirculating mash system raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 5.9 gallons (22.3 L) and the gravity is 1.046 (11.44 °P).

Once the wort is boiling, add the bittering hops. The total wort boil time is 1 hour after adding the bittering hops. Add the flavor hops with 20 minutes left in the boil. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil. Chill the wort rapidly to 50 °F (10 °C), let the break material settle, rack to the fermenter, pitch the yeast and aerate.

Ferment around 50 °F (10 °C) until the yeast drops clear. With healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete in two weeks or less, but don’t rush it. If desired, perform a diacetyl rest during the last 1⁄3 of fermentation. Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2 to 2.5 volumes. A month or more of cold conditioning at near freezing temperatures will mellow some of the flavors. Serve at 43 to 46 °F (6 to 8 °C).

Old School Dunkel, extract with grains recipe

(5 gallons/19 L)
OG = 1.053 (13.3 °P)  FG = 1.014 (3.5 °P)
IBU = 23  SRM = 19  ABV = 5.3%

Ingredients

7.5 lb. (3.4 kg) Weyermann 100% Munich liquid malt extract
5.0 oz. (142 g) Weyermann Carafa® Special II (huskless) (430 °L)
4 AAU Hallertauer pellet hops (1 oz./28 g at 4% alpha acids) (60 min.)
2 AAU Hallertauer pellet hops (0.50 oz./14 g at 4% alpha acids) (20 min.)
White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager), Wyeast 2308 (Munich Lager) or Fermentis Saflager S-23 yeast.

Step by Step

Mill or coarsely crack the specialty malts. Mix them well and place loosely in a grain bag. Steep the bag in 1⁄2 gallon (~2 liters) of 170 °F (77 °C) water for about 30 minutes. Lift the grain bag out of the steeping liquid and rinse with warm water. Allow the bags to drip into the kettle (don’t squeeze) for a few minutes while you add the malt extract. Add enough water to the steeping liquor and malt extract to make a pre-boil volume of 5.9 gallons (22.3 L) and a gravity of 1.046 (11.35 °P). Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil. Once the wort is boiling, add the bittering hops. The total wort boil time is 1 hour after adding the bittering hops. Add the flavor hops with 20 minutes remaining and Irish moss or other kettle finings at 15 minutes. Chill the wort to 50 °F (10 °C), pitch the yeast and aerate thoroughly. Follow the remaining instructions for the all-grain version.

Extract Only: substitute the Weyermann Carafa® Special found in the extract with grains recipe with 2.5 oz. (71g) by weight of SINAMAR® extract.