Oskar Blues Brewery’s Beerito clone
Inspired by the clean amber lagers of Mexico and melded with malt flavors in Munich dunkels, this lager shows off what a maltster can do, and packs it in an easy-drinking 4.5% beer. Beerito is all about a complexity of subtle flavor with underlying tones of chocolate, caramel, walnuts, and toasted grain.
Oskar Blues Brewery’s Beerito clone, All-Grain
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.045 FG = 1.012
IBU = 16 SRM = 12 ABV = 4.5%
Ingredients
6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Vienna malt (3 °L)
12.5 oz. (355 kg) North American 2-row pale malt (1.8 °L)
5.1 oz. (144 g) aromatic or dark Munich malt (20 °L)
4.4 oz. (126 g) Simpsons Premium English Caramalt (25 °L)
16.8 oz. (477 g) Carabelge® malt (12 °L)
8.9 oz. (251 g) melanoidin malt (25 °L)
0.95 oz. (27 g) Carafa® Special IIImalt (500 °L)
2.5 AAU French Aramis hops (55 min.) (0.37 oz./10.2 g at 6.7% alpha acids)
3 AAU French Aramis hops (10 min.) (0.45 oz./12.6 g at 6.7% alpha acids)
2.7 AAU Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops (0 min.) (0.61 oz./17 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
2 tsp. yeast nutrient (Servomyces recommended) (5 min.)
1⁄2 Whirlfloc tablet (5 min.)
Wyeast 2352 (Munich Lager II), White Labs WLP835 (German X Lager), or Mangrove Jack’s M76 (Bavarian Lager) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.3 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (2.7 L/kg) and a temperature of 152 °F (67 °C). Hold the mash at 152 °F (67 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Sparge slowly with 168 °F (75.5 °C) water, collecting 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) or wort.
Total boil time is 75 minutes. Add hops as indicated in the ingredient list and Whirlfloc and yeast nutrient with 5 minutes left in the boil. Give the wort a long stir after the boil is finished, add the last hop addition and let settle for 10 minutes.
Chill the wort to 50 °F (10 °C) and aerate thoroughly. Pitch rate is 1.5 million cells per mL per degree Plato. Begin fermentation at 53 °F (12 °C) and raise to 56 °F (13 °C) on day 4. At the end of fermentation, rack into a secondary and let rest 8 more days at 56 °F (13 °C). Lower temperature 5 °F (3 °C) every day until reaching 32 °F (0 °C). Lager at 32 °F (0 °C) for 1–2 weeks under pressure at 3–4 psi, or longer, to clarify. Once clear, rack and carbonate to around 2.55 volumes of CO2.
Oskar Blues Brewery’s Beerito clone, Partial Mash
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.045 FG = 1.012
IBU = 16 SRM = 12 ABV = 4.5%
Ingredients
4.4 lbs. (2 kg) GoldPils® Vienna liquid malt extract (3.5 °L)
12.5 oz. (355 kg) North American 2-row pale malt (1.8 °L)
5.1 oz. (144 g) aromatic or dark Munich malt (20 °L)
4.4 oz. (126 g) Simpsons Premium English Caramalt (25 °L)
16.8 oz. (477 g) Carabelge® malt (12 °L)
8.9 oz. (251 g) melanoidin malt (25 °L)
0.95 oz. (27 g) Carafa® Special IIImalt (500 °L)
2.5 AAU French Aramis hops (55 min.) (0.37 oz./10.2 g at 6.7% alpha acids)
3 AAU French Aramis hops (10 min.) (0.45 oz./12.6 g at 6.7% alpha acids)
2.7 AAU Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops (0 min.) (0.61 oz./17 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
2 tsp. yeast nutrient (Servomyces recommended) (5 min.)
1⁄2 Whirlfloc tablet (5 min.)
Wyeast 2352 (Munich Lager II), White Labs WLP835 (German X Lager), or Mangrove Jack’s M76 (Bavarian Lager) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Place the crushed 2-row pale, dark Munich, and melanoidin malts in one grain bag and the caramalt, Carabelge®, and Carafa® in a second bag. Heat one gallon (4 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C) then submerge the first grain bag in the water. Temperature should stabilize around 152 °F (67 °C). Hold the mash at that temperature for 45 minutes, then submerge the second bag of grains in the water. Hold for 15 minutes, then remove both grain bags and place in a colander. Slowly wash the grains with 1 gallon (4 L) hot water.
Stir in the liquid malt extract until dissolved. Top off kettle to 6 gallons (23 L) and boil for 60 minutes. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.
