dark lager suggestions?

[dragonphoenix73]

Does anyone have any recipes or ideas about brewing a dark lager?

I'm thinking of doing something along these lines next. Looking for a crisp, bitter taste (one for the summer months), with the added bonus of being dark, and not pale or golden.

cheers!

[wildschwein]

Here's some methodology. Just do a regular lager and add a 100-200g steep of cracked chocolate malt. Also replace some, or all, of the malt extract fermentable bill with dark malt extract.

[earle]

Just posted this as a response to another thread. I'll have to learn how to post links.

Morgans Blue mountain Lager
Morgans MB choc malt
1kg Coopers BE1
Hersburker dry hop
Saflager yeast

Result was IMHO a really nice dark lager, maybe marzen or bock in style. Due to the choc malt it had more character. Probably not a true lager due to my temps but definitely different to my ales. The darker malt helps cover up other shortcomings of a lager so makes it easier to brew but I think it adds more character anyway. I like it.

Earle

[James L]

I used a muntons export lager (1.7kg), 1kg of dark dry malt extract, and about 100-200g of the chocolate grain, with a little dextrose (500g) to boost the alcohol a touch... or alternatively you could use all malt, and it ends up very nice.... also i add about 10-15g of saaz hops too (if you feel like a german style dark lager).

Ends up at about 6%

Just remember not to boil the grains or you'll get that grainy bitter taste from the tannins. unfortunately it was my first attempt at using specialty grain in my brew, so i have a hint of the bitter grainy flavour, but its a good beer none the less

James

[rwh]

Artisanale Dunkel

1 artisanale fresh wort kit number 1
200g Vienna malt
200g Munich malt
100g Carafa Special 1 malt

Heat 1.5 litres of water in a saucepan to 72 degrees. Mill/Crush 200 g Vienna malt, 200 g Munich malt and 100 g Carafa Special 1 and place into a grain bag and put into the water. Put the lid on and leave to soak for 20 minutes (this is a mini mash, so should be kept as close to 66°C as possible).

Lift the grain bag out and squeeze between a pair of tongs or plates. Add water to make a total of 6 litres. Bring to boil and boil with lid on for 10 minutes. Turn heat off, add 10g Hallertau hops. Put the lid on the saucepan. Leave to soak for 1 minute. Cool in a sink filled with cold water before adding to the fermenter and pitching yeast. Allow to drop to under 15 degrees and proceed with fermentation as usual. The Dunkel will have an OG of 1050 and an IBU of 26.

[dragonphoenix73]

Thanks all,

I've never used the fresh wort - I presume thats the G&G fresh wort....?

Is there Hops already in the artisanale wort?! And at what poin do you add the fresh wort?

Actually I feel rather embarrassed that I didn't think about the obvious insofar as making a dark lager is concerned.... dark malt extract.... LOL.....

I'd say german hops would definitely be the order of the day.

Further on all this, I tried my first urquell this evening, and I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it was very nice, and definitely one of the better pilseners I've tasted, but I was expecting something orgasmic given the wrap it gets. To be honest, I thought Matilda Bay's Bohemian Pils is the nicest I've had, followed by JS.... maybe its the local water.... (Perth?)

I'm quite pleased with the Pils I made using Morgans golden saaz kit. It tastes like a pilsener, looks like a pilsener, smells like a pilsener..... I'd say therefore that it is a pilsener.....

[rwh]

I've never used the fresh wort - I presume thats the G&G fresh wort....?

Yep. Fresh wort number 1.

Is there Hops already in the artisanale wort?! And at what poin do you add the fresh wort?

Yes, it is fully hopped; in fact you can make a beer by chucking it in the fermenter and adding yeast.

In the recipe above, you add the fresh wort to the fermenter, add the other stuff from the boil, pitch the yeast and ferment at lager temps. Easy.

Further on all this, I tried my first urquell this evening, and I have to say I'm a little disappointed.

I too am pretty underwhelmed by the urquell... but I think that's because I'm an ale man... Full disclosure: I've got a pilsener in the brew fridge right now...

[Duane]

Hi dragonphoenix73,
are you brewing AG or kits?
If AG, I have a pretty nice Schwarztbier recipe that I have
on tap all the time. Its a very nice dark lager.
If your using kits I think the other guys suggestions
will be more help. LMK if you need the recipe.

[James L]

just going on that bohemian pils, i tried one of those the other day, and it tasted exactly like my first ever lager i made...

Extremely simple yet tasty,

Coopers Lager, Brew Enchancer 2, saaz finishing hops (premade teabag).

Couldnt tell them apart.

James

[dragonphoenix73]

Thanks for that folks.

Duane, I basically use kits and play around with them.

I think I will just go with Lager kit and then use dark malt and choc grains - probably go with saaz hops too, as I have been tasting the pils I did a few months back, and quite like that flavour.

Any suggestions for lager kits? I was just gonna get a Coopers one, seeing as they are cheap (I refuse to use Tooheys or Homebrand kits...LOL)