Schwarzbier

[BRAD T]

Hi All,
I thought I would post the recipe for a Schwarzbier style of brew I have just put together for anyone who may be interested. I sort of put it together with Beertools Recipe Calculator.

750g German Pils
500g Melanoidin Malt
500g Light Chocolate
1.5kg Light Malt Extract
1.0kg Amber Extract

18g POR pellets (8.5%AA) 60min
10g Vanguard(US) pellets (5.75%AA) 15min
14g Vanguard(US) pellets (5.75%AA) 1min
(wanted to use Hallertau but were not available)

1/2 Whirlfloc Tab 10min before end of boil

DCL S-189 German Lager Yeast

Doughed in all the grain in 3ltr water @65 deg which gave me a dough in temp of 40 deg, after 30min. brought it up to 60deg for 30min, then brought it up to 70deg for another 30min. Sparged with 15ltr water @ 70deg. This gave me about 16.5 ltrs, I added a couple of ltr water started the boil with this added the POR Hops and then added the Extract after about 15min along with more water to bring it up to 22.5 ltrs. Total boil time was about 1Hr ( a litttle bit over), added Vanguard Hops and Whirlfloc at appropriate times, finished with 20ltrs. Chilled to 20deg, took the SG 1060( a bit high for a schwarzbier)put the fermenter in the fridge to bring temp down a bit more, pitched the reconstituted S-189 @ 16 deg C.
Today I racked to a cube for secondary, SG was 1014, will leave in secondary for a while.

Any comments form more experience brewers would be appreciated.

Cheers
Brad

 

[Justin]

Hey Brad,

It'll be interesting to see how it turns out. I've only made the one schwarbier (and I've been cursed for not making another, which I really should get round to doing again). It was a bloody fantastic beer and a favourite-but yet I haven't brewed it again, god only knows why-(too many other styles to play with methinks

Anyway, I'm a strong believer in the use of Weyermann Carafa Special III in a schwarzbier, it's perfect. It's a dehusked barley and contributes a lovely subtle roastiness without giving it that real roasty bite/astringency that normal roasted barely can give when the husks are left on. This is what your looking for in a schwarz. Black as black, but with a nice subtle roastiness-not like a stout at all but a gentle roast. It takes a lot of people by surprise, they expect it to be very strong but it's a nice balance of maltiness and roast.

Looking at your recipe it looks to have a lot of chocolate malt in which may be to your liking but it's not to mine. I use chocolate to add a depth of flavour but I dont really like the flavour on it's own. I think it is probably the wrong malt to get your colour and roastiness from in this style beer. If you can, get Carafa Sp 3. I'd probably go away from amber malt as well, although to be honest I havent used much amber malt (especially amber extract) but I dont think it is really to style, I could be wrong. The melanoidin should be a nice touch though.

If it helps, here is my recipe, although it's an all grain beer you could easily convert it to partial mash.

2.5kg Hoepfner Pils
2.15kg Joe White Light Munich
350g Weyermann Carafa Special III
Mashed at 68C for 60mins, 3L water per kilo of grain. My efficiency is around 80%. Makes a 25L batch

61g Vanguard (@4.5%AA) for 60mins
15g Vanguard @15mins
15g Vanguard @0mins

Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager fermented at 11C. SG 1050, FG 1012

From the research I've done this recipe is nearly spot on with the malt bill for commecial german schwarzbiers like Kostrizer (sp?).

Hope it helps and good luck.
Cheers, Justin

 

[BRAD T]

Hi Justin,
thanks for that, your advice is invaluable. I will let you know how it comes out. One thing I can tell you at this stage, it is Black as Black and the flavour( from a wee taste while racking) is not at all like a stout. I am looking forward to this one being ready.

Cheers :beerbang:

 

[Ross]

Brad,

I have just made my first one - Lagering as we speak -

3.37 kg Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 56.0 %
1.93 kg Pilsner, Malt Craft Export (Joe White) (1.6 SRM) Grain 32.0 %
0.24 kg Chocolate Malt (Joe White) (381.0 SRM) Grain 4.0 %
0.24 kg Crystal, Dark (Joe White) (110.0 SRM) Grain 4.0 %
0.12 kg Carafa I (337.0 SRM) Grain 2.0 %
0.12 kg Roasted Barley (Joe White) (710.0 SRM) Grain 2.0 %
75.00 gm Hallertauer [3.00%] (80 min) Hops 23.7 IBU
35.00 gm Hallertauer [3.00%] (20 min) Hops 6.3 IBU
20.00 gm Hallertauer [3.00%] (2 min)
Czech Pilsner Lager (Wyeast Labs #2278)

Tasting very promising....

 

[Jovial_Monk]

I got this recipe from a very experienced American Homebrewer who also gave me permission "do with it what you want"

For 10US gallons (38L)
5.675Kg pale (Pils malt)
500g wheat malt
250g cararoma
500g Carafa Special I

38g Santiam (Tettnang) boiled 60 minutes

I turned this into our Seattle Dark Beer pack and it wins the highest praise of all our packs!

The small amount of cararoma gives a slight syrupyness that goes well with the style

Jovial Monk