Brew Day, Batch 369: Munich Dunkel

Dark Munich-style lager beer; it is possibly the very epitome of maltoliciousness, and one of the first classic beers that I strove to make for myself when I began homebrewing almost 25 years ago. The first recipes were based mostly on the contents of my hinder parts, using domestic ingredients, and the wrong ones, mostly. We still got beer out of it, just not real Munich beer; it didn't have the intensity of malty, bready, toasty, caramelly flavors the real thing has. Over the years, increased access to quality information and German malt led me to the promised land. And unlike say, pale ale, hereabouts there is a dearth of these hearty lagers, so it still really pays to make your own. This is a recipe that I've frozen, and won't change unless I can't get the Weyermann malts someday.

(10 gallons)

Target OG, 1.054, 24 BUs

15  lbs. Weyermann Munich Type1

2   lbs. Weyermann Munich Type 2

1/4 lb.  Weyermann Carafa 1

1.2 oz.  Perle 9.3% alpha acid -60 minutes

1/2 oz.  Saaz 5.1% alpha acid  -20 minutes

Wyeast 2308 Munich lager yeast starter

Scaled-down decoction mash:

Doughed in 1 qt./lb. at 132F for 125F strike. Rested 10 min.
Pulled 9 qt. thickest mash for 1st decoction. Heated to 155F, rested 15. Heated to boil, held 15.
Returned to main mash for 154F (needed to infuse 2 qt. boiling liquor,) rested 40 min. After a negative starch test, pulled 7-1/2 qt. thin mash and boiled 5 min. Returned for 165F mashout.

Vorlauf/lauter/sparge until runoff drops to 1.010; collect 12 gallons sweet wort.

Boil/hop as noted above. Total boil time is 90 minutes. Chill to 70F (best we can do this time of year,) and pitch yeast. Place fermenters in 45F cooler to finish attemperating. Rack and lager like the dickens when fermentation subsides. (Note: with this yeast, a diacetyl rest is necessary; allow temp to rise to mid-60s for the last few days of primary fermentation.)

Looking forward to drinking big mugfulls of this while eating barbecue....