Alt

Classification: altbier, alt, German ale, all-grain

Source: Jeff Renner (nerenner@umich.edu), HBD Issue #1981, 3/11/96

Jerry Cunningham saw Jim's "never brewed" recipe and raised him a "it was great;" Al K saw this with "VERY close to Zum Uerige'" I'll see and call with my "incredibly Germanic." ;-) (Unfortunately, I have never had an alt in Dusseldorf, although I have had a few that were hand carried back by several AABG members.)

My recipe was based on my interpretation of general recipe descriptions in Norm Hardy's article in BT on alts (Jan/Feb, 95). I notice that hardly anyone uses a base of Munich malt, but I've had great success with it in this and dark continental lagers, even at 100%.

Ingredients: (for 7-1/2 gallons)

10# Durst Munich (83%)
1# Durst 50L crystal (8%)
1# US wheat malt (8%)
45 g. N. Brewer plugs @ 9.3% 70 min.
30 g. German Hallertauer plugs @ 2.6% 25 minutes
30 g. German Hallertauer plugs @ 2.6% at heat off, began chilling immed.
1/2 c. thick slurry of NCYC 1187

Procedure:

Water - well water with fairly high levels of temp. hardness, untreated for mash, boiled/decanted plus CaCl2 for sparge.

Mash: Modified 50/60/70 - 1/2 hr. at 55C, heated (5 min.) to 60C for 1/2 hr rest, heated (20 min.) to 70C for 1/2 hour rest.

Hops (37 IBU per Glenn Tinseth's on line calculator.

Yeast: 1/2 c. thick slurry of NCYC 1187 (I know, this is not an alt yeast, but I was testing it for Dan McConnell and it worked great), pitched at 68F, 1 hour aeration after pitching by continuing recirculation of chiled wort in boiler with hops and break on false bottom, and spraying hose outlet, then ran out into fermenter.

Fermentation - Fermented in Sankey, ambient temperature and beginning wort temp. of 64F, rose to upper 60's, very rapid fermentation. Three day primary, then two weeks "lagering" at 48F, kegged and served at 48F w/ 6 psi.

Tasting notes (mine): "This is great beer! Spicy Hallertauer hops very evident on nose. Rich chocolate maltiness - very German. Fairly fruity, very creamy. Has that elusive German "beeriness," whatever that is (noble hops?). Nice bitterness, not "in your face." Fruitiness perhaps a little high for style. Make again with alt yeast!"

I have done just that with YeastLab A06, and it is lagering at 40F.

Specifics:

OG: 1.049
FG: 1.014