Hot as Hell in December Dortmunder

Source: Tim Neall
Recipe added: 02/01/99
Email: ktneall@aol.com

This was inspired by Prenuptial Pils, which was brewed for a friends wedding. This one is better. The 6 week lagering time made the beer clear as could be. There must have been 1/4 inch of precipitated crud when racked to the keg. The beer itself has a subtle floral aroma and is a beautiful gold color. It has a gorgeous white head. I think that the bitterness levels may be a bit high, but it has been a while since I've tasted any commercial examples of the style. I'd guess it was in the mid to upper 20's IBU. It has a strong hops flavor and a smooth clean finish. This dry yeast, although not the one I intended to use, was very clean, especially after 6 weeks of conditioning.

Specifics

Recipe type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Starting Gravity: 1.048
Finishing Gravity: 1.009
Time in Boil: 60 minutes
Primary Fermentation: 1 week
Secondary Fermentation: 6 weeks

Ingredients:

GRAIN
10.5 lbs. Briess 2row malt
1 lb. Light Munich
3/4 lb. Caravienne malt
3/4 lb. Carapils
HOPS
2.75 oz. blend of Saaz, 3.1%, and Hallertau,3.9% (60 minute in bag)
1.5 oz. Hallertau Pellets 3.9% (FWH)
2.75 oz. Saaz Pellets (knockout in bag)
YEAST
YeastLab European Lager

Procedure:

Mash grain with 4.25 gallons of water and aim for mash temp of 154 degrees. Mash for 60 minutes. Add one gallon of boiling water for mashout. Rest for 10 more minutes. Drain mash tun, take first runnings only and FWH. Top kettle off to 7 gallons and bring to a boil. Follow the above hopping schedule. Add rehydrated Irish moss at 35 minutes. Force cool, transfer to primary, pitch yeast and aerate. Ferment in the upper 50's or low 60's. After fermentation ceases, purge secondary of O2 with CO2. Transfer beer to secondary. Over a period of 3-4 days gradually reduce temperature to 33 degrees. Purge with CO2 as you see fit. Lager for 6 weeks. Trasnfer to keg and force carbonate.

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