69 replies to this topic

[zymot]

Spalter is the Alt beer perfectionist's hop of choice. You can use others and make a very good alt, but in your heart, spalt is the best way to go. Williams Brewing has whole leaf spalt on sale.Wyeast 1007 or the limited edition White Labs yeast is the perfectionist/purist yeast. If Mtn says Chico yeast makes a very, very good Alt, listen and trust Mtn and that gives you an excellent alternative.Personally, I haved used 60 minute hops additions only (no flavor, no aroma) in my Alts. This can produce excellent results. I know at least one of the big Alt breweries in Dusseldorf uses 60 minute additions only.For grain bill, I try ultra simple and stripped down. 1/2 pilsner & 1/2 munich malt.Just a couple suggestions. A stripped down alt can still be very tatsy in it's simplicity. The few ingreidiants can really shine through.

[ncbeerbrewer]

I'm gonna try this one (along with a saison) this weekend. THanks for the recioe. Mtn, I will definitely try yours as well. I will let y'all know how it turns out for me. Cheers!

Thanks Beerturtle. Look forward to hearing how this one goes for you. Its been one of my favorites. Cheers!!

[VolFan]

I brewed JZ's clone of Fish Alt today. We'll see how it turns out.

[Jimmy James]

Funny, I just brewed JZ's Northern German Alt Thursday. Session went good and it will be served to more than one homebrewer at an upcoming party, so I should get some feedback.

[Jimmy James]

Off topic but I think I am going to pitch the WLP 036 slurry into an IPA when this Alt is ready to rack.

[djinkc]

Off topic but I think I am going to pitch the WLP 036 slurry into an IPA when this Alt is ready to rack.

I've uses 1007 a lot and 036 a few times for quite a few styles. It works for a lot of beers.

[Jimmy James]

I've uses 1007 a lot and 036 a few times for quite a few styles. It works for a lot of beers.

Thanks for confirming - I was figuring as much but then I read up on White Labs website that the 036 (alt) and 029 (Kolsch) are fairly different. I've used the Kolsch strain in APAs and IPAs with great success and it looks like the Alt strain is just attenuates a bit lower and doesn't accentuate the hops quite as much. Back on topic, has anyone used any home-toasted malt, like brown or amber malt, in an Altbier? The toasting thread in the beer forum got me thinking. I may plan a Dusseldorf Alt with this yeast and was wondering what y'all think. Maybe take a bunch of German pils and Munich malt and toast up some of the pils to get the color right?

[djinkc]

Thanks for confirming - I was figuring as much but then I read up on White Labs website that the 036 (alt) and 029 (Kolsch) are fairly different. I've used the Kolsch strain in APAs and IPAs with great success and it looks like the Alt strain is just attenuates a bit lower and doesn't accentuate the hops quite as much.

Back on topic, has anyone used any home-toasted malt, like brown or amber malt, in an Altbier? The toasting thread in the beer forum got me thinking. I may plan a Dusseldorf Alt with this yeast and was wondering what y'all think. Maybe take a bunch of German pils and Munich malt and toast up some of the pils to get the color right?

I like my Alts with some melanoidins in it. Maybe Melanoidin malt or extended boil. Aromatic will do it too (thanks Mtn). Toasting malt might help in this aspect, but on the other hand I'm usually not a fan of crystal in an Alt. But it can work. I say try it if you don't mind going uncharted, you're homebrewing

[Jimmy James]

I like my Alts with some melanoidins in it. Maybe Melanoidin malt or extended boil. Aromatic will do it too (thanks Mtn). Toasting malt might help in this aspect, but on the other hand I'm usually not a fan of crystal in an Alt. But it can work. I say try it if you don't mind going uncharted, you're homebrewing

kinda what I was thinking - not traditional but it's homebrewing. I was thinking the home toasted malt won't really add any sweetness since it hasn't been fully converted before roasting like crystal malt is. It should however add some color and bitterness - just would need to keep the amount added relatively small so I don't end up with a porter. Just thinking a little amber malt might complement some of the other more typical Alt malts but I won't know until I try or someone else tells me they did it and it was a bad idea!

[beerturtle]

Here is an ALT that I have brewed for the last couple of years and it has turned out good. You are welcome to give it a try if you like. I would definitely ferment with nothing other than Wyeast 1007 or the White Labs equivalent which I have never used though. As you can see below the Magnum was used just to better boost the bitterness as I didn't wanna use a half pound of just Spalts to get there. Cheers!! Dusseldorf Altbier Type: All Grain Batch Size: 5.25 gal Boil Size: 7.11 gal Boil Time: 60 min Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 Ingredients Amount Item Type % or IBU 7.00 lb Pilsen Malt 2-Row (Briess) (1.0 SRM) Grain 67.44 % 2.75 lb Munich I (Weyermann) (7.1 SRM) Grain 26.49 % 0.50 lb Caramel Malt - 80L 6-Row (Briess) (80.0 SRM) Grain 4.82 % 0.13 lb Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 1.25 % 0.50 oz Magnum [12.10 %] (60 min) Hops 20.2 IBU 1.50 oz Spalter [4.10 %] (60 min) Hops 20.5 IBU 1.25 oz Spalter [4.10 %] (10 min) Hops 6.2 IBU 1 Pkgs German Ale (Wyeast Labs #1007) Yeast-Ale Beer Profile Est Original Gravity: 1.055 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.052 SG Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.42 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.47 % Bitterness: 46.9 IBU Calories: 229 cal/pint Est Color: 13.6 SRM Color: Color

ncb: Dude, thanks for the recipe. I ended up brewing this as is, but subbed northern brewer in for the Magnum. Turned out great! Good hop flavor, medium body, and nice residual sweetness. Cheers!

[MtnBrewer]

ncb: Dude, thanks for the recipe. I ended up brewing this as is, but subbed northern brewer in for the Magnum. Turned out great! Good hop flavor, medium body, and nice residual sweetness. Cheers!

Sounds good. If you use NB hops, that basically turns it into a steam beer.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

How does this sound?MALT:6.000lbs Munich Malt3.250lbs Pilsen0.500lbs Carapils0.375lbs Caramunich II (45-47L)0.250lbs Aromatic0.125lbs Debittered Black (dehusked black)mash at 148F for 60 min, 90 min boilHOPS:1.0oz Hallertau MF (FWH)1.0oz German Magnum (60 min)0.50z Hallertau MF (10 min)YEAST:Wyeast 1056, fermented coolFollow up fermentation with some extended cold agingSRM: 13.4OG: 1.054IBU: 48

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

already changed my mind a little bit:MALT:6.000lbs Pilsen3.000lbs Munich0.500lbs Carapils0.375lbs Caramunich II (45-47L)0.250lbs Aromatic0.125lbs Debittered Black (dehusked black)mash at 148F for 60 min, 90 min boilHOPS:1.0oz Hallertau MF (FWH)1.0oz German Magnum (60 min)0.50z Hallertau MF (10 min)YEAST:Wyeast 1056, fermented coolFollow up fermentation with some extended cold agingSRM: 12OG: 1.0535IBU: 48

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I'm waffling on two items right now. 1. how much munich? i'm borderline considering going with pretty much all munich and just adding a little caramunich and debittered black for color adjustment. 2. moderate hop aroma is listed in the BJCP but I rarely see anyone making any late hop additions like I'm doing here.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

changed my mind again (this time on hops)MALT:6.000lbs Pilsen3.000lbs Munich0.500lbs Carapils0.375lbs Caramunich II (45-47L)0.250lbs Aromatic0.125lbs Debittered Black (dehusked black)mash at 148F for 60 min, 90 min boilHOPS:1.0oz Hallertau MF (FWH)1.0oz German Magnum (60 min)1.0oz Hallertau MF (30 min)note: some of the hallertau MF may end up being regular hallertauYEAST:Wyeast 1056, fermented coolFollow up fermentation with some extended cold agingSRM: 12OG: 1.0535IBU: 47

[cavman]

already changed my mind a little bit: MALT: 6.000lbs Pilsen 3.000lbs Munich 0.500lbs Carapils 0.375lbs Caramunich II (45-47L) 0.250lbs Aromatic 0.125lbs Debittered Black (dehusked black) mash at 148F for 60 min, 90 min boil HOPS: 1.0oz Hallertau MF (FWH) 1.0oz German Magnum (60 min) 0.50z Hallertau MF (10 min) YEAST: Wyeast 1056, fermented cool Follow up fermentation with some extended cold aging SRM: 12 OG: 1.0535 IBU: 48

I'd personally drop the Carapils and the debittered black.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I'd personally drop the Carapils and the debittered black.

I could see maybe dropping the carapils but the debittered black is the only way this beer is going to actually look like an alt.

[cavman]

I could see maybe dropping the carapils but the debittered black is the only way this beer is going to actually look like an alt.

That's why I said personally, I wouldn't care if it looked like one as much as tasted like one.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

That's why I said personally, I wouldn't care if it looked like one as much as tasted like one.

so you are concerned about some roastiness, okay. what's the reasoning on the carapils? You'll notice earlier in this thread mtn and I discussed that a little bit and it made sense to me.

[cavman]

so you are concerned about some roastiness, okay. what's the reasoning on the carapils? You'll notice earlier in this thread mtn and I discussed that a little bit and it made sense to me.

The carapils doesn't concern me as far as flavor contribution, I'm just saying I wouldn't use it. That's why we brew are own we can make what we want. I'm not overly concerned about the black as in such a small amount it won't add much as far as flavor contribution, I just tend to make my alts without worrying about the color. My alts tend to look more like Pinkus Muenster Alt which is very light in color. SRM for mine is usually between 8 and 10.