Taking a break from hop forward beers, Mike goes into the vault to bring our a malty lager style to drink as our weather transitions from cool Spring to hot Summer. As Keepers of the Homebrewing Beer Flame, we present to you this tasting video of Munich Dunkel!

Mike’s Munich Dunkel Recipe

Here’s the transcript from video.

Grains:

6 pounds (2.72 kilograms) of Weyermann Munich Type 1 (7°L)
6 pounds (2.72 kilograms) of Dingemans Belgian Pilsner Malt (2°L)
2.5 ounces (71 grams) of Midnight Wheat (450°L)
1 ounce (28 grams) of Chocolate Rye (250°L)

Hops:

1 ounce (28 grams) Willamette hops (~5%AA) – 30 minutes left to go in the boil
1 ounce (28 grams) Willamette hops (~5%AA) – 5 minutes left to go in the boil

Yeast:

1 packet of Fermentis SafLager S-189

Mashed at 145°F (63°C) for 40 minutes and ramped up to 156°F (69°C) for another 20 minutes. Mashout at 168°F (76°C)

Fermented for 1 month at 52°F (11°C) in the garage, them transferred to the basement for a couple of weeks at 64°F (18°C ), then kegged.

Original Gravity: 1.053
Final Gravity: 1.009

Munich Dunkel Tasting Notes

Well, I thought this beer had the malt flavor that I really liked in breakfast cereals. Being a kid, I didn’t understand the origin of malt flavoring. when I started brewing at home, I made the connection.

Beer being malty is different from beer being sweet. The flavor from the Munich malt is special and separate from flavors you get from caramel/crystal malts. It’s malty – you need to try it to understand.

With all the malty goodness, the beer’s lager characteristics were very present which made this beer quite drinkable. It finishes dry so there is a refreshing quality to go with the maltiness.

This beer would pair well with foods. Spicy wings or strong flavored sausages come to mind when I think about what this beer.

Great beer, Mike. It’s always fun to brew for the seasons. This Munich Dunkel would be good for this or any spring,

BREW ON!