Brewing Altbier at home

Name: Brewing Altbier at home
Yield: 20 L
Ingredients: 2.31 kg Pilsner malt; 1.90 kg Light Munich malt; 0.40 kg Caramunich II; 0.11 kg Carafa Special I; 54 g Spalter Select; 19 g Spalter Select; SafAle K-97: 10–16 g (0.35–0.56 oz) for 20 L (about 5.3 gal) (50–80 g/hl)

Copper-coloured, bitter and malty, from Düsseldorf.

Base recipe for 20 litres (5.3 gal), calculated with the Brauwerkstatt beer creator. With one click you can adapt it to your batch size, bitterness, colour or alcohol content.

Adapt in the beer creator

Typical figures

Alcohol	4.3–5.5 %
Bitterness	25–50 IBU
Colour	22–40 EBC (11–20 SRM)
Carbonation	5.0 g/l (2.5 vol)
Yeast	SafAle K-97 (top-fermenting)
Fermentation temperature	15–18 °C (59–64 °F)
Brewing water	medium-hard

Recipe for 20 litres (5.3 gal)

Original gravity: 11.3 °P (SG 1.045)
4.8 % vol
38 IBU
30 EBC (15.2 SRM)
Final gravity: 2.3 °P (SG 1.009)

Grain bill

Pilsner malt	2.31 kg (5.09 lb)	49 %
Light Munich malt	1.90 kg (4.19 lb)	40 %
Caramunich II	400 g (14.1 oz)	8 %
Carafa Special I	106 g (3.7 oz)	2 %

Hops

Spalter Select 4.5 % α	54 g (1.90 oz)	60 min
Spalter Select 4.5 % α	19 g (0.67 oz)	15 min

Yeast

SafAle K-97: 10–16 g (0.35–0.56 oz) for 20 L (about 5.3 gal) (50–80 g/hl)

Mash schedule

63 °C (145 °F) · 40 min → 72 °C (162 °F) · 20 min

Brewing water

Mash water	16.5 L (4.36 gal)
Sparge water	14.0 L (3.70 gal)
Total water	30.5 L (8.06 gal)

Brewing steps

Clean and sanitise everything that touches the wort after the boil.
Measure out 30.5 L (about 8.1 gal) of water and treat it with the brewing-water calculator. Medium-hard water works well, mash pH 5.3–5.5.
Split the water: mash water 16.5 L (about 4.4 gal), sparge water 14 L (about 3.7 gal).
Heat the mash water to 66 °C (151 °F) and mash in 2.31 kg (5.1 lb) Pilsner malt, 1.9 kg (4.2 lb) Light Munich malt, 0.4 kg (0.88 lb) Caramunich II and 0.11 kg (0.24 lb) Carafa Special I (gives about 63 °C / 145 °F).
1. rest: 63 °C (145 °F), 40 min (maltose rest).
Measure mash pH 10–15 min after mashing in (cool the sample to 20 °C / 68 °F). Target 5.4–5.5.
2. rest: 72 °C (162 °F), 20 min (saccharification). Iodine test at the end: no blue colour = starch converted.
Mash out: heat to 78 °C (172 °F) and hold for 10 min.
Rest 10–20 min, lauter slowly and sparge with 14 L (about 3.7 gal) water at 78 °C (172 °F).
Boil the wort for 90 min.
60 min before the end of the boil add 54 g (1.9 oz) Spalter Select.
15 min before the end of the boil add 19 g (0.67 oz) Spalter Select.
10 min before the end of the boil add Irish moss (about 2 g / 0.07 oz, soaked beforehand).
After the boil stir a whirlpool and let it rest for 15 min.
Chill to 15 °C (59 °F), measure original gravity (target 11.3 °P), run 20 L (about 5.3 gal) into the fermenter, aerate well and pitch the SafAle K-97 (amount see yeast).
Primary fermentation 7–10 days at 15–18 °C (59–64 °F).
Measure final gravity (target about 2.3 °P). Priming sugar per bottle from the carbonation calculator (target 5 g/l), then bottle.
Bottle-condition 1–2 weeks at room temperature, then store cold (0–4 °C) for 4–6 weeks.

Notes

Created with the beer creator (brewhouse efficiency 70 %, final gravity about 2.3 °P).