Brauwerkstatt Deutsch
Kellerbier in the glass – typical colour 12 EBC

Brewing Kellerbier at home

Unfiltered, fresh lager from Franconia.

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.

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Typical figures

Alcohol4.7–5.4 %
Bitterness20–35 IBU
Colour8–20 EBC (4–10 SRM)
Carbonation4.6 g/l (2.3 vol)
YeastSafLager W-34/70 (bottom-fermenting)
Fermentation temperature10–13 °C (50–55 °F)
Brewing watermedium-hard

Recipe for 20 litres (5.3 gal)

  • Original gravity: 11.6 °P (SG 1.047)
  • 5.0 % vol
  • 27 IBU
  • 12 EBC (6.1 SRM)
  • Final gravity: 2.3 °P (SG 1.009)

Grain bill

Pilsner malt3.19 kg (7.03 lb)66 %
Light Munich malt776 g (27.4 oz)16 %
Light crystal malt (Carahell)771 g (27.2 oz)16 %
Carapils103 g (3.6 oz)2 %

Hops

Hallertauer Tradition 5.5 % α26 g (0.92 oz)60 min
Hallertauer Mittelfrüh 4.0 % α31 g (1.09 oz)15 min

Yeast

SafLager W-34/70: 16–24 g (0.56–0.85 oz) for 20 L (about 5.3 gal) (80–120 g/hl)

Mash schedule

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

Brewing water

Mash water17.0 L (4.49 gal)
Sparge water14.0 L (3.70 gal)
Total water31.0 L (8.19 gal)

Brewing steps

  1. Clean and sanitise everything that touches the wort after the boil.
  2. Measure out 31 L (about 8.2 gal) of water and treat it with the brewing-water calculator. Medium-hard water works well, mash pH 5.3–5.5.
  3. Split the water: mash water 17 L (about 4.5 gal), sparge water 14 L (about 3.7 gal).
  4. Heat the mash water to 66 °C (151 °F) and mash in 3.19 kg (7 lb) Pilsner malt, 0.78 kg (1.7 lb) Light Munich malt, 0.77 kg (1.7 lb) Light crystal malt (Carahell) and 0.1 kg (0.22 lb) Carapils (gives about 63 °C / 145 °F).
  5. 1. rest: 63 °C (145 °F), 40 min (maltose rest).
  6. Measure mash pH 10–15 min after mashing in (cool the sample to 20 °C / 68 °F). Target 5.4–5.5.
  7. 2. rest: 72 °C (162 °F), 20 min (saccharification). Iodine test at the end: no blue colour = starch converted.
  8. Mash out: heat to 78 °C (172 °F) and hold for 10 min.
  9. Rest 10–20 min, lauter slowly and sparge with 14 L (about 3.7 gal) water at 78 °C (172 °F).
  10. Boil the wort for 90 min.
  11. 60 min before the end of the boil add 26 g (0.92 oz) Hallertauer Tradition.
  12. 15 min before the end of the boil add 31 g (1.1 oz) Hallertauer Mittelfrüh.
  13. After the boil stir a whirlpool and let it rest for 15 min.
  14. Chill to 9 °C (48 °F), measure original gravity (target 11.6 °P), run 20 L (about 5.3 gal) into the fermenter, aerate well and pitch the SafLager W-34/70 (amount see yeast).
  15. Primary fermentation 10–14 days at 10–13 °C (50–55 °F), then 2 days at 15–16 °C (59–61 °F) (diacetyl rest).
  16. Measure final gravity (target about 2.3 °P). Priming sugar per bottle from the carbonation calculator (target 4.6 g/l), then bottle.
  17. 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).

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More in the glossary: Zwickl and Kellerbier

Typical in: Germany

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