Brewing Märzen at home

Name: Brewing Märzen at home
Yield: 20 L
Ingredients: 2.65 kg Light Munich malt; 1.83 kg Vienna malt; 0.60 kg Caramunich II; 0.52 kg Pilsner malt; 26 g Hallertauer Tradition; 13 g Hallertauer Mittelfrüh; SafLager W-34/70: 16–24 g (0.56–0.85 oz) for 20 L (about 5.3 gal) (80–120 g/hl)

Full-bodied, malty and amber – the classic festival beer.

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	5.6–6.3 %
Bitterness	18–25 IBU
Colour	16–34 EBC (8–17 SRM)
Carbonation	5.0 g/l (2.5 vol)
Yeast	SafLager W-34/70 (bottom-fermenting)
Fermentation temperature	10–13 °C (50–55 °F)
Brewing water	medium-hard

Recipe for 20 litres (5.3 gal)

Original gravity: 13.2 °P (SG 1.053)
5.8 % vol
21 IBU
24 EBC (12.2 SRM)
Final gravity: 2.6 °P (SG 1.010)

Grain bill

Light Munich malt	2.65 kg (5.84 lb)	47 %
Vienna malt	1.83 kg (4.03 lb)	33 %
Caramunich II	601 g (21.2 oz)	11 %
Pilsner malt	516 g (18.2 oz)	9 %

Hops

Hallertauer Tradition 5.5 % α	26 g (0.92 oz)	60 min
Hallertauer Mittelfrüh 4.0 % α	13 g (0.46 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 water	19.5 L (5.15 gal)
Sparge water	12.0 L (3.17 gal)
Total water	31.5 L (8.32 gal)

Brewing steps

Clean and sanitise everything that touches the wort after the boil.
Measure out 31.5 L (about 8.3 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 19.5 L (about 5.2 gal), sparge water 12 L (about 3.2 gal).
Heat the mash water to 66 °C (151 °F) and mash in 2.65 kg (5.8 lb) Light Munich malt, 1.83 kg (4 lb) Vienna malt, 0.6 kg (1.3 lb) Caramunich II and 0.52 kg (1.1 lb) Pilsner malt (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 12 L (about 3.2 gal) water at 78 °C (172 °F).
Boil the wort for 90 min.
60 min before the end of the boil add 26 g (0.92 oz) Hallertauer Tradition.
15 min before the end of the boil add 13 g (0.46 oz) Hallertauer Mittelfrüh.
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 9 °C (48 °F), measure original gravity (target 13.2 °P), run 20 L (about 5.3 gal) into the fermenter, aerate well and pitch the SafLager W-34/70 (amount see yeast).
Primary fermentation 10–14 days at 10–13 °C (50–55 °F), then 2 days at 15–16 °C (59–61 °F) (diacetyl rest).
Measure final gravity (target about 2.6 °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 2.6 °P).