Nue Alt

Ingredients

5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) German Munich I malt
2.33 lbs. (1.05 kg) continental Pilsner malt
2 lbs. (900 g) Weyermann Carared® malt (17 °L)
3.2 oz. (90 g) Weyermann Carafa® Special I malt (338 °L)
7.6 AAU Spalt hops (60 min.) (1.9 oz./53 g at 4% alpha acids)
4.4 AAU Spalt hops (10 min.) (1.1 oz./32 g at 4% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1007 (German Ale) or White Labs WLP036 (Düsseldorf Alt) or Safale K-97 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

This is a multi-step mash. Crush grains and mash in at 122 °F (50 °C). Rest 15 min. Raise the temperature to 147 °F (64 °C) and rest 15 minutes. Raise the temperature to 162 °F (72 °C) and rest 15 minutes. Raise the temperature for the mash-out to 171 °F (77 °C). Recirculate, then begin sparge.

Boil for 75 minutes, adding hops as indicated. Turn off heat and whirlpool 15 minutes. Heat-exchange to the mid-range of the temperature tolerance of the selected yeast strain. This range is often between 54 °F and 68 °F (12 °C and 20 °C). Ferment for about 7 days. At a gravity of roughly 1.014 to 1.017, raise the tank temperature for a 2-day diacetyl rest to approximately 66 °F (19 °C).

For a secondary fermentation, lower the temperature again to the yeast’s mid-range. After 5 additional days, purge the sedimented yeast and debris. Transfer the brew to a capped conditioning tank. Lager for 3 weeks at about 36 °F to 25 °F (2 °C to -4 °C). Adjust the carbonation to approximately 2.2 to 2.6 volumes of CO2. Package filtered or unfiltered.