Brew your best beer EVER. Start your Free Trial of Brewer's Friend today! Sign Up ×

Dark European Lager - Schwarzbier


A dark German lager that balances roasted yet smooth malt flavors with moderate hop bitterness. The lighter body, dryness, and lack of a harsh, burnt, or heavy aftertaste helps make this beer quite drinkable.

Flavor Profile: Light to moderate malt flavor, which can have a clean, neutral character to a moderately rich, bread-malty quality. Light to moderate roasted malt flavors can give a bitter-chocolate palate that lasts into the finish, but which are never burnt. Medium-low

Ingredients: German Munich malt and/or Pilsner malts for the base, supplemented by a judicious use of roasted malts (such as Carafa types) for the dark color and subtle roast flavors. Huskless dark roasted malts can add roast flavors without burnt flavors. German hop

BJCP Style Guide

Top 10 Schwarzbier Recipes

Title Size ABV IBU OG FG Color Method Views
The Schwarzbier radius
2.5 gal 5.25% 27.64 1.052 1.012
BIAB 4831
Schwarzbier Gordon Strong
23 L 4.94% 24.75 1.050 1.013
All Grain 4274
Schwarzbier
12 gal 5.03% 29.55 1.046 1.008
All Grain 3597
SchwartzenbierenFahrvergnügen
5.5 gal 5.27% 20.54 1.049 1.009
All Grain 3368
Black rice lager
24 L 4.06% 24.58 1.040 1.009
All Grain 3079
JZ - German Schwarzbier
23 L 4.83% 29.53 1.047 1.010
BIAB 3069
Bakke Brygg Schwarzbier 25 L
25 L 4.93% 25.06 1.050 1.012
All Grain 2454
Kolsch/Schwarzbier
3 gal 4.74% 30.98 1.047 1.011
Partial Mash 2284
JZ - Doing it in the Dark Schwarzbier
23 L 4.8% 29.29 1.048 1.012
BIAB 2282
Schwarzbier (Black Beer)
5.5 gal 4.64% 21.61 1.049 1.014
All Grain 1881

Newest Schwarzbier Recipes

Title Size ABV IBU OG FG Color Method Views
Night Ritual V2
465 gal 5% 31.81 1.046 1.008
All Grain 22
Village Lane Series #12 - Schwarzbier
5 gal 5.8% 27.35 1.052 1.008
All Grain 29
Awesome Recipe
150 L 4.98% 25.88 1.048 1.010
extract 34
Schwarts
1658.5 gal 5.29% 0 1.048 1.008
All Grain 54
Schwarzbier (Dark German Lager)
5.5 gal 5.25% 26.07 1.051 1.011
extract 47
S'mores Schwarz
70 gal 4.69% 19.8 1.050 1.015
All Grain 65
Schwaaaaaarz!!!
6 gal 4.7% 25.49 1.046 1.011
All Grain 99
10bbl Hoppy Dark Lager
372 gal 5% 34.06 1.050 1.012
All Grain 66
Runes mørke lager
50 L 5.38% 25.28 1.055 1.014
All Grain 74
Schwarzbier
23 L 5.01% 29.65 1.050 1.012
BIAB 100

Fermentables Used In Schwarzbier Recipes (View More)

Name Recipes Country Category Type Color PPG Avg. Usage Usage Range
Munich - Light 10L 191 Grain specialty malt 10°L
33 29% 5% - 94%
German - Carafa II 184 German Grain roasted malt 425°L
32 5% 1% - 16%
German - Pilsner 183 German Grain base malt 1.6°L
38 61% 8% - 100%
American - Chocolate 147 American Grain roasted malt 350°L
29 4% 1% - 11%
German - Carafa III 121 German Grain roasted malt 535°L
32 5% 1% - 13%
Munich Dark 20L 104 Grain specialty malt 20°L
34 29% 2% - 99%
American - Pilsner 103 American Grain base malt 1.8°L
37 60% 7% - 98%
Caramel / Crystal 60L 76 Grain crystal malt 60°L
34 5% 2% - 16%
Weyermann - Carafa Special Type II 67 DE Grain roasted malt 425°L
29.9 5% 2% - 48%
Weyermann - Pilsner 63 German Grain base malt 1.5°L
36 61% 15% - 100%

Hops Used In Schwarzbier Recipes (View More)

Name Recipes Average AA Avg. Usage Usage Range
Hallertau Mittelfruh 184 3.75 41% 1% - 100%
Magnum 129 15 35% 4% - 100%
Saaz 119 3.5 45% 5% - 100%
Tettnanger 92 4.5 41% 13% - 100%
Hallertau Hersbrucker 58 4 37% 10% - 100%
Perle 57 8.2 47% 5% - 100%
Domestic Hallertau 46 3.9 39% 17% - 100%
Hallertau Tradition (Germany) 42 5 37% 1% - 100%
Willamette 21 4.5 52% 20% - 100%
Northern Brewer 20 7.8 47% 22% - 100%

Steeping Grains Used In Schwarzbier Recipes (View More)

Name Recipes Country Category Type Color PPG Avg. Usage Usage Range
American - Caramel / Crystal 120L 8 American Grain crystal malt 120°L
33 35% 16% - 100%
German - Carafa III 7 German Grain roasted malt 535°L
32 49% 30% - 100%
German - Carafa II 5 German Grain roasted malt 425°L
32 17% 11% - 31%
Crisp Malting - Chocolate Malt 4 GB Grain roasted malt 450°L
32.66 28% 14% - 40%
American - Black Malt 3 American Grain roasted malt 500°L
28 56% 17% - 100%
American - Chocolate 3 American Grain roasted malt 350°L
29 17% 12% - 24%
United Kingdom - Pale Chocolate 3 United Kingdom Grain roasted malt 207°L
33 31% 21% - 36%
Weyermann - Carafa III 3 German Grain roasted malt 525°L
32 28% 19% - 36%
Weyermann - Carafa Special Type II 3 DE Grain roasted malt 425°L
29.9 47% 18% - 72%
Caramel / Crystal 60L 2 Grain crystal malt 60°L
34 31% 29% - 33%

Yeasts Used In Schwarzbier Recipes (View More)

Name Recipes Laboratory Type Alcohol Tolerance Flocculation Attenuation Min. Temp Max. Temp
Fermentis - Saflager - German Lager Yeast W-34/70 202 Fermentis / Safale Lagers .105 High 83% 48°F 72°F
Fermentis - Saflager - German Lager Yeast S-23 53 Fermentis / Safale Lagers .105 High 82% 48°F 72°F
White Labs - German Lager Yeast WLP830 49 White Labs Lagers Medium Medium 76.5% 50°F 55°F
White Labs - German Ale/ Kölsch Yeast WLP029 29 White Labs Ale Medium Medium 75% 65°F 69°F
Wyeast - Bohemian Lager 2124 27 Wyeast Lagers 0.09 Medium 75% 48°F 58°F
Wyeast - Bavarian Lager 2206 26 Wyeast Lagers 0.09 Med-High 75% 46°F 58°F
Imperial Yeast - L17 Harvest 23 Imperial Yeast Lagers Medium 70% 50°F 60°F
Lallemand - LalBrew Diamond Lager 20 Danstar Lagers High High 80% 50°F 59°F
Lallemand - LalBrew NovaLager™ 18 Lallemand Lagers High Medium 81% 50°F 68°F
Omega Yeast Labs - Lutra Kveik OYL-071 15 Omega Yeast Labs Norwegian Ales High Medium 78% 68°F 95°F

Other Ingredients Used In Schwarzbier Recipes (View More)

Name Recipes Type Use Avg. Usage Usage Range
Gypsum 143 Water Agt Mash 15% 0% - 100%
Calcium Chloride (dihydrate) 96 Water Agt Mash 19% 0% - 100%
Whirlfloc 86 Fining Boil 56% 0% - 100%
Epsom Salt 86 Water Agt Mash 9% 0% - 50%
Lactic acid 84 Water Agt Sparge 69% 0% - 100%
Baking Soda 51 Water Agt Sparge 12% 0% - 58%
Chalk 48 Water Agt Mash 20% 0% - 100%
Calcium Chloride (anhydrous) 39 Water Agt Mash 15% 0% - 71%
Irish Moss 33 Fining Mash 63% 0% - 100%
Phosphoric acid 30 Water Agt Mash 70% 0% - 100%

Photos