Maerzen Beer

Classification: amber lager, partial mash, Vienna, Maerzen

Source: Florian Bell (florianb%tekred.cna.tek.com@RELAY. CS.NET) Issue #424, 5/24/90

This brew was dark brown-red with a distinct nutty flavor coming from the toasted malt barley. A good head, little chill haze.

Ingredients:

4 pounds, pale malt
3 pounds, light dry extract
1/2 pound, crystal malt (40L)
2 ounces, chocolate malt
1/2 pound, toasted malt
1/2 pound, Munich malt
2 ounces, dextrin malt
2-1/2 ounces, Tettnanger hops (4.2 alpha)
1/2 ounce, Cascade hops (5.0 alpha)
3 teaspoons, gypsum
Vierka dry lager yeast

Procedure:

Make up yeast starter 2 days before brewing. Grind all grains together, dough-in with 5 cups warm water. Use 3 quarts water at 130 degrees to bring up to protein rest temperature of 122 degrees. Set for 30 minutes. Add 8 pints of boiling water and heat to 154 degrees. Set for at least 30 minutes. Bring to 170 degrees for 5 minutes for mash out. Sparge with 2 gallons water. Add dry extract, bring to boil. Boil 15 minutes and add one ounce of Tettnanger. Boil one hour. Add 1 ounce of Tettnanger at 30 minutes. Add 1/2 ounce of Tettnanger and 1/2 ounce of Cascade at 5 minutes (with Irish moss if desired). Strain and chill. Rack off trub. Pitch yeast.

Ferment at 68 degrees for 3 days. Rack to secondary and lager 18 days at 42 degrees. After 18 days keg and lager an additional 17 days.

Specifics:

O.G.: 1.056
F.G.: 1.020
Primary: 3 days
Secondary: 15 days