This started out as a classic California Common, which is golden-to-amber in color, but I misread the recipe guide, and used 2 pounds of chocolate malt instead of 2 ounces. Luckily, the chocolate malt provided a nice roasty character that gave this beer a coffee-like back-end, without the burnt aftertaste. Surprisingly balanced and smooth given the mistake. Delightful!
- 7 lbs. light LME
- 1.1 lbs. Munich LME
- 1 lb. Crystal 40L
- ½ lb. Victory malt
- 2 lbs. Chocolate malt
- 1 oz. Northern Brewer 6.5% AAU (bittering)
- 1.5 oz. NB (flavor)
- 1.5 oz. NB (aroma)
- Wyeast 2112 California Lager, fermented at 62° with diacetyl rest at 68°, then lagered at 36°
Homebrewing is often about experimentation, sometimes accidental. Here, I accidentally brewed a German Schwarzbier, which is a dark, roasty lager. Not usually as dark and roasty as this one, but close. The color here is closer to a Russian Imperial Stout, including the slight sweetness and high alcohol. This one just gets better with age.
Brewed August 2011 and bottled September 2011
