Dark Lagers draws on the diverse experience and extensive knowledge of Thomas Kraus-Weyermann and Horst Dornbusch, both established figures in the brewing world. The authors met by chance on the tradeshow floor of the 1999 Craft Brewers Conference: Horst, author of several books and owner of a craft brewery in Massachusetts, and Thomas, a Bavarian maltster steeped in German beer culture. A series of collaborative projects followed, from producing historic and classic beers to writing articles in brewing industry journals—and now, this book.

Why write this book? In reviewing the brewing literature, the authors found plenty of books about brewing beers such as British pale and dark ales, sour beers, Belgian farmhouse ales, and even futuristic “extreme” or “radical” ales. However, they did not find even one book in any language about brewing dark lagers. In the authors’ words, “We decided to plug that gap in the literature ourselves.”

Dark Lagers addresses both historical and technical brewing topics with a balance of science and wit. First, the authors tell the story of lagers, which begins in or around the sixteenth century and has many subplots in terms of history, politics, climate, and microbiology. Until now, many aspects of the story have never been told in a definitive or authoritative publication. Then, the authors share 40-plus recipes for dark lagers of three general types: classic, craft, and innovative. They test-brewed about half of the recipes in the pilot brewery of the Weyermann® malting plant in Bamberg, Germany, and the other half in different-sized breweries in the United States and Canada.

Craft brewers, home brewers, and brewing students will find this book an invaluable resource. It provides not only the background necessary to understand the evolution of dark lagers but also dozens of unique, tested recipes. Brewing professionals will be intrigued by the “history and mystery” of dark lagers and enjoy a really good read!

     Awarded the World Silver Medal in the “Beer” category at the 2019 Gourmand International Awards!

Dark Lagers: History, Mystery, Brewing Techniques, Recipes

Acknowledgments
About this Book
Alphabetical List of Dark Lager Recipes
The Authors’ Foreword: How We Met
Foreword by Jim Koch, Founder & Chairman, Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
Foreword by Dr. Martina Gastl, Technical University Munich-Weihenstephan
Foreword by Dr.-Ing. Josef Fontaine, Managing Director, Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin e.V. (VLB)
Foreword by Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery

Chapter 1: The Dawn of Darkness in Beer

The First Beers of Humanity: Pale Ales?
As Beer Dies in the Middle East, It Is Born in Central Europe
How Darkness and Smokiness Got into Beer
The Return of Malt without Smokiness
The Return of Malt without Darkness
Modern Malt Variety and Modern Beer Variety

Chapter 2: The Roots of Dark Lagers

The Origins of Dark Beers as a Style in Bavaria
The Manifest and Latent Consequences of a Feudal Edict
Climate Change and the Rise of a New Beer Culture
Wheat Beer: The Curious Exception from the Lager Takeover of Bavaria
Bavarian Beer Culture: An Enduring Heirloom and Terroir

Chapter 3: When Cerevisiae Met Eubayanus

Unraveling Yeast’s Mystery: From Intuition to (Almost) Understanding
The More We Learn the Less We Seem to Know for Sure
What Happened in Patagonia?
The Mystery of a Microbial Peregrination
Transatlantic Vector Travel?
Is the Answer Blowing in the Wind?
Pastorianus Triumphant
Scientists Catch up to Brewers

Chapter 4: Classic Dark Lager Profiles

Regional Dunkel Variations
Bavarian/Munich Dunkel
Schwarzbier
Bohemian Dark Lager
Dunkelbockbier and Dunkeldoppelbockbier
Rauchbier
Kellerbier

Chapter 5: Dark Lager Ingredients

Water
Hops
Yeast
Malt
The Modern Germination Box and Roasting Drum
Dark Lager Malts

Chapter 6: Dark Lager Brew House and Cellar Processes

Two Ideal-Typical Mash Definitions
The History of Decoction Mashing: Little Evidence, Many Inferences
Modification at the Heart of Malting and Mashing
Decoction: The Classic Way of Working the Mash
Cytolysis, Gelatinization, and Other Decoction Reactions
Decoction and the Maillard Reaction
Infusion Mashing
Single-Step Infusion Mashing
Pros and Cons of Decoction Mashing
Cellaring
Roastiness: The Unique Flavor Challenge for Dark Lager Brewers
Dark Color Malt Extract Preparations

Chapter 7: RECIPES — Part 1: “Classic” Dark Lagers

Recipe 1: Bavarian/Munich Dunkel I
Recipe 2: Bavarian/Munich Dunkel II
Recipe 3: Bavarian/Franconian Dunkel Landbier
Recipe 4: Tmavý Ležák
Recipe 5: Bavarian Schwarzbier I
Recipe 6: Bavarian Schwarzbier II
Recipe 7: Bamberger Hofbräu® Schwarzbier
Recipe 8: Thuringian Schwarzbier
Recipe 9: Bavarian Dunkelbockbier
Recipe 10 : Bavarian Dunkeldoppelbock I
Recipe 11: Bavarian Dunkeldoppelbock II
Recipe 12: Bamberger Hofbräu® Exquisator Dunkeldoppelbock
Recipe 13: Bamberger Rauchbier
Recipe 14: Bavarian Dunkelkellerbier
Recipe 15: German Porter
Recipe 16: Baltic Porter

Chapter 8: RECIPES — Part 2: “Innovative” Dark Lagers

Recipe 17: Bavarian/Franconian Dry Dunkel
Recipe 18: Bavarian/Franconian Dessert Dunkel
Recipe 19: Dark “Negra” Vienna Lager
Recipe 20: Barke® Dunkel Vienna Lager
Recipe 21: Dunkel Märzen
Recipe 22: Dark Farmhouse Lager
Recipe 23: Birra Rossa
Recipe 24: Session Dunkel
Recipe 25: Barke® Sinamar® Dunkel
Recipe 26: “Schlotfegerla” Bamberger Rauchbier
Recipe 27: Estonian Baltic Porter
Recipe 28: Dunkelrauchdoppelbock

Chapter 9: RECIPES — Part 3: “Experimental” Dark Lagers

Recipe 29: Black “ator-type” Triplebock
Recipe 30: Imperial Five-Grain “Dinkel-Dunkel”
Recipe 31: Dark Lager with Roasted Barley, Cacao Powder, and Vanilla Extract
Recipe 32: Black Coffee Lager
Recipe 33: Smoked Barley-and-Wheat Strong Lager
Recipe 34: Imperial Barrique Rauchbock
Recipe 35: Imperial Oatmeal Schwarzbier
Recipe 36: Sour-Wort Dunkel Lager
Recipe 37: Dark, Sour Montmorency Cherry Lager
Recipe 38: California “Un-Common”
Recipe 39: Late-Renaissance Bavarian Dunkel
Recipe 40: “Hildegard von Bingen” Heirloom Beer
Recipe 41: American Imperial Hoppy Dunkel

Chapter 10: Dark Lagers in the Kitchen

Dark Lagers as an Ingredient
Pairing Dark Lagers with Food
Recipe I: Eggplant and Goat Cheese Terrine in an Herb Beer Dressing
Recipe II: Beer-Battered Vegetables
Recipe III: Dark Lager Pumpkin Soup
Recipe IV: Biersuppe
Recipe V: Biergulasch (Hungarian Beef Stew in Dark Lager)
Recipe VI: Carbonnade à la Bavière
Recipe VII: Lamb (or Pork) Marinated in Rauchbier
Recipe VIII: Christmas Goose
Recipe IX: Dark Lager-Basted Thanksgiving Turkey
Recipe X: Spanferkel (Suckling Pig)
Recipe XI: Roast Beef in Dark Lager Mustard Sauce
Recipe XII: Braumeister-Steak
Recipe XIII: Dunkelbiersoße
Recipe XIV: Demi-glace de bière selon Escoffier
Recipe XV: Garum nigrae cerevisiae: A Dunkeldoppelbock Reduction à la Apicius
Recipe XVI: Dark Lager Steak Sauce
Recipe XVII: Grilled Mushrooms and Zucchini with Dark Lager Stuffing
Recipe XVIII: Pears Poached in Dark Lager

Select References (by Chapters)
Index
Illustration Credits
About the Authors

"The dark lager story reveals itself to be surprisingly riveting, with a host of intriguing subplots."
—Brew Your Own