Dark American Lager Recipe is a amber lager that homebrewers reach for when they want a project worth the extra attention. This version keeps the grain bill built around Pilsner Malt, and leans on the hop schedule to shape the finish.
Recipe at a Glance
Recipe at a Glance
| Style | Dark American Lager Recipe |
| Batch Size | 5 gallons (19L) |
| Boil Time | 60-90 minutes |
| Original Gravity | 1.048-1.056 |
| Final Gravity | 1.010-1.014 |
| ABV | 4.8-5.8% |
| IBU | 18-30 |
| SRM | 7-14 (amber) |
| Difficulty | Intermediate (lager patience required) |
Brew Day, Step by Step
|
1
|
Mash · ~60 min Mash the grain bill, led by Pilsner Malt, at a steady temperature to build the fermentable sugars this style needs. Sparge slowly so you do not lose efficiency. |
|
2
|
Boil · ~60-90 min Bring the wort to a boil and work through the hop schedule, starting with the hop schedule. This is also where you will add any fining agent for a clearer finished beer. |
|
3
|
Ferment · 18C (64F) Pitch Wyeast 2124 Bohemian once the wort has cooled to fermentation temperature and hold it steady. Primary fermentation is the most active week, do not rush it. |
|
4
|
Condition · 3 weeks at 12C (54F) Rack to secondary (or leave in primary if your recipe calls for it) and let the beer round out at a cool, steady temperature. This step does more for the final flavor than people expect. |
|
5
|
Package · 1 day, then wait Bottle or keg once gravity has held steady for a few days in a row. Give it time to carbonate and, for bigger styles, additional time to mellow before your first taste. |
That’s the shape of brew day and the weeks after it. For the exact grain bill, hop schedule, and full step-by-step instructions with amounts, use the recipe card below.
What You Will Need
Sourcing your own ingredients locally is always fine, but if you want to skip a homebrew store trip, here is what’s in stock in our shop right now:
- Base and specialty grain: Grains & Adjuncts (e.g. Briess BJ-5U8M-8RRM Chocolate Malt 1 lb., Brown)
- Bittering and aroma hops: Brewing Hops (e.g. Magnum Hop Pellets 1 oz)
- Yeast: Brewing Yeast (e.g. Safbrew T-58 (3 Count 11.5 g Packs))
- Secondary fermenter for conditioning: Fermenters & Carboys (e.g. FASTFERMENT Floor Stand for FastFerment 7.9 Gallon Conical Fermenter)
- Priming sugar for bottling: Priming Sugar (e.g. Mr Beer Homebrewing Carbonation Drops)
- General kit and tools: Homebrew Equipment (e.g. Monster Brew Home Brewing Supplies Home Brew Ohio Complete Beer Equi)
- Pour it right when it’s ready: a tulip glass shows off the color and holds the aroma better than a straight pint glass
Serve It Right
|
A Dark American Lager Recipe is best served in a mug or pint, it fits the body and carbonation of this style better than a straight pint glass. Here is one from our shop: |
Ingredients & Gear for This Batch
Grain / Adjuncts |
Hops |
Yeast |
Fermenter |
Priming Sugar |
Equipment Regular 5/16″ Auto Siphon 24″ Length with 8 feet of Tubing, clear |
Full Recipe: Grain Bill, Hops, and Instructions
Dark American Lager Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large pot for the boil
- 1 Mash tun (or large kettle) to mash the grains
- 1 Thermometer
- 1 Hydrometer
- 1 Fermenter
- 1 Fermenter
- 1 Bottling bucket
- 1 Bottles and caps
Materials
For the Mash – Liquor 14 Litres (24 1/2 Pints) – Mash Time 1 hr – Temperature 65 C – 149 F
- 7.13 lbs Pilsner Malt Quantity 3.54kg
- 1.11 lbs Munich Malt Quantity 766g
- 1.9 lbs Flaked Maize Quantity 709g
- 10 1/2 Oz Special B Quantity 300g
- 5 1/3 Oz Medium Crystal Malth Quantity 153g
- 1 3/4 Oz Carafa Special lll Malth Quantity 50g
For the Boil – 27 Litres (47 1/2 Pints) – Boil Time 1 hr – 15 mins
- 3/4 Oz Northern Brewer 8% When to Add – At start of boil (ibu 18.9)
- 1/4 Oz Perle 8% When to Add – For Last 1 min of Boil (ibu 0.2)
- 1/3 Oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker 3.5% When to Add – At turn Off (ibu 0)
- 1 tsp Protofloc Other – When To Add – For Last 15 Mins Of Boil
To Ferment – 12° C (54°F) – Conditioning 4 weeks at 3° C (37°F)
- 1 Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Yeast
Instructions
- Start by heating 14 litres (24 1/2 pints) of water to 65°C (149°F) in a large kettle or mash tun. This will be used for the mash.
- Add all of the grains (Pilsner Malt, Munich Malt, Flaked Maize, Special B, Medium Crystal Malt, and Carafa Special III Malt) to the mash tun and stir well to combine.
- Allow the grains to mash for 1 hour at a temperature of 65°C (149°F).
- After 1 hour, carefully remove the grains from the mash tun and sparge with hot water to extract all the sugars from the grains. Collect the wort in the large pot for the boil.
- Bring the wort to a boil and add 3/4 Oz Northern Brewer 8% hops at the start of the boil. Boil for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, add 1 tsp Protofloc and boil for an additional 15 minutes.
- Add 1/4 Oz Perle 8% hops during the last minute of the boil.
- At the end of the boil, turn off the heat and add 1/3 Oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker 3.5% hops. Let the wort cool to 12°C (54°F).
- Transfer the cooled wort to a fermenter and pitch 1 Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Yeast. Ferment at 12°C (54°F) for 28 days.
- After 28 days, transfer the beer to a bottling bucket and prime with sugar. Bottle the beer and condition for 4 weeks at 3°C (37°F) before enjoying your delicious Dark American Lager.
Notes
Mashing
- Heat 14 liters (24 1/2 pints) of water to 65°C (149°F) in a large kettle or mash tun.
- Combine all the grains in the mash tun and stir well to combine.
- Allow the grains to mash for 1 hour at a temperature of 65°C (149°F).
- Carefully remove the grains from the mash tun and sparge with hot water to extract all the sugars from the grains.
Boiling
- Bring the wort to a boil and add 3/4 Oz Northern Brewer 8% hops at the start of the spot. Boil for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, add 1 tsp Protofloc and boil for 15 minutes.
- Add 1/4 Oz Perle 8% hops during the last minute of the boil.
- Turn off the heat and add 1/3 Oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker 3.5% hops. Let the wort cool to 12°C (54°F).
Fermentation and Conditioning
- Transfer the cooled wort to a fermenter and pitch 1 Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Yeast.
- Ferment at 12°C (54°F) for 28 days.
- After 28 days, transfer the beer to a bottling bucket and prime it with sugar.
- Bottle the beer and condition it for four weeks at three °C (37°F) before enjoying your delicious Dark American Lager.
- Make sure to sanitize all your equipment before and after brewing to avoid contamination.
- Use a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity of the wort before and after fermentation to ensure proper fermentation.
- Be patient and allow the beer to condition for four weeks to ensure optimal flavor and carbonation.
- Experiment with different water profiles and brewing techniques to create your unique twist on this recipe.
Get the fermentation temperature right on Dark American Lager Recipe and most of the rest of the process takes care of itself.
What Makes Dark American Lager Recipe the Style It Is
Like most classic beer styles, Dark American Lager Recipe has a long, slightly tangled history behind it, shaped as much by regional brewing traditions as by any single inventor.
The character of this beer comes down to a beer that leans on pilsner malt and the hop schedule, and Wyeast 2124 Bohemian is doing more of that work than the grain bill gets credit for.
Style Characteristics at a Glance
- ABV: 4.8-5.8%
- Bitterness: 18-30 IBU
- Color: 7-14 (amber)
- Serving temp: 40-45F (4-7C)
- Glassware: a mug or pint
- Food pairings: roast pork, pretzels, mild cheese
Common Questions
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes, the grain bill and hop schedule scale linearly with batch size. Just make sure your equipment, mash tun and boil kettle both, can actually handle the volume you are scaling to.
What is the biggest mistake homebrewers make with this style?
Rushing the schedule. Pulling a beer off yeast too early or skipping conditioning time is the most common way to shortchange a recipe like this one.
Can I substitute a different yeast strain?
You can, but expect the flavor profile to shift. Stick close to the same yeast family (English ale, American ale, Belgian, lager, etc.) if you want a result close to what this recipe is aiming for.
Keep Exploring
Once you have this one down, here are a few more homebrew recipes worth trying next:
Browse the full homebrew recipe collection for more styles, or if you are just getting into the hobby, start with one of our homebrewing starter kits for new brewers.
This recipe is for adults of legal drinking age. Please brew and drink responsibly, and always sanitize your equipment thoroughly to avoid infection.
