If you have brewed a few batches already and want to try Dusseldorf Altbier, this is a straightforward, all-grain route to it. The backbone is Pilsner malt, with Spalt Select 4.5% doing most of the work in the boil.
Recipe at a Glance
Recipe at a Glance
| Style | Dusseldorf Altbier |
| Batch Size | 5 gallons (19L) |
| Boil Time | 60-90 minutes |
| Original Gravity | 1.044-1.052 |
| Final Gravity | 1.008-1.012 |
| ABV | 4.5-5.2% |
| IBU | 25-40 |
| SRM | 4-14 (pale gold to copper) |
| Difficulty | Intermediate (hybrid fermentation) |
Brew Day, Step by Step
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1
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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. |
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2
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Boil · ~60-90 min Bring the wort to a boil and work through the hop schedule, starting with Spalt Select 4.5%. This is also where you will add any fining agent for a clearer finished beer. |
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3
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Ferment · 18C (64F) Pitch Wyeast 1275 Thames Valley Ale once the wort has cooled to fermentation temperature and hold it steady. Primary fermentation is the most active week, do not rush it. |
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4
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Condition · 7 weeks at 3C (37F) 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. |
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5
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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. My Brew Supply Flaked Maize Premium Beer Making Grain)
- Bittering and aroma hops: Brewing Hops (e.g. Amarillo Hop Pellets 1 oz)
- Yeast: Brewing Yeast (e.g. Craft A Brew – Safale S-04 Dry Yeast – Fermentis)
- Secondary fermenter for conditioning: Fermenters & Carboys (e.g. Carboy Caps 4 Pk Silicone Caps)
- Priming sugar for bottling: Priming Sugar (e.g. Dextrose 50 Lb)
- General kit and tools: Homebrew Equipment (e.g. Northern Brewer Homebrewing Starter Kit w/Equipment, Chinook IPA)
- 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
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A Dusseldorf Altbier is best served in a stange, 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 Brewmaster – 42931-MB Flaked Corn (Maize) – 5 lb Bag (Pack of 2) |
Hops |
Yeast |
Fermenter |
Priming Sugar Corn Sugar Dextrose Bottling Priming Sugar 1 lb Highly Fermentable N |
Equipment Deluxe Bottling Kit Craft a Brew Homebrew Bottler Equipment Home Bre |
Full Recipe: Grain Bill, Hops, and Instructions
Dusseldorf Altbier
Equipment
- 1 Brewing kettle or pot
- 1 Mash tun or large pot for mashing
- 1 Fermentation vessel (carboy or plastic bucket)
- 1 Airlock and stopper
- 1 Wort chiller or alternative method for cooling the wort
- 1 Strainer or mesh bag for separating grains
- 1 Hydrometer or refractometer for measuring gravity
- 1 Thermometer
- 1 Brewing spoon or paddle
- 1 Brewing burner or heat source
- 1 Racking cane or siphoning equipment
- 1 Bottles or kegs for storing the finished beer
- 1 Bottle capper or kegging system
- 1 Sanitizing solution or sanitizer
- 1 Brewing calculator or software for recipe formulation (optional)
Ingredients
For the Mash – Liquor 13 Litres (23 Pints) – Mash Time 1 hr – Temperature 65°c/149 °F
- 10.9 lb Pilsner malt Quantity 4.8kg
- 12 oz Light crystal malt Quantity 350g
- 2½ oz Black malt Quantity 70g
For the Boil – 27 Litres (47½ Pints) – Boil Time 1 hr – 10 mins
- 3¼ oz (Hops) Spalt Select 4.5% When to add – At start of boil (IBU 45.3)
- 1½ oz (Hops) Spalt Select 4.5% When to add – For last 5 mins of boil (IBU 4.4)
- 1¾ oz (Hops) Spalt Select 4.5% When to add – At turn off (IBU 0.0)
- 1 tsp Protofloc Other – When to add – For last 15 mins of boil
To Ferment – 18°C (64°F) – Conditioning 7 weeks at 3°C (37°F)
- 1 Wyeast 1275 Thames Valley Ale
Instructions
Mash Preparation:
- In a large pot, heat 13 liters (23 pints) of water to a temperature of 65°C (149°F).
- Add 10.9 pounds (4.8 kilograms) of Pilsner malt, 12 ounces (350 grams) of light crystal malt, and 2.5 ounces (70 grams) of black malt to the water.
- Stir the grains thoroughly to ensure they are fully immersed in the water.
- Maintain the mash temperature at 65°C (149°F) for 1 hour.
Boiling:
- In a separate pot, heat 27 liters (47.5 pints) of water and bring it to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling, add 3.25 ounces (Hops) of Spalt Select (4.5% alpha acids).
- Allow the mixture to boil for 1 hour, maintaining a gentle rolling boil.
- After 55 minutes of boiling, add 1 teaspoon of Protofloc to help clarify the beer.
- During the last 5 minutes of the boil, add 1.5 ounces of Spalt Select hops.
- Finally, at the end of the boil, add 1.75 ounces of Spalt Select hops and turn off the heat.
Cooling and Fermentation:
- Transfer the boiled wort to a fermentation vessel, ensuring to strain out the hops and any other solids.
- Cool the wort to a temperature of 18°C (64°F).
- Once the wort has reached the desired temperature, add the Wyeast 1275 Thames Valley Ale yeast.
- Seal the fermentation vessel with an airlock and allow fermentation to take place for approximately 28 days at 18°C (64°F).
Conditioning:
- After fermentation, transfer the beer to a secondary vessel or kegs.
- Condition the beer for 7 weeks at a temperature of 3°C (37°F).
- This extended conditioning period will help develop the flavors and clarify the beer.
Ready to Drink:
- After the 7-week conditioning period, your Dusseldorf Altbier should be ready to drink.
- Pour it into glasses or bottles and enjoy!
Get the fermentation temperature right on Dusseldorf Altbier and most of the rest of the process takes care of itself.
What Makes Dusseldorf Altbier the Style It Is
Dusseldorf Altbier sits in a well-established style family, and the version most homebrewers land on today reflects decades of small adjustments by brewers chasing balance rather than novelty.
Expect a beer that leans on pilsner malt and spalt select 4.5% once it is finished conditioning. Wyeast 1275 Thames Valley Ale is the yeast strain behind that profile, so keep an eye on your fermentation temperature.
Style Characteristics at a Glance
- ABV: 4.5-5.2%
- Bitterness: 25-40 IBU
- Color: 4-14 (pale gold to copper)
- Serving temp: 40-45F (4-7C)
- Glassware: a stange
- Food pairings: light appetizers, sausage, soft pretzels
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.
