If you have brewed a few batches already and want to try Roggenbier, this is a straightforward, all-grain route to it. The backbone is Rye malt, with Hallertauer Hersbrucker 3.5% doing most of the work in the boil.
Recipe at a Glance
Recipe at a Glance
| Style | Roggenbier |
| Batch Size | 5 gallons (19L) |
| Boil Time | 60-90 minutes |
| Original Gravity | 1.048-1.058 |
| Final Gravity | 1.010-1.014 |
| ABV | 5.0-6.0% |
| IBU | 20-35 |
| SRM | 8-16 (amber) |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
Brew Day, Step by Step
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1
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Mash · ~60 min Mash the grain bill, led by Rye 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 Hallertauer Hersbrucker 3.5% . 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 · 24C (75F) Pitch Wyeast 3638 Bavarian Wheat 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 · 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. |
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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. Briess 2- Row Brewers Malt 1.8L – 10 lb)
- Bittering and aroma hops: Brewing Hops (e.g. Amarillo Pellet Hops 3 oz)
- Yeast: Brewing Yeast (e.g. Voss Kveik Ale Yeast – 11 g (Pack of 5))
- Secondary fermenter for conditioning: Fermenters & Carboys (e.g. FastRack Drilled Rubber Stopper (#10-3 Pieces))
- Priming sugar for bottling: Priming Sugar (e.g. Brewmaster – AD310 Corn Sugar (lb))
- General kit and tools: Homebrew Equipment (e.g. 12.5Ft. Wort Chiller with Copper Coil)
- 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 Roggenbier is best served in a 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 |
Full Recipe: Grain Bill, Hops, and Instructions
Roggenbier
Equipment
- 1 Mash tun
- 1 Large pot for boiling
- 1 Heat source (stove, burner, etc.)
- 1 Thermometer
- 1 Mash paddle or spoon
- 1 Fermenter (e.g., carboy, fermenting bucket)
- 1 Airlock
- 1 Wort chiller or ice bath
- 1 Hydrometer or refractometer
- 1 Sanitizing solution
- 1 Brewing spoon or paddle
- 1 Racking cane or auto-siphon
- 1 Tubing
- 1 Fermentation vessel with lid or airlock
- 1 Bottles or keg for packaging
- 1 Bottle capper or kegging system
- 1 Bottle caps or kegging accessories
- 1 Cleaning brushes or sponges
- 1 Brewing software or calculator (optional)
- 1 Weighing scale
Ingredients
For the Mash – Liquor 12.25 Litres (21½ Pints) – Mash Time 1 hr – Temperature 65°c/149 °F
- 6.6 lb Rye malt Quantity 2.9kg
- 3.8 lb Munich malt Quantity 1.6kg
- 10½ oz Crystal wheat malt Quantity 300g
- 4¼ oz Carafa special III Quantity 120g
For the Boil – 27 Litres (47½ Pints) – Boil Time 1 hr – 15 mins
- 1 oz (Hops) Hallertauer Hersbrucker 3.5% When to add – At start of boil (IBU 11.7)
- ½ oz (Hops) Hallertauer Hersbrucker 3.5% When to add – For last 10 mins of boil (IBU 2.8)
- ½ oz (Hops) Tettnang 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 – 24°C (75°F) – Conditioning 3 weeks at 12°C (54°F)
- 1 Wyeast 3638 Bavarian Wheat
Instructions
Mash Preparation:
- Heat 12.25 liters (21½ pints) of water to a temperature of 65°C (149°F).
- In a mash tun or large pot, combine the following ingredients:
- 6.6 lb (2.9 kg) Rye malt
- 3.8 lb (1.6 kg) Munich malt
- 10½ oz (300 g) Crystal wheat malt
- 4¼ oz (120 g) Carafa special III
- Add the heated water to the mash tun and stir well.
- Allow the mixture to mash for 1 hour at a temperature of 65°C (149°F).
Boiling:
- Heat 27 liters (47½ pints) of water in a large pot.
- Once the water reaches a boil, add 1 oz (Hallertauer Hersbrucker) hops and let it boil for the entire duration (1 hour and 15 minutes).
- After 50 minutes of boiling, add ½ oz (Hallertauer Hersbrucker) hops and continue boiling for the remaining 10 minutes.
- In the last 15 minutes of boiling, add 1 tsp of Protofloc to help with clarity.
Cooling and Fermentation:
- After the boiling is complete, cool the wort rapidly using a wort chiller or an ice bath until it reaches a temperature of 24°C (75°F).
- Transfer the cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter.
- Pitch the Wyeast 3638 Bavarian Wheat yeast into the fermenter and seal it with an airlock.
- Ferment the beer at a temperature of 24°C (75°F) for approximately 28 days.
Conditioning:
- After the fermentation period, transfer the beer to a secondary fermenter or bottle it directly if desired.
- Condition the beer at a temperature of 12°C (54°F) for about 3 weeks. This will allow the flavors to develop and the beer to clarify.
Enjoy:
- After the conditioning period, your Roggenbier will be ready to drink!
- Serve it chilled in your favorite beer glass or pint and savor the unique combination of spicy rye flavors with fruity notes of apple, pear, and banana.
Get the fermentation temperature right on Roggenbier and most of the rest of the process takes care of itself.
What Makes Roggenbier the Style It Is
Roggenbier 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 rye malt and hallertauer hersbrucker 3.5% once it is finished conditioning. Wyeast 3638 Bavarian Wheat is the yeast strain behind that profile, so keep an eye on your fermentation temperature.
Style Characteristics at a Glance
- ABV: 5.0-6.0%
- Bitterness: 20-35 IBU
- Color: 8-16 (amber)
- Serving temp: 45-50F (7-10C)
- Glassware: a pint
- Food pairings: rye bread, deli meats, spicy mustard
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.
