How to Brew Altbier: From Düsseldorf to Your Doorstep, Old World Ale with Modern Appeal

It’s no secret that the Germans love their beer. If you were to walk into a local establishment in Dusseldorf, Germany and say “give me a beer,” you would indeed receive an Altbier.

The Germans have been consuming Altbiers for approximately 3,000 years.

What’s in a Name?

Altbier translated from German means, “old beer.” The style evolved over the years. The Germans tried to distinguish this beer from the ever so popular lager beer that was popular throughout the region.

Some say that Altbier’s name came to be because of this style being an alternative to the fermentation process.

Its name was chosen after its fermentation style – top fermentation yeast – which is an old process of brewing beer, as opposed to bottom-fermentation, which is a newer process. In 16th century Bavaria, this beer came into existence and gained popularity all across Europe for the next couple centuries.

Why Dusseldorf?

Just as the city of Cologne has become the brewing grounds for Kölsch, the town of Dusseldorf has become synonymous with Altbier.

The production of Altbier and its popularity was purely driven by geographic location. Dusseldorf is never too warm, even in the summer.

Also, it rarely has long periods of freezing temperatures in the winter. These weather conditions are ideal for brewing cold-conditioned ales such as Altbier throughout the year.

Altbier Style Profile

Appearance

The color for an Altbier range from light copper to dark auburn. However, the color should never go as dark as brown.

Crystal clear clarity and an off-white, creamy, thick head with decent retention.

Aroma

The German base malt really comes out in the aroma. Toastiness, baked bread and crust offer clean, complex, and grainy characteristics.

Low to medium low fruity can be present. Hop aroma comes through as spicy, floral, herbal, or peppery

Mouthfeel

Medium body with medium to medium high carbonation. Smooth on the palate with low astringency

Taste

The malt is clean and crisp and has nice complexity even with the beer’s high attenuation. Hop flavor is moderate to low with peppery, floral spiciness.

Fruity esters may be present with the finished beer. The finish of this beer can be dry, with nuttiness, along with hop and malt complexity.

Food Pairing

The malty backbone of this beer pairs well with roasted chicken, pork tenderloin, pork chops, fish, and sausage.

Numbers for an Altbeir

• Color Range: 11-17 SRM
• Original Gravity: 1.044 – 1.052 OG
• Final Gravity: 1.008 – 1.014 FG
• IBU Range: 25-50
• ABV Range: 4.3 – 5.5%

Tips for Brewing your own Altbier

Grain

Maltiness is what you want to achieve with your Altbier recipe. A good Munich malt should be the first malt you look for when deciding on an Altbier recipe. If you indeed use only Munich malt, you can look for 5 to 8 Lovibond.

If you use a higher Lovibond, such as 10 to 20L, you can just mix with a lighter Munich malt to the desired color.

Some German brewers have already used German Pilsner malt and mixed it with their Munich malt. Ratios of dark Munich/German Pils or dark Munich/light Munich ranges from 10/70 to 50/50.

It should be noted that German pils will be more fermentable, which will lend to a crisper and somewhat drier beer in the finish.

Vienna malt can actually make an appearance in this recipe, up to 25% and a small amount of Cara-malt up to 5% for more complexity. Black malt or even Chocolate malt can be considered also, however in extremely restrained quantities, less than 2%.

Hops

An authentic Altbier will contain an assertive bitterness ranging from 25 to 50 IBUs. Even with this bitterness, there will be a small amount of hop flavor or aroma.

Bittering additions should be at the beginning of the 90 to 120 minute boil. Spalt, Hallertaure, Saaz, Tettnanger, Perle, Mount Hood, or Northern Brewer can all work well here.

If flavor or aroma hops are used, like many German brewers include in their own recipes, keep with a single addition, keep it restrained, and of course keep it noble. Words of the German brewer to live by.

Yeast

It is said that this style has the most limiting beer styles when deciding on a yeast strain. You are looking for an ale yeast that ferments vigorously enough at temps that would slow most ale yeast.

White Labs makes a Dusseldorf yeast WLP036 and Wyeast makes a German Ale strain 1007. Imperial Yeast produces Kaiser – GO2 or even Dieter – GO3 that can be an option. If you are considering a dry yeast Safale – 097 can be an option.

After fermenting your beer, lager for 4-8 weeks at around 40°F. Lagering will help you to mellow out the hops and assist in beer clarity.

If fermenting at a higher temperature, lagering will help reduce the fruity esters that will be produced by the yeast.

Mash

Since we are talking about a German beer, I feel like it is necessary to mention an authentic mash that would include a decoction mash. With today’s highly modified malts, some will argue that a decoction mash is unnecessary and would opt for a single infusion mash.

I respect the old school way of including decoction mashes because that is the way you have always done it. Something about honoring a tradition sits well with me. I just don’t practice that sort of brewing method.

Altbier Recipe

Malt

• 85% – 9 lbs Pilsner; German
• 9% –  1 lbs Munich Malt
• 3% –  4.0 oz Caramunich I
• 3%  – 4.0 oz Chocolate Malt

Hops

• 1.25 oz Perle Pellets
• 0.75 oz Tettnang Pellets

Yeast

• 1.0 pkg German Ale/Kolsch (White Labs#WLP029)
• Mash at 152F for 60 mins
• Boil for 60 mins

Save this for Later

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Czech Amber Lager and an Altbier?

Both Czech Amber Lager and Altbier are traditional beer styles, originating from different parts of Europe. Czech Amber Lager, as the name suggests, is a lager type beer from Czech Republic.

It is known for its amber color and balanced taste, slightly tilting towards maltiness. On the other hand, Altbier is a German style beer, particularly from Dusseldorf. It’s a top-fermented beer which is then conditioned at cooler lager temperatures to achieve a cleaner fermentation profile.

This style is known for its slightly bitter taste and darker hue compared to the Czech Amber Lager.

How can one adapt the discussed Czech Amber Lager recipe to create an Altbier?

To adapt the Czech Amber Lager recipe for an Altbier, there are several adjustments needed. Firstly, using an Altbier yeast strain such as Wyeast 1007 German Ale or White Labs WLP036 Dusseldorf Alt Yeast is essential.

Secondly, the malt bill can be adjusted to include more traditional German malts like Munich or Pilsner malt, and perhaps a small amount of black malt for color adjustment.

Additionally, substituting the Saaz hops with a more traditional German hop like Spalt or Hallertauer will help achieve the characteristic bitterness of an Altbier. Lastly, following a German Ale fermentation and conditioning schedule would be necessary.

What would be the ideal water profile for brewing an Altbier?

The water profile is crucial for brewing an authentic Altbier. The Dusseldorf area, where Altbier originates, has a water profile that is moderately hard and alkaline.

Specifically, the water has high levels of calcium and bicarbonate, which assists in extracting the malt flavors and achieving the desired mouthfeel.

It’s advisable to adjust your brewing water to mimic this profile, or use mineral additions like gypsum or calcium chloride to achieve the desired water chemistry.

Can you mix any other beer styles with Altbier or Czech Amber Lager to create a unique blend?

Blending different beer styles can result in unique and complex flavors. While there isn’t a traditional blend involving Altbier or Czech Amber Lager, adventurous brewers or beer enthusiasts could experiment by blending these with other beer styles.

For instance, blending Altbier with a lighter pale ale or a wheat beer could result in a beer with a balanced flavor profile, combining the bitterness of the Altbier with the lighter, fruity notes of the other beer styles.

What hops would be recommended for someone looking to craft a German Altbier recipe?

For a traditional German Altbier, hops from the region like Spalt, Tettnanger, or Hallertauer are commonly used. These hops are known for their mild and herbal, or slightly spicy characteristics which complement the malt-forward profile of an Altbier.

It’s advisable to stick to these or similar varieties to achieve an authentic taste, although experimenting with other hop varieties could also yield interesting results.