8. KOELSCH AND ALTBIER
8B. Duesseldorf Altbier
Aroma: Munich malt aroma, with a restrained fruitiness. Hop aroma may vary from low to moderate.
Appearance: Orange-copper to brown color, with brilliant clarity. Thick, persistent head.
Flavor: Assertively bitter, with intense Munich malt-derived flavor to support. Fruity esters should be restrained; some chocolatey notes are often present. Hop flavor should be low to medium.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, with moderate carbonation. Some commercial examples have a dry finish resulting from a combination of high bitterness, higher attenuation, and moderate sulfate in the water.
Overall Impression: Bitterness is very high, especially in relation to the (moderate) gravity. Munich malt character lends balance, resulting in a bittersweet character. Very smooth from fermentation at the lower end of the temperature range for ales, followed by a period of lagering.
History/Comments: A very bitter beer with a pronounced Munich malt character. Ingredients, fermentation at low temperature (for an ale), and a lagering period combine to lend a cleaner palate than for most ales. Predates the isolation of bottom fermenting yeast strains, though it approximates many characteristics of lager beers. Many Northern German Altbiers are lagers.
Ingredients: German Munich malt is essential to obtaining the necessary depth of malt character. Hops are traditionally Spalt, though other German varieties are often used.
| Vital Statistics: | OG: 1.040-1.055 |
| IBUs: 40-60 | FG: 1.012- 1.019 |
| SRM: 11-19 | ABV: 5-5.5% |
Commercial Examples: Zum Uerige, Zum Schluessel, Im Fuchschen, Widmer Ur-Alt, Schumacher.
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