Dark lager extract recipe

[EliteEvil]

Anyone have a recipe for an extract dark lager? If not could anyone suggest a starting point?

I would like to use motueka/sorachi ace for some lemon flavour but not to the point of being a black ipa.

Would a cold steep of roasted German malts be the best way to get the colour and flavour for a dark lager?

Also I have some mauribrew lager yeast that was sent to me by mistake instead of ale yeast which I would probably use for the brew.

[CestrIan]

You want to steep carafa special 2 or 3 from weyermann. It is dehusked so you get the colour and subtle flavours without the roastiness and tannins that you get from other dark malts like patent or chocolate or roasted barley. A cold steep in a cafetiere over night will do the trick. Motueka would be great. I did a single hop ale a couple of months ago with this NZ hop and it was very lager like. Take it easy on the late additions for a lager. It's very zesty!

Just make sure you pitch big (4L starter) and cold (<10C) for a nice clean lager flavour.

Good luck! Let us know how it turns out!

[EliteEvil]

Ok... how about

2.5kg light spraymalt
500g carafa 3 cold steep overnight (I only have a 3 cup cafetierre so might be in a pan or something and sieve it into the boiler a few minutes before switchoff)
40g motueka 6.7% pellets for 60 minutes
15g motueka 6.7% pellets for 15 minutes

1 or 2 x Mauribrew lager yeast at 10-16oC

Do you think that would turn out something nice?

And is a cold steep better at room temperature or in the fridge?

[CestrIan]

Are you sure that your Motueka is 6.7%AA? Mine is 13.8%. I just put that in to beer engine and it came out at 35 IBU. You want to keep it low 20's. I would go 25g at 60 minutes and 10g at 15 mins. That comes out at 23 IBU.

500g is also way too much carafa special 3. That would give you a colour of 220 EBC. Guinness is about 100 EBC. I would go about 200g carafa 3 to get 95 EBC.

I don't know if it makes much difference but I cold steep in the fridge.

I've never used mauribrew yeast so I can't help you with that one.

[EliteEvil]

I have ordered them from here, it definitely says 6.7?

I will give your recipe a go and report back in about a month or so.