Dusseldorf Alt

[quiff]

Does anybody have any recipes for the type of alt they serve in dusseldorf?
SWMBO loved it too so I may be able to quieten the growing amount of whingeing down if I can produce something similar

[mysterio]

I would go with 78% Pilsner malt, 20% Munich malt, 2% Carafa Special II (tweak this last one to get the colour to dark copper).

I don't reckon theres any crystal malt in these but you could replace up to 5% of either the pilsner malt or Munich malt for CaraMunich if you wanted some caramel sweetness.

Use the Dusseldorf Alt yeast from White Labs, failing that the Kolsch yeast will both make a beer very similar to what you get in Dusseldorf. You will have to make a starter for either of these yeasts. Failing that I think US-05 or Nottingham would make a passable verison. I would mash at about 65C and aim for a gravity of 1.048. Use a continental hop like Northern Brewer, Saaz, Spalter, anything like that to get IBUs around 40 - 45. Ferment aroudn 16C.

Then fill up a wooden barrel with your beer, break out the Wurstchen and Halven Hahn for the full AltStadt experience

[quiff]

great, thanks Mysterio.

[mentaldental]

I can recommend ALTBIER by Horst Dornbusch, much better than some of the Classic Beer Styles series.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Altbier-History ... 222&sr=1-1

Grist
Pils malt 60%
Munich malt 15%
Vienna malt 15%
Crytal malt medium colour 10%

Hops
Bitter to 40 IBU with Hall Mittelfrueh, Spalt, or Perle
Late hops ditto, about 15g in 23l
Aroma hops Spalt or Tettanger 28g in 23l

Yeast
Altbier yeast is funny stuff, a top fermenter that works best at low tempoeratures. Aim for
Primary at 13-19C, lower is better
Drop to 5-6C for a day to allow sedimentation
Diacetyl rest at 13C for a few days
Lager at low temperature. 0C is common commercially
Wyeast 1007 or
White Labs WLP036