Dusseldorf Altbier
BJCP 2008 – 07C

Statistics

Fermentables

Amount Fermentable %
2.00 pounds German Light Munich Malt 19.5%
1.50 pounds German Wheat Malt Light 14.6%
0.25 pounds German Carafa III 2.4%
2.00 pounds German Vienna Malt 19.5%
4.50 pounds German Pilsen Malt (2-Row) 43.9%
10.25 pounds Total Fermentable Weight 100%

Hops

Amount Hop Time Use Form AA
1.50 ouncesLiberty60 minutesBoilPellets4.0%
0.50 ouncesLiberty20 minutesBoilPellets4.0%
1.00 ouncesSaaz5 minutesBoilPellets2.5%
3.00 ounces Total Hop Weight

Yeasts

Name Lab/Manufacturer Product ID Form
Dusseldorf AltWhite LabsWLP036Liquid

Mash Profile Infusion

Mash Steps

# Name Time Temp.
1Dough In 5 minutes154° F
2Infusion 60 minutes154° F
3Sparge 40 minutes168° F

Fermentation and Aging

Primary:
10 days @ 65° F
Secondary:
18 days @ 65° F

General Info

My interpretation of the classic Dusseldorf style Alt. Intended to have a good balance of malt and hop bitterness. Perfect for an evening by the campfire. Style calls for a lagering period after fermentation.

I entered this into the Foam on the Range annual competition. From what the judges said (see the reviews below), it was a good beer, but not a Dusseldorf Alt. Generally, it was too dark and too malty for a Dusseldorf.

But what is it? Maybe a North German Alt? I honestly don’t know, and the judges didn’t give any suggestion as to style. I tweaked the recipe a bit to be more stylistically accurate - as a North German Alt. Live and learn.

Procedure

  • Single infusion mash or step infusion mash
  • If single infusion:
    • Mash for 60 minutes at 152°
  • If step infusion:
    • Add 2.5 gallons of water and mash at 135° for 30 minutes
    • Add 1.5 gallons of near-boiling water to raise the temperature to 155°; mash another 30 minutes
  • Sparge with 3.75 - 4.0 gallons of 168° water
  • Total boil time: 75 minutes
    • Add first round of hops at boil (bittering)
    • Add second round of hops at 45 minutes (flavor)
    • Add Irish Moss at 45 minutes
  • Cool wort to 70-75°
  • Pitch yeast
  • Cold condition for at least four weeks (the key to this style is cold condiditoning).