Kópavogur Session Schwarzbier
A smooth, toasty black lager at 3.5% that drinks like a full-strength one. Munich and a little CaraMunich give it bread-crust depth, dehusked Carafa gives colour and a hint of cocoa without roast bite, and W-34/70 fermented under pressure in the Fermzilla keeps it clean at room temperature.
Ingredients Batch
Grain
- 1.9 kgPilsner malt Weyermann or similar
- 1 kgMunich malt light Munich, ~15–20 EBC
- 200 gCaraMunich II ~120 EBC
- 200 gCarapils / dextrin malt body for a low-ABV beer
- 150 gCarafa Special III dehusked, ~1400 EBC; Carafa Special II also works
Hops
- 40 gHallertauer Mittelfrüh ~4% AA · 60 min; or 10 g Magnum
- 20 gHallertauer Mittelfrüh ~4% AA · 15 min
Yeast & extras
- 2 packetsFermentis SafLager W-34/70 two packets for a clean pressure ferment
- 1 tabletWhirlfloc
- 1.7 mlLactic acid 88% into the mash
Order from brew.is7 items · 20 L
- 1.9Dingemans Ultra Pils
- 1Munich II
- 0.2Caramunich II
- 0.2Dingemans Dextrin (CaraPils)check
- 0.15Carafa Special III
- 2Hallertau Mittelfruh 50grcheck
- 2Fermentis W-34/70 11.5gr
Not in the list: Whirlfloc, Lactic acid 88%. Add them on brew.is if you need them.
Water
- 18 LMash water + 1.2 g gypsum, 2.5 g calcium chloride
- 11 LSparge water at 76°C + 0.8 g gypsum, 1.5 g calcium chloride
Pre-boil volume 26 L · Into the fermenter 20.5 L
| Ion, mg/L | Kópavogur tap | After salts | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium | 4.5 | 58 | 60 |
| Sulfate | 2.4 | 41 | 40 |
| Chloride | 8.7 | 75 | 75 |
| Magnesium | 0.8 | 0.8 | — |
| Sodium | 9.7 | 9.7 | — |
| Bicarbonate | 28 | 28 | — |
Predicted mash pH 5.40 at room temperature · target 5.40 · see the calculation
Predicted mash pH is about 5.5 without acid and 5.4 with the lactic acid; the dark malts do some of the acidifying, so check at 10 minutes and skip the acid if you're already at 5.3–5.4. Calcium chloride is dihydrate flakes; use about 25% less if yours is anhydrous.
The profile leans soft and chloride-forward for a rounder, maltier finish. Capital-area water isn't chlorinated, so no Campden tablet is needed.
Volumes assume about 70% brewhouse efficiency, 1 L/kg grain absorption, roughly 3 L/h boil-off on the 1900 W element and 2–3 L left in the kettle.
Method
- Heat the water
Fill the BrewZilla with (18 L), stir in the gypsum (1.2 g) and calcium chloride (2.5 g), and heat on both elements to 69–70°C. Heat the sparge water (11 L) to 76°C in a separate pot with its gypsum (0.8 g) and calcium chloride (1.5 g).
- Mash in
Fit the grain basket with its bottom screen and overflow pipe. Stir in the Pilsner malt (1.9 kg), Munich (1 kg), CaraMunich (200 g), carapils (200 g), Carafa (150 g) and lactic acid (1.7 ml) slowly to avoid dough balls, then fit the top screen.
- Mash at 67°C, recirculating
Rest 10 minutes, then open the pump to a slow, steady trickle. Hold 67°C for 60 minutes on the 1900 W element only; the slightly high mash keeps a 3.5% beer from tasting thin.
- Mash out
Raise to 76°C for 10 minutes with the step-mash program to loosen the bed for sparging.
- Lift and sparge
Lift the grain basket onto its resting lugs and sparge slowly with the 76°C water. Collect the pre-boil volume (26 L) without pressing the grain.
- Boil
Bring to the boil on both elements, then drop to 1900 W only and boil 60 minutes. Add the Hallertauer (40 g) at the start, the second Hallertauer (20 g) and Whirlfloc (1 tablet) with 15 minutes left, and the immersion chiller with 10 minutes left.
- Chill, settle and transfer
Chill to 15–16°C, let the trub settle 10–15 minutes, then run (20.5 L) into the Fermzilla. Aerate well and pitch both packets of yeast (2 packets).
- Ferment under pressure
Fit the spunding valve set to about 1 bar (15 psi) and ferment at 18–20°C. Pressure keeps the lager yeast from throwing fruity esters at room temperature.
- Check it's finished
Once gravity is stable around 1.009 for two days and there's no buttery smell, the beer is done. If you get diacetyl, leave it at 20°C another 2–3 days.
- Cold crash and lager
Drop to 1–2°C and raise the spunding valve to about 1.2 bar so it carbonates to around 2.5 volumes as it chills. Lager cold for at least two weeks; it gets smoother the longer it sits.
- Package
Do a closed transfer to a purged keg, or serve straight from the Fermzilla with a floating dip tube.
Notes
Best from about a month after brew day and good for 2–3 months cold. If it tastes thin, mash at 68°C or add 0.1 kg more carapils; if the roast is too sharp, cut the Carafa to 0.1 kg; if it's too sweet, drop the CaraMunich.
Brew log
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