SCHWARZBIER: A German BLACK LAGER for the WINTER | How to make a BLACK BEER with NO ROAST FLAVORS

[@TheBigfoottrucker]

How much would that mug cost me where your at and over where they originally make it ?

[@Chumbi77]

"So now for flavor" *half the glass is gone*😂 Looks delicious!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Simple beer, complex taste. Love this style.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks Martin! I love making German beers for that exact reason. Cheers!

[@havenschultz5772]

I've done many dark beers in a similar fashion as you did here, adding the dark malts at the end of the mash. From all of my research on the topic, its best to calibrate your water profile (for mash pHs sake) based on the mash SRM that will be in your mash tun for the majority of the mash. When doing a dark beer that may require a bit of flavor support from water additions, I always add them along with the dark grain near the end of the mash to great success! While I've never done two batches side by side comparing the late chem addition vs. No addition, I have been quite pleased with my darker beers following this method. Plus, the addition near the end is pretty small anyways, usually making up the difference between where my lighter water profile is and where my water profile would have been if I had mashed my dark grains the entire time.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Never thought about adding water additions at different points during the mash, that is a very interesting idea!

[@seriomarkj]

A local brewery near me has one of these called dark helmet... it you get it, that's awesome... for those that don't I feel sorry for them

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Haha yes!! So many spaceballs themed Schwarzbiers out there

[@StuartEvans]

@@TheApartmentBrewer I see your Schwarzbier is bigger than mine. . . .

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

🤣🤣🤣

[@StratoJohn]

Inspiring me to give this beer style a go!

[@bigjplay]

Awesome video! I'm eyeballing this style for the cooler weather this fall/winter.

[@FermentationAdventures]

Great video! Hard to find Schwartzbiers, but craft breweries do brew them occasionally. It’s a great style. 👍 🍻

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks! They're among my favorite winter beers!

[@Jango1989]

That looks like a really great beer. I love schwarzbiers they have the refreshing crispness of a larger with the malty notes of a stout. Great choice for a December beer!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It's great this time of year!

[@pv4669]

Hey Steve, just viewing this now for some reason. I love a good Schwarzbier. Your comment about the body being a little too much had me looking at your malt bill. Your percentage of Munich malt is more in tune with a Munich Dunkel. Personally I think splitting the base malt between Pilsner malt and Munich malt would be appropriate giving you that richness along with a lighter body. Thanks for the video.

[@HOMEBREW4LIFE]

Really glad you made this video braj! This is one of my favorite beer styles of all time #top5

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It might even make my MySpace top 8 🤣 glad you enjoyed it man!

[@TheBruSho]

I think I might like dark lagers better than light colored lagers. Definitely going to have to try brewing one myself, great vid!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

They're fun! Thanks for watching Trent!

[@gerardnatale2387]

You always come up with the best names for your beers! Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks Gerard! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@oniwambushu]

Midnight wheat seems to do the trick for me for dark black dunkels that I like 😉👍🏼

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Midnight wheat is great too!

[@cmcurran5]

Behold the power of the Schwartz

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Use the Schwartz!!

[@herbbowers769]

When you were descibing the beer, I was thinking you'd add Carafa 3 not Carafa 2. And, I caught that you didn't need to add the baking soda as you added the dark grains at the end of the mash. I don't do it all the time but I usually add the dark grains at the end. So, I am used to crafting the PH to the lighter beer. Thanks for doing thiis style. I think I am going to try this as well.

[@nothingbutnetz]

i've found that using just munich or too much munich makes it too malty for a schwarz, so i split it with pilsen malt, still dark but get a little lighter "lager" flavor and less malt

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yeah I agree with that, and I think thats definitely what I'll be doing next time. Cheers!

[@remingtontyler]

It’s easy to see that this beer must’ve been delicious seeing as your mug was half empty before you even got to flavor!! Looks like a style I need to seek out this winter. Great work as always!

[@remingtontyler]

On another note, I’d love to see you make some of the beers again with the corrections you’ve suggested. That would be a great series of revisiting brews.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It's a smallish mug though haha, but it was pretty tasty! You're not the first one to suggest a rebrew series. I'm gonna have to put something together!

[@clintthompson4100]

If you do the rebrews with the corrections if you have any old brews bottled and do a taste comparison with the new and corrected setup and see which of the two you actually prefer better.

[@nelsonsmither280]

Great review. One of your more in depth analytical commentaries. I wonder if you had lagered a little longer would some of your points for improvement have self mitigated? Just a thought. I plan to brew one of these black lagers soon myself so very informative video. Thanks buddy. And happy holidays. Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

You are absolutely right, lagering a long time improves pretty much every beer, and now that its been in the keg for a month it's matured nicely. But I gotta stay on schedule for the videos, hence the slight rush.

[@achowe9313]

Great video Steve! Now I can't wait to get my S-23

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Enjoy!

[@skizziz]

Your channel is growing and getting much more entertaining. Great job man.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks so much! I'm always trying to improve a bit with every video!

[@ElementaryBrewingCo]

Looks awesome Steve! I just brewed a Munich Dunkel and I have a feeling it’s going to end up more like a Schwartzbeir because I used way too much carafa 3.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Sounds like we should trade haha since this is more like a dunkel than a Schwarzbier

[@Bullsbrew551]

Always liked Stormin Norman. Looks like a good beer. Congrats on 14k subscribers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks! Feels like yesterday I was at 1k, very grateful!

[@ChutesBrewing]

I love brewing Schwarzbier; definitely an underrated and under-produced beer, especially in the States. Many people I serve it to have never drank one before and a lot of them directly revert to, "I don't like dark beers; they're too heavy." Ever hear that one before? This one, especially with its subtleties and high drinkability, always surprises them and they're coming back for more. On your notes, I use a small quantity of Carafa III late in the mash (10-15 mins) and it does the trick for color and doesn't overdo the roasted flavor. You can also do a cold steep for some extra smoothness; look into that one. For your mash pH, remember that because you're adding the dark grains late, you're mash profile should take that into account. If you have too much NaCO³ without the dark grains, you'll overshoot your mash pH and you'll get that extra saltiness you described. Both lessons I, too, learned the hard way. Enjoy your holiday season, Steve. Cheers! 🍻

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks for your insights! I agree with everything you said here, although I've never tried the cold steep method and may have to give that a go sometime. Cheers!

[@jspeir4799]

Another great video! Always like how you explain your thought process and then talk about what you might do different next time. I haven't tried brewing this style yet, but after this video I'm adding it to my list.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad you enjoyed it! It's a great style!

[@SimKenny]

Two weeks ago, I brewed the Northern Brewers kit version and I am looking forward to tasting it here soon. I followed the Brulosophy quick lager method. Hopefully, it worked out.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Hope it turns out great!

[@terryt-rexhanke746]

Love the name on this one 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🍺🍺🍺

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Fantastic looking beer yet again! Been excited for this since you posted your insta photo. Great lager for colder weather as it goes down nicely but also has a warming taste to it with some body!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks! Malty lagers like this one are among my favorite winter beers!

[@NikitaVorontsov]

@@TheApartmentBrewer you got any plans for an altbier? (Can’t remember if you’ve done one recently)

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

@@NikitaVorontsov I did one a little over a year ago, but I would love to do another. Those are awesome beers as well!

[@NikitaVorontsov]

@@TheApartmentBrewer oh nice one! Yeah it’s a fantastic style that I’m also really keen to brew!

[@zzing]

Found this video- I did a version of the style using 53% Pilsner, 40.6% Munich ii, and 6.4% midnight wheat. That midnight wheat really is a secret weapon to avoid roast which I can too easily detect and detest. I did some noble hops down to .5 bu/gu. The beer turned out dry with a not quite drying character to it. I am not a good judge on maltiness but I think it had some. This thing might have been closer to a Baltic Porter. I might take some ideas from yours.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Sounds great! I've only used midnight wheat once, in a porter but it is absolutely delicious!

[@PatrickSandy78]

Such an underrated style. The version from Sprecher is amazing.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Super under-brewed and definitely worth making!

[@tommanning7337]

That’s awesome!!!! Looks great! 👍🏻👍🏻🍺🍺

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks Tom!!

[@StuartEvans]

Hi, I'm curious as to whether you update the recipe you post on your KZbin videos according to your comments about what you'd do differently next time, or do you leave them static as they were at the time of posting? I'm looking at ordering the ingredients for this as part of my current "LETS MAKE ALL THE LAGER" trip I'm apparently on now.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I post the recipe as brewed, since a lot of my changes are just my preferred flavor palate coming out. I'd recommend making the changes on the video against that recipe if you want to. Enjoy the trip, it's a hell of a ride lol

[@TroubleBrewing]

Awesome brew, looks like a solid beer for the winter. Only ever made one lager, Baltic porter. I think im just too impatient to lager beer.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Cold side finings!! Can't wait to make a Baltic Porter myself. Thanks for watching!

[@Will-jd2br]

Two weeks is pretty short for a lager fermentation. Your FG would be lower if you left it for 3-4 weeks. I know it's hard to wait, but you can't rush a german lager :)

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I probably could have let it go a bit longer, but it turned out pretty good (and got better obviously with time). Thanks for watching!

[@ragimundvonwallat8961]

i brewed for almost 20 years now, and i just kegged my first lager ever, i made a german pils. my workhorses are belgian white and bavarian wheat +irish stout here and there. for the first time i decided to go for those strange lager =P...just because my house get too cold in winter and it mess up my brewing so a people on brewing forum told me that i had perfect condition for lager so here i am. i watch this vide to see wath lager im brewing next...dunkel or schwarz, or i just go wacko and try to make monstrosity of my creation with 50% wheat lol just to see

[@Hellbrews]

Excellent approach end excellent tips for brewing it as always, makes me think of brewing one sooner haha cheers Steve ! 🍻🍻

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks Raul!!

[@clintthompson4100]

I think it looks great. I am a Dark beer fan. Granted I have had IPAs and I like the tropical/citrus ones and don't like the piney IPAs at all, but when I see a dark brew beer I am a huge Porter, Stout, Milk Stout and Coffee or Dark Chocolate fan. Than again I can eat a 100% Lindt Unsweetened Chocolate bar and I love the taste of it. Great job and another Dark Brew(Porter, Stout) would be awesome. Have a good one.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I agree! I don't think I make enough darker brews but that will be changing over this next year! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@clintthompson4100]

@@TheApartmentBrewer Your Welcome. You always have great information in your videos.

[@NunoAlves0000]

What was the pH prediction made by the brewing software?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I used brewer's friend for this one and it was looking to be about 5.3, but clearly it isn't always right haha. Even though I checked the late addition box for the carafa it didn't seem to change the resultant predicted pH by much.

[@JusBrewing]

Gonna have to brew one of these now!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I hope you do, it would be great to see your take on it!

[@HOMEBREW4LIFE]

do it Jus!

[@hansenmetalmachine]

Hello! Great video. I feel motivated to brew a Schwarzbier, they are so tasty. I have a question for you about the Ph meters you use. Between the two you have in your amazon store, which one works better? The reviews both have are kind of mixed. Thanks for all the work you do.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

My experience with the apera has been better. It comes with very good instructions and includes all the necessary calibration and storage solutions.

[@JusBrewing]

How long does it take for you to chill with the plate chiller?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

All depends on how cold the groundwater is for me. In the winter, about 10 minutes with recirculation back into the kettle. For a single pass I can get it down to 80. In the summer though it bottoms out at 75

[@riograndedosulball248]

I only have drank Schwarzbier once. Becker's, made in Saarland, and I have no idea if it really suited the stile, as it seemed exactly like Stout for me. Man, do I wish I had the means to brew at home and make one for myself :(

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It's never too late to start brewing! All you need is a pot and a grain bag to get started

[@riograndedosulball248]

@@TheApartmentBrewer that is surely true, but beer is a cruel mistress lol. I live in the countryside, will get the basic brewing equipment in a near future, through the mail, but the inability of buying the ingredients is what kills me :( There is a brewshop, but it's in the capital, a tad bit far away . Also, justifying to my family the need for a second fridge will be a task of it's own 😅 But I did get started somewhere! I'm halfway through fermenting a hard cider in the basement, and hopefully I don't screw it up. By Christmas we will know for sure!

[@mikeolivier6794]

Will adding the carafa at the end of the mash throw off your expected mash pH (when measured at 10 mins into the mash) vs just adding the dark grains at the beginning? I typically add dark grains at the end of the mash too, but wondered if my expected mash pH (as calculated in Brewfather) during conversion accounts for this...

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Basically I realized this later, but yeah, I should have targeted a mash pH more appropriate for an amber beer as the roasted grains didn't really impact all that much. Brewing software does not do a good job of taking this into account

[@EtherealPrelude]

Just curious, but why did you decide not to use the hop spider for your 10 minute hop addition?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It was a low hop bill overall so I just didn't feel like cleaning extra sludge out of the hop spider. There really isn't a big reason to use it in this type of brew

[@bigernbladesmith]

I was going to try my 1st lager soon. I was going to go with a Munich Dunkel, BUT this sounds even better. On hand I have only chocolate wheat, Carafa special 1, and Midnight Wheat. Can I sub for one of those?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Midnight wheat would be my recommendation for a sub. Best of luck and have fun!!

[@afhostie]

Is it possible to adjust the minerals post boil or post fermentation?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Not to my knowledge, unless you are adding more salts

[@foleyu2]

I reckon you try it again, but replace the Munich with Pils and up the carafa to compensate the colour. Schwarzbier should be super crushable, not super malty.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I definitely could have put Pilsner malt in here, but it was still a very drinkable beer. Thanks for watching!

[@jdavis2581]

What is the dinging sound..?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Prompts you to click on the suggested video that pops up in the upper right, or annoys the hell out of you, depends on the person lol

[@jdavis2581]

@@TheApartmentBrewer ohhh lol. Apparently when casting your videos from a phone to a tv with a chromecast, the suggested videos don't pop up. So I was just hearing random dinging all the time.

[@davidj3416]

For Winter? I say drink any kind of beer you want regardless of the season.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

No. You must only drink Schwarzbier. Nothing else!

[@iliffavenuebrewhouse6496]

Interesting. I haven't seen any Schwarzbier recipes with the base malt being 100% munich malt. To me it looks and sounds closer to a dunkel lager. I see that you addressed that...

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It is very very similar, but I found a bunch that took this approach. Probably could have changed it up a bit for a tad more authenticity but for what its worth I really liked the flavor that came from using the munich malt

[@iliffavenuebrewhouse6496]

@@TheApartmentBrewer Yeah that was an overstatement on my part. I should have said that most recipes I've seen feature a majority of pils malt. Cheers!

[@DrunkDelilahBrewery]

Black Malt mate, small percentage, zero roast.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Definitely would have worked well, but wanted to keep 100% German ingredients for this one. Thanks for watching!

[@DrunkDelilahBrewery]

@@TheApartmentBrewer absolutely mate, you only need 1% or less for the colour. I would imagine Germany has a black malt lol !!! - Loving the videos mate, excellent.

[@Thegoatbirdman]

I found it…..