Dortmunder, Again!

Support your local brewery — it’s such a gift to have Moontown Brewing Company nearby. The Dortmund style holds a special place in my heart, and I brewed this one with Moontown’s influence front and center. This beer is more than a style to me — it’s a memory. It takes me back to sharing a burger and a Great Lakes Dortmunder with my dad after I turned 21. I’ve brewed this style many times, always tweaking it, but his memory is in every batch. For this one, I went all-in on Bohemian floor-malted Pilsner malt — no Munich, no crystal. I also tossed in a full pound of whirlpool hops: 8oz each of Mount Hood and Spalt. The kettle cleanup was intense, but worth it. I’m thrilled with how it turned out… though maybe that’s the 3 or 4 I’ve had talking.

Prost!

Grain

  • 12lb Weyermann Bohemian Pilsner

Hops

  • .25oz Magnum 11.9% @ First Wort
  • 8oz Mt Hood 5.7% @ Whirlpool (130f for 30min)
  • 8oz Spalt 2.1% @ Whirlpool (130f for 30min)

Water

  • No Acid addition
  •   8g Gypsum (mash)
  •   4g Calcium Chloride (mash)
  •   10.5g Baking Soda (mash)
  •   15.5g Gypsum (sparge)
  •   7.6g Calcium Chloride (sparge)
  •   20g Baking Soda (sparge)

Yeast

  •  3 packs 34/70

Mash

  • Mash in with 4 gallons
  • Steep at 156f
  • Sparge 7.5 gallons at 170f

Boil

  • .25oz Magnum at First Wort
  • 1lb split between Mt Hood and Spalt at whirlpool 130f for 30 minutes

Fermentation

  • 34/70 ferment at 53f
  • D-rest at 58f

2 responses to “Dortmunder, Again!”

  1. Andy Avatar

    What a cool variant on this style! It’s definitely an innovative approach, with all-pilsner and the massive whirlpool hop load. I’ve brewed a Dortmunder a few times before (https://andybrews.com/category/dortmunder-export/), but went with a more traditional recipe. I like the style in that it plays well with our mineral-heavy water in the Los Angeles Basin…any other pale lager requires building from RO. I might have to give your recipe (or a version of it) a go in the future!

    1. Kev Avatar

      Thank you Andy!

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