German Alt

Start with 13 quarts at 130 deg - should cool to 122 for a 30 min rest
Add 6 quarts boiling water – rest for 15 min
Add 3 quarts boiling water – rest for 15 min
End with 22 quarts at 156 degrees
Add 7 quarts of boiling water for mashout
Put 7 gallons through Mash tun - 28 quarts




These directions are presented by Dornbusch as general/standard Alt directions.

Dough-in at 122°F (50°C) for a 30 minute protein rest. Increase the mash temperature by adding hot water and/or direct heat to 148°F (64°C) for a 15 minute beta saccharification rest. Raise temperature again to 156°F (69°C) for a 15 minute alpha saccharification rest. Mash out by raising the temperature to 170°F (77°C).

Altbier boils are generally 90-120 min. The longer boil time assists in darkening the wort. Subsequently, hop additions will vary depending on length of boil.

Ferment the wort at 60°F (16°C) until it is about 90% attenuated. At the end of primary fermentation, reduce the fermenter temperature by about 2°F (1°C) per day until the temperature gets down to 32-40°F (0-4°C). Let it sit for two weeks to two months (the longer the better). It is recommended to rack the beer off the sediment once or twice with in the first week and purge debris out of the bottom of the fermenter.