Munich Dunkel - Tasting

I really wanted to get to know some other types of lagers after I recently discovered helles. So I branched out to dunkel, among others. The natural progression from there was to attempt brewing my own. I listened to podcasts, read blog posts, reviewed the brewing classic styles version, and studied the style guidelines.

Mine probably isn't quite to style. It has a fair amount of cara- malt, for example. However, I pretty much strictly create my own recipes. The beer that I brewed is based on pretty much the initial recipe; it was tweaked to a certain extent. But I really wanted -- and always want -- to make these beers my own, based on my own creativity and research.

It might be a touch dark, and just ever so slightly sweet. If I were to brew it again, I'd at least reduce the cara- malt if not eliminate it altogether. Moreover, I might increase the bitterness slightly and reduce the mash temp in an effort to increase attenuation. That said, in terms of sweetness, it is moderate, without being cloying or bone-dry. OG was 1.060 (before adding 500 mL of water) and FG was 1.012. I fermented this beer with 34/70.

Taste is of... malt? The color seems to play tricks on the mind: surely it must be roasty, caramely right? But no. It is mainly just clean, pale malt. There might be just a hint of caramel, or perhaps coffee. Maybe just a bit of dark fruit. There seems to be a hint of caramel sweetness in the aroma. No hop flavor or aroma at all. Low bitterness. It is very clean; absolutely no phenolics, diacetyl, or sulfur. 

It is a nice-looking beer with good clarity, a rich ruby color, and a tan head that fades to a ring of bubbles on the edges of the glass.

Overall, I am pleased with this beer and relieved to know that I can brew a decent lager, notwithstanding my helles fiasco that made me consider giving up on them. And you can too. I encourage apprehensive homebrewers to give lagers a try. They're much more straightforward than the standard homebrew conventional wisdom would lead you to believe. I have to credit the Brulosophy experiments for encouraging me to brew lagers. Cheers!

https://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/munich-dunkel-2f0eef