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Recipe: Rothaus Tannenzäpfle
Based on conversations with Rothaus head brewer and production manager Mario Allendoerfer, here is a homebrew-scale recipe inspired by the modern classic German pilsner from the Black Forest.
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ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.050
FG: 1.011
IBUs: 32
ABV: 5.1%
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.050
FG: 1.011
IBUs: 32
ABV: 5.1%
[PAYWALL]
MALT/GRAIN BILL
9.3 lb (4.2 lb) German pilsner
HOPS SCHEDULE
0.5 oz (14 g) Tettnanger Perle at 55 minutes [13 IBUs]
1.2 oz (34 g) Tettnanger Tradition at 30 minutes [13 IBUs]
1.2 oz (34 g) Tettnanger Tettnanger at 10 minutes [6 IBUs]
YEAST
W-34/70 or other favorite German lager yeast (see Brewer’s Notes)
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains, mash in at 142°F (61°C), and rest 5 minutes. While holding the main mash at that temperature, pull about one quarter of the mash to a kettle for a decoction: Raise the decoction to 153°F (67°C) and rest 5 minutes; raise to 162°F (72°C) and rest 5 minutes, then bring it to a boil for 5 minutes. Reunite the mash, aiming for 153°F (67°C), and rest 35 minutes; raise to 162°F (72°C) and rest 35 minutes; then raise to 169°F (76°C), rest 5 minutes, and mash out. Recirculate until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as needed to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the schedule. Chill the wort to about 50°F (10°C), aerate well, and pitch plenty of healthy yeast. Ferment at 50°F (10°C) until complete, about 7 days. Drop yeast or rack to secondary, holding at 50°F (10°C) for 3 days or until beer passes a diacetyl test. Drop by 3–4°F (2°C) per day for 5 days to reach 32°F (0°C), and lager for six weeks, then package, carbonate, and enjoy.
BREWER’S NOTES
Water: Very soft, with calcium chloride adjusted to about 50 ppm.
Yeast: Rothaus says it uses a mix of the W-34/70 and W-164 strains from the Weihenstephan Hefebank. The lab describes W-164 as having medium attenuation, very good diacetyl reduction, normal esters, and a recommended temp range of 50–57°F (10–14°C). We don’t know a widely available equivalent, but ones to try include Fermentis SafLager S-189 or White Labs WLP833 German Bock Lager.
Polishing: Rothaus filters Tannenzäpfle extensively to achieve its clarity. On a smaller scale, the lagering time in conjunction with kettle and/or keg finings may be enough to get the job done.
Carbonation: Like most German breweries, Rothaus uses spunding valves toward the end of fermentation to naturally carbonate its beers.
Dilution: For Tannenzäpfle, Rothaus brews, ferments, and lagers a 5.6 percent ABV beer, then filters and dilutes it down to 5.1 percent ABV. This isn’t practical or even desirable for most breweries—but if you scale the recipe up by 10 percent, you could make a beer that tastes like what comes out of the tanks.
