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7C - Dusseldorf Altbier

Dusseldorf Altbier is one of the few styles that can be traced back for thousands of years. It was probably made by the Germanic peoples as far back as 3000 years ago. Dusseldorf is a town in Germany that is far enough north that the brewers there can brew ales all year around. This is one of the reasons that lagers didn't get quite as popular as elsewhere in Germany, such as Bavaria, where their summer beers turned sour more often than not and they were forced to brew only in the winter months.

The brewers in the Rhineland did, however, utilize some of the new brewing techniques that made lagers so popular throughout the world. One was aging the ales at very cold temperatures to allow the yeast to reabsorb and clean up some of the off flavors of fermentation. This is what puts the Dusseldorf Altbier in the "Hybrid" category of beer styles. It's an ale that is cold conditioned at lager temperatures.

If you were to try and describe a Dusseldorf Altbier in relation to a British beer as Horst Dornbusch did in his book called Altbier: History, Brewing Techniques, Recipes (Classic Beer Style Series, 12), you could say its flavor is somewhere between a brown ale and a dark ale. But as a German beer, it has some distinct German and continental characteristics. Unlike the British beers, the Dusseldorf altbier has a typical German full-bodied flavor and it is also maltier and less bitter than the typical British ale. Many have some residual sugar since is fermented cool at around 55°F (13°c).

Since the brewers were able to brew ales year round and others in Germany weren't, the town of Dusseldorf embraced the "old" or alt style of brewing ales using top fermenting yeast. The name "alt" means old but is a new name applied to the ancient beer. It is only in the last two hundred years that the beer began being called altbier to distinguish it from the "new" lagers which had taken over. Before that it was simply called "bier".

Since Dusseldorf is in the Rhineland, it can get rather cool at times. To get the altbiers brewed there to attenuate fully, the brewers needed a yeast that could ferment at those cool temperatures and would still attenuate well. The altbier yeast is somewhat of an anomoly in that it is an ale yeast that will ferment aggressively at very cool temperatures to produce a beer that is well attenuated. At these temperatures, it does not produce many of the fruity esters typical of most ale yeasts. It lets the soft, lightly malty, sweet, toasty aromas shine through, producing a beer that is very clean. It's very important that you use an altbier yeast if you want to get these defining characteristics. Mash at a low temperature, around 149-150°F (65-66°C) to get a very fermentable wort. Ferment cool, at around 60°F (16°C) and allow for at least a month of cold lagering to mellow the beer and allow the yeast to consume the unwanted byproducts of fermentation. Since the beer ferments so well and attenuates fully, to get the touch of residual sweetness that is appropriate in this beer, you can use a Crystal or Caramel malt which will leave some sweetness and body in the finished beer. Caramunich is a good choice, but keep the percentage low, at around 5% so it doesn't seem too sweet. There is nothing you can do about residual sugars left that are unfermentable. No amount of lagering will reduce them, so err on the low side for your crystal malt addition.

Aroma: Dusseldorf Altbier has a clean yet robust and complex aroma of rich malt, noble hops and restrained fruity esters. The malt character reflects German base malt varieties. The hop aroma may vary from moderate to very low, and can have a peppery, floral or perfumy character associated with noble hops. No diacetyl should be evident, since the beer is cold conditioned.

Appearance: It is a light amber to orange-bronze to deep copper color, never quite reaching brown. It should be brilliant in clarity (it may be filtered). Dusseldorf Altbier has a thick, creamy, long-lasting off-white head.

Flavor: The flavor has strong hop bitterness that is well balanced by a sturdy yet clean and crisp malt character. The malt presence is moderated by medium-high to high attenuation, but considerable rich and complex malt flavors remain. Some fruity esters may survive the lagering period. A long-lasting, medium-dry to dry, bittersweet or nutty finish reflects both the hop bitterness and malt complexity. Noble hop flavor can be moderate to low. There should be no roasted malt flavors, harshness, or diacetyl present. Some yeast strains may impart a slight sulfury character to the beer. A light minerally character is also sometimes present in the finish, but is not required. The apparent bitterness level is sometimes masked by the high malt character; the bitterness can seem as low as moderate if the finish is not very dry.

Mouthfeel: Dusseldorf Altbiers are medium-bodied and smooth with medium to medium-high carbonation. Astringency should be low to none. Despite being a very flavorful beer, it's light bodied enough to be consumed as a session beer in its home brewpubs in Düsseldorf.

Overall Impression: A well balanced, bitter yet malty, clean, smooth, well-attenuated amber-colored German ale.

Comments: The Dusseldorf Altbier is a bitter beer balanced by a pronounced malt richness. It is fermented at cool ale temperature, and lagered at cold temperatures to produce a cleaner, smoother palate than is typical for most ales. Common variants include Sticke (“secret”) alt, which is slightly stronger, darker, richer and more complex than typical alts. Bitterness rises up to 60 IBUs and is usually dry hopped and lagered for a longer time. Münster alt is typically lower in gravity and alcohol, sour, lighter in color (golden), and can contain a significant portion of wheat. Both Sticke alt and Münster alt should be entered in the specialty category.

Ingredients: Grists vary for the altbier, but usually consist of German base malts (usually Pils, sometimes Munich) with small amounts of crystal, chocolate, and/or black malts used to adjust color. Occasionally the grist will include some wheat. Spalt hops are traditional, but other noble hops can also be used. The native water is moderately carbonate. It is brewed with a clean, highly attenuative ale yeast. A step mash or decoction mash program is traditional.

Vital Statistics: OG: 1.046 – 1.054 FG: 1.010 – 1.015 IBUs: 35 – 50 SRM: 11 – 17 ABV: 4.5 – 5.2%.

Commercial Examples: Altstadt brewpubs: Zum Uerige, Im Füchschen, Schumacher, Zum Schlüssel; other examples: Diebels Alt, Schlösser Alt, Frankenheim Alt

References: Information for this page was adapted from the 2008 BJCP Style Guidelines, the page on Altbier from The German Beer Institute, The German Beer Portal for North America, and Altbier: History, Brewing Techniques, Recipes (Classic Beer Style Series, 12) by Horst D. Dornbusch.

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