Style: Schwarzbier
All StylesStyle Profile based on 523 recipes
BU:GU
0.50
Hops
3.7 g/L
Mash pH
5.43
Description
A dark German lager that balances roasted yet smooth malt flavors with moderate hop bitterness. The lighter body, dryness, and lack of a harsh, burnt, or heavy aftertaste helps make this beer quite drinkable. History: A regional specialty from Thuringia, Saxony and Franconia in Germany. History is a bit sketchy, but is suspected of being originally a top-fermented beer. Popularity grew after German reunification. Served as the inspiration for black lagers brewed in Japan. Style Comparison: In comparison with a Munich Dunkel, usually darker in color, drier on the palate, lighter in body, and with a noticeable (but not high) roasted malt edge to balance the malt base. Should not taste like an American Porter made with lager yeast. Drier, less malty, with less hop character than a Czech Dark Lager.
Examples: Devils Backbone Schwartz Bier, Einbecker Schwarzbier, Eisenbahn Dunkel, Köstritzer Schwarzbier, Mönchshof Schwarzbier, Nuezeller Original Badebier
- 84% Crystal (7%)
- 84% Toast (29%)
- 76% Pilsner (58%)
- 67% Roast (5%)
- 36% Pale (39%)
% of Schwarzbier recipes using each malt category (addition % in brackets)
g/L · median with IQR range
- 25% Hallertau Mittelfrüh
- 18% Magnum (GR)
- 15% Saaz (CZ)
- 11% Hallertau Taurus
- 9% Hallertauer Hersbrucker
- 9% Tettnanger
- 8% Perle (GR)
- 6% Hallertau Tradition
- 5% Hallertau (US)
- 3% Hallertau Gold
% of Schwarzbier recipes using each hop
g/L · median with IQR range
dated Schwarzbier recipes with at least one dry-hop addition
- 18% Pilsner (2 Row) Ger
- 16% Chocolate Malt
- 15% Munich Malt
- 10% German - Carafa II
- 10% American - Chocolate
- 9% German - Pilsner
- 8% Carafa II
- 7% German - Carafa III
- 7% Roasted Barley
- 7% Pilsner (Weyermann)
Colour = malt category · bar = % of recipes
- 19% Saflager Lager (W-34/70) Fermentis
- 11% German Lager Yeast (WLP830) White Labs
- 6% Bavarian Lager (2206) Wyeast Labs
- 5% Bohemian Lager (2124) Wyeast Labs
- 3% Safale American (US-05) Fermentis
- 3% SafLager West European Lager (S-23) Fermentis
- 2% German Bock Lager Yeast (WLP833) White Labs
- 2% LalBrew Diamond Lager Lallemand
- 2% Harvest (L17) Imperial Yeast
- 1% Southern German Lager Yeast (WLP838) White Labs
% of Schwarzbier recipes using each strain
- 65% Single Infusion
- 28% Step Mash
- 7% Decoction
82 recipes with mash data
- 80 ppm Ca²⁺
- 12 ppm Mg²⁺
- 9 ppm Na⁺
- 37 ppm Cl⁻
- 35 ppm SO₄²⁻
- 143 ppm HCO₃⁻
median across recipes with a declared water profile
Similar Styles
Ranked by similarity across OG, IBU, ABV, hop rate, and grist composition.