Brewing a Munich dunkel at home

Dark, but not roasty

Dunkel means dark in German. The style is brown to dark brown, around 14 to 28 SRM, with an original gravity of 1.048 to 1.056, about 4.5 to 5.6% ABV and 18 to 28 IBU. The flavour is bread crust, toasted bread and a hint of chocolate, with very little roast. Hops stay in the background.

Brewers who reach for roasted barley or lots of chocolate malt end up with a porter. The dunkel character comes from Munich malt.

A grist led by Munich malt

For 20 litres at about 1.052:

• 3.6 kg dark Munich malt (77%)
• 0.8 kg pilsner malt (17%)
• 0.2 kg CARAMUNICH type crystal malt (4%)
• 0.1 kg dehusked black malt (2%)

Many traditional dunkels use 90 to 100% Munich malt. Our version keeps some pilsner for enzymes and lightness. Dehusked black malt adds colour with little bitterness. Our guide to brewing a lager at home covers the general lager process.

Decoction, step mash or single infusion

Dunkel was traditionally brewed with decoction mashing. Part of the mash is boiled and returned to raise the temperature, building melanoidins and depth. If you want to try it, our decoction mashing guide explains the process.

At home, a simpler step mash also works well: 15 minutes at 52 °C, 40 minutes at 63 °C, 20 minutes at 72 °C, then mash out at 76 °C. A single infusion at 66 °C with a little melanoidin malt gets close. The difference shows mostly in side by side tasting.

Hops stay quiet

Aim for about 22 IBU with a German noble hop such as Hallertau or Tettnang. With a 4% alpha hop, that is about 40 g at 60 minutes for 20 litres. A small addition of 10 g at 15 minutes is enough. Hop aroma is not part of the style.

Pick hops with a soft, herbal or floral character. High alpha American varieties can taste sharp against the smooth malt. Their citrus notes have no place here. Store hop pellets in the freezer in a sealed bag. Old, cheesy hops are a common hidden fault in malty lagers, because the low hop level makes any off note stand out.

Water that suits dark malt

Munich's water is rich in carbonate, which balances the acidity of darker malts. That is part of why dark beers developed there. If you use RO or very soft water, add a little calcium chloride, around 3 g for 20 litres. A small amount of baking soda can help if mash pH drops below 5.3. If you use hard borewell water with high alkalinity, it may suit this beer better than a pale lager. Measure mash pH and aim for 5.3 to 5.5.

Cold fermentation and lagering

Pitch two sachets of dry lager yeast or a large starter at 9 to 11 °C. Hold there for about a week, until gravity is around two thirds of the way down. Raise to 16 to 18 °C for a two to three day diacetyl rest. Then drop slowly to 0 to 2 °C and lager for four to six weeks.

That schedule needs a fridge or chest freezer with a controller in most of India. Fermenting a dunkel at room temperature gives fruitiness that clashes with the malt.

Lagering is also where the beer clears. Dark beer hides haze, but yeast still in suspension blurs the malt flavour. A gelatin fining after the first week of lagering speeds this up. Transfer gently and keep oxygen out: dark malt flavours oxidise into sherry and wet cardboard notes over time, faster in warm storage.

Serving and storage

Carbonate to about 2.4 to 2.6 volumes and serve at 7 to 9 °C. A dunkel works well with food: tandoori chicken, roast pork, keema pav and grilled paneer all pick up the toasted malt.

Store it cold. Heat dulls malt flavour and brings out stale, papery notes. A well-made dunkel stays good for a few months in cold storage. Judging bread crust from caramel from roast is a useful palate skill for any brewer of dark lagers.

Learn the malt before the recipe

Buy a small bag of dark Munich malt and chew a few grains next to pilsner malt and a crystal malt. That bread crust note is the backbone of the beer. Once you know it, the recipe makes sense.

Common questions

Do I need to decoction mash a dunkel?

No. Decoction is traditional, but a step mash or single infusion with Munich malt gives a very good result at home.

Why is my dunkel roasty?

Too much roasted or chocolate malt. Dunkel should use mainly Munich malt with a small amount of dehusked black malt for colour.

What temperature should I ferment a dunkel at?

Around 9 to 11 °C, followed by a diacetyl rest and four to six weeks of lagering near 0 to 2 °C.