Dunkles Bock — Home Brew Recipe

Dunkles Bock — Home Brew Recipe

Dunkles Bock — A Rich German Strong Lager

Dunkles Bock is one of Germany's most celebrated strong lagers. Originating in Einbeck before being refined by Munich brewers, this malty masterpiece showcases the depth and complexity achievable through quality ingredients and proper lagering. With an ABV typically between 6.3% and 7.5%, it's a warming brew that pairs beautifully with roasted meats, hearty stews and mature cheeses.

Ingredients (19 Litres)

Malt Bill

  • 4.5 kg Munich Malt (Type II)
  • 500 g Caramunich II
  • 250 g Melanoidin Malt
  • 150 g Carafa Special I (dehusked)

Hops

  • 40 g Hallertauer Mittelfrueh — 60 minutes
  • 15 g Tettnanger — 15 minutes

Yeast

  • Fermentis SafLager W-34/70 (2 sachets recommended for strong lagers)

Other

  • 1 tsp Irish moss — 15 minutes
  • Half a Campden tablet (if using chlorinated tap water)

Method

1. Mashing

Heat 16 litres of water to 67°C. Mash in all grains and hold at 65°C for 75 minutes. This extended mash develops the rich maltiness essential to the style. Mash out at 76°C for 10 minutes.

2. Sparging and Boiling

Sparge with 78°C water to collect approximately 25 litres of wort. Bring to a rolling boil and add the Hallertauer Mittelfrueh hops. After 45 minutes, add Irish moss. At 15 minutes remaining, add Tettnanger hops. Total boil time: 90 minutes to drive off DMS precursors from the Munich malt.

3. Cooling and Pitching

Cool wort rapidly to 10°C. Transfer to a sanitised fermenter, leaving trub behind. Pitch both sachets of rehydrated W-34/70 yeast. Ferment at 10-12°C for 2-3 weeks until fermentation completes.

4. Lagering

Once primary fermentation finishes (stable gravity reading over 48 hours), slowly reduce temperature by 2°C per day until you reach 2-4°C. Lager for a minimum of 6 weeks — 8-10 weeks produces even smoother results.

5. Packaging

Bottle with 100g of priming sugar dissolved in boiled water, or keg and force carbonate to 2.3 volumes CO2. Condition bottles for at least 3 weeks at cellar temperature before chilling to serve.

Expected Results

  • OG: 1.068-1.072
  • FG: 1.014-1.018
  • ABV: 6.5-7.2%
  • IBU: 22-26
  • Colour: Deep copper to dark brown

Brewing Tips

Temperature control is critical. Lager yeasts produce off-flavours if fermented too warm. Invest in a fermentation fridge or brew during colder months using an unheated room.

Use fresh Munich malt. This style relies heavily on malt character — stale grain produces dull, lifeless beer. Source your grain from suppliers with good stock turnover.

Don't rush lagering. The extended cold conditioning smooths harsh edges and allows complex malt flavours to harmonise. Patience transforms good beer into excellent beer.

Recommended Products

Browse our brewing grains collection for Munich malt and specialty malts. Pick up SafLager W-34/70 from our dried yeast range for reliable cold fermentation. You'll also find Hallertauer and Tettnanger hops in our hop collection.

Back to blog