Munich Dunkel
- Recipes:
- 1,602
- BJCP 2021:
- 08A
- Era:
- Traditional
- Origin:
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Fermentation:
- Bottom
- Conditioning:
- Lagered
- Color:
- Dark
- Strength:
- Normal
- Taste:
- Malty
Profile
The Munich Dunkel is a classic dark German lager that finds its origins in Bavaria. Its history is linked to the advent of darker, Munich malts which allowed for a flavorful but smooth and drinkable brew. Historically, this style was among the more common German lagers before pale varieties gained prominence.
In terms of appearance, Munich Dunkels have a deep copper to dark brown hue with reddish tints, offering excellent clarity and a large, creamy, persistent off-white head. The flavor is malt-forward featuring a rich breadiness often compared to freshly baked brown bread or toast. Chocolate notes can be apparent though they shouldn't eclipse the dominant bready character while hop bitterness is generally low but sufficient enough to balance the beer’s sweetness without becoming overtly bitter or hop-flavored. Hop flavor is typically negligible; moreover, despite its rich profile it finishes relatively dry with a clean lager character devoid of fruity esters or diacetyl that can sometimes appear in ale counterparts.
While standalone in its profile, Munich Dunkel shares certain traits with other related European dark lager styles such as Czech Dark Lagers or Schwarzbiers – these adjacent styles might present different variations on bitterness or specific malt flavors but stem from similar traditional lager brewing practices emphasizing local malt varieties and clean fermentation profiles.
.Specifications
Alcohol
Specification
4.5 – 5.6 %
In Database
4.1 < 5.0 < 6.0 %
Bitterness
Specification
18 – 28 IBU
In Database
15 < 23 < 32 IBU
Color
Specification
33 – 55 EBC
17 – 28 SRM
In Database
27 < 39 < 58 EBC
14 < 20 < 29 SRM
Original Extract
Specification
11.9 – 13.7 °P
1.048 – 1.056 OG
In Database
10.4 < 12.8 < 15.3 °P
1.042 < 1.052 < 1.063 OG
Final Gravity
Specification
2.6 – 4.1 °P
1.010 – 1.016 FG
In Database
1.8 < 3.1 < 4.6 °P
1.007 < 1.012 < 1.018 FG
