And on the Seventh Day, there was a Great Storm

So when I last posted, I was contemplating a new style of beer for our Novemberfest party. I threw out a couple of ideas, and some commenters had some great ideas as well. In the end, I've decided to go with what I guess I could call a Chicago-style Altbier.

The initial idea I floated in my post was: "Grain bill of 55% pilsner, 25% rye malt, 15% Munich, 5% carapils. Starting gravity around 1048. Around 35 IBU's. Fermented with WLP 029 (German ale-Kölsch yeast)." After some consideration, I decided to change that up a little bit. I decided, in true Festbier style, I should raise the gravity a bit. I suppose if my first idea was based on an Altbier, this one would be based on a Sticke. And of course, if I'm going to jack up the malt I have to jack up the hops as well. Finally, since Uerige dry-hops their Sticke, I figure I'll dry-hop this one too.

So what's the end result? My Great Storm Novemberfest, named after the Great Lakes Storm of November 1913 (I dropped the "Lakes" so it wouldn't sound like something from Great Lakes Brewing Company, which coincidentally has a beer--Edmund Fitzgerald Porter--which is named after a boat shipwrecked in a similar storm). I'll be brewing it up tomorrow, but for now here's my recipe:

7 lb. Pilsner malt (50%)
3.25 lb. Rye malt (23%)
3 lb. Dark Munich (10L) (22%)
0.65 lb. Carapils (5%)
1.9 oz. Horizon hops (12% AA) (67 IBU)
Dry hop to taste
WLP 320 (American Hefe) yeast

I've used WLP 320 with great success with Alts; I generally filter it but this time I'm going to go Kellerbier-style. You know, the funny thing is looking over the recipe now it really looks like a German version of an IPA, but in my head that's not my intention at all. Of course, some consider Altbier to be a German IPA anyway, so I guess it's not that surprising.

So anyway, that's what's on deck for tomorrow. And then on to Novemberfest!