To me, altbier is the perfect style, showcasing both malt and hops in a highly consumable form. Once in a while, though, you want to push the envelope—to celebrate a special occasion, perhaps, or to show off at an event. That’s when I reach for the sticke. Most competitions have no category for it—you could enter it as a specialty, but the one thing you won’t do is wonder why you brewed this style in the first place.
Style: Altbier, orange to copper in color, is a hybrid style—neither ale nor truly lager, it has elements of both. It ferments cool and relatively clean; there may be a low berry-cherry ester. The malt can be complex but not sweet, with a range of bready and caramel flavors and a bit of chocolate malt to dry out the finish. Hops play a significant role, with firm bitterness yet typically subtle flavors. When we make the leap to sticke alt, however, there are some changes. The color deepens because of the bigger grist; hop aroma and flavor can also increase, while bitterness keeps pace to maintain balance. I also take my crystal-malt additions bigger and darker—and that’s where it gets tricky. We want a more robust malt punch, but we still want a dry finish. Ultimately, a sticke should be recognizable as an altbier, but louder.
Ingredients: My standard altbier recipe—you can find it at beerandbrewing.com—already pushes the style’s upper end. This strategy is similar, with some adjustments. The gravity gets bigger, and I reach for the Maris Otter for its bready character, increasing its proportion. I’m also increasing the Caramunich while maintaining lighter layers of dark (90°L) crystal and pale chocolate. That British dark crystal adds some light roast in addition to complex toffee-biscuit flavor—a great fit for this recipe. I also increase the bittering hops as well as the 15-minute Tettnanger addition for some more prominent floral notes. Finally, I like to add some Hallertauer Mittelfrüh at flameout/whirlpool to punch up the aroma. The yeast is an easy call: Wyeast 1007 German Ale for its perfect ester profile and full attenuation.
Process: Attenuation matters in an altbier, and it matters even more in a sticke. I like to mash longer at 152°F (67°C), but you could also mash a bit lower. Ferment relatively cool and with patience, starting about 58°F (14°C) and increasing slowly after a few days to promote active fermentation through completion. Give it the time it needs to finish, and then a bit more. Crash before packaging, and lager cold for a few weeks before enjoying.