Andrew Foss, head brewer at lager-heavy Human Robot in Philadelphia, shares this recipe for their “half-dark” Czech-style lager—now a popular year-rounder for them, born when Foss wanted to brew a tmavý. “But I was short on roasted malt that day,” he says, “and a staple beer in our lineup was created.”
“Decoction brewing gives the brewer excellent control over the beer’s attenuation and overall malt profile,” Foss says. “The method used here is known as ‘enhanced decoction,’ and it gives the brewer maximum control of timing the temperature rises in the main mash.”
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.051
FG: 1.012
IBUs: 25
ABV: 5%
