Homebrew Recipe
Keutebier
- Method:
- Partial Mash
- Style:
- Specialty: Historical Beer
- Boil Time:
- 30 min.
- Batch Size:
- 5 gal.
- Boil Size:
- 5.5 gal.
- Efficiency:
- 65
- Rating:
- Source:
- Brew Your Own
- Source Notes:
- November 2019, Vol. 25, No. 7 page 73. Part of "Extinct German Styles" brew special. This beer probably originated in Holland in the 14th century. At the beginning, it was most likely a sweet, unhopped gruit beer made from a mash of barley malt, oatmeal, and a little wheat flour. The relative proportions are unclear. Keutebier-making eventually spread throughout the entire northwestern European lowlands, which is why there are many different spellings for this brew, including koet, coyt, keut, koit, keuta (Latin), and quente (French). Although keutebier is hardly ever produced nowadays, it is of immense historical importance, as it is the effective forerunner of many modern ales in Germany, Holland, Belgium, and France, including altbier, Kolsch, witbier, biere de garde, and biere de saison. Sources from the 17th century indicate that keutebier was eventually brewed with some wheat malt instead of oatmeal, and with hops. A keute mash was allowed to rest for a full day, which probably activated phytase enzymes and lactic acid bacteria to give the beer a slightly sour taste. It also enhanced its keeping quality. In a modern reconstruction, this aspect would probably call for some acidulated malt in the grain bill. A few hours of kettle-souring might also do the trick. The color of this keutebier resembles that of rose wine. There is a slight cherry and herb candy aroma in the nose. On the palate, the low hop content is only faint, which is fitting for a late-medieval interpretation of this style. This makes the beer taste slightly syrupy, with notes of honey and straw. It is also very low in effervescence. Interestingly, even though this brew was judged the least beer-like of the five recreations covered in this article, it was also deemed surprisingly refreshing, especially if served chilled.
- Notes:
- Place the crushed grains in a muslin bag. Steep the grains in 2 qts. of water at 154F for 60 minutes. Remove the grains and slowly wash with 2 qts. of hot water. Top off kettle to 5.5 gallons, then stir in all the dried malt extract while off heat. Once fully dissolved, bring wort to a boil and boil for 30 minutes. When the boil is complete, whirlpool for 15 minutes, cool, and ferment at the yeast's mid-range temperature. Bottle or keg as usual.
Brew Numbers
| OG | FG | ABV | SRM | IBU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.046 | 1.014 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 5 |
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % Grain Bill |
|---|---|---|
| Pilsen Dry Malt Extract | 3 lbs. | 54.55 |
| Wheat Dry Malt Extract | 1.25 lbs. | 22.73 |
| Smoked Malt | 0.875 lbs. | 15.91 |
| Notes: 14 oz. Weyermann Beech-Smoked Barley Malt | ||
| Oatmeal | 0.375 lbs. | 6.82 |
| Notes: 6 oz. instant oatmeal or malted oats | ||
| Total: | 5.50 lbs. | |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Boil Time | Use | AA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perle (GER) | 0.3 oz. | 0 | Mash | 8.2 |
| Notes: 2.5 AAU Hallertauer Perle hops (in the mash) | ||||
| Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| Perle (GER) | 0.3 oz. |
Yeast
| Name | Lab | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Dusseldorf Alt Ale | White Labs | WLP036 |
| Notes: Or any German ale yeast. | ||
| German Ale | Wyeast | 1007 |
| Notes: Or any German ale yeast. | ||
Other Ingredients
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lactic Acid | 1 tsp. | 30 | Boil | Other |
| Notes: Recipe does not specify when to add. | ||||
Mash Steps
| Step | Name | Temp | Time | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Partial Mash | 154 | 60 | Partial |
| Notes: Place the crushed grains in a muslin bag. Steep the grains in 2 qts. of water at 154F for 60 minutes. Remove the grains and slowly wash with 2 qts. of hot water. | ||||