Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Sanitize all equipment that will touch wort/beer (brew pot, spoon, fermenter, siphon). Begin with 5 cups filtered water in a 3–4 quart saucepan.

Heat the water to 150–160°F (65–71°C). Remove from heat and stir in the light lager malt extract and dextrin malt extract until fully dissolved. This creates a concentrated wort base approximating a low-strength lager.

Return to a gentle simmer (do not boil vigorously) and hold for 5 minutes to integrate extracts and slightly reduce any kettle-hang characteristics.

Place the crushed pilsner/pale grain and flaked rice in a steeping bag. Submerge the bag in the wort base at 150–160°F and steep for 20 minutes to extract light grain character and proteins that add a crisp lager mouthfeel.

After 20 minutes, lift the grain bag and allow it to drain into the wort. Do not squeeze vigorously (you want clarity and avoid extracting tannins).

Bring the wort to a gentle boil and add the Hallertau/Tettnang bittering hops. Boil gently for 15 minutes to extract a restrained bitterness that mimics a dry German lager profile. (Short boil helps retain delicate hop character and keeps color light.)

With 1 minute left in the 15-minute boil, add the Styrian/Saaz aroma hops and the Irish moss/whirlfloc if using. Turn off heat and chill wort quickly to ~70°F (21°C).

Transfer the cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter. Top up with cold filtered water to reach approximately 64 fl oz (8 cups) total volume, leaving headspace for fermentation. Mix gently to aerate.

Pitch the clean lager yeast per packet directions (rehydrate if preferred). Ferment at a cool ale/lager hybrid temperature of 50–58°F (10–14°C) for a short primary fermentation of 3–4 days to allow yeast to attenuate some sugars and develop clean fermentative character without producing a high alcohol content.

After primary activity subsides (3–4 days), rack the beer off yeast into a sanitized kettle. Gently heat the beer to 175°F (79°C) and hold for 20–30 minutes. This temperature is above the boiling point of ethanol (173°F/78°C) but below a vigorous boil, allowing most ethanol to evaporate. Stir gently; avoid vigorous boiling to preserve volatile aroma. Monitor and do not exceed 185°F (85°C).

Dealcoholization (partial)

Cool the beer quickly again to ~40–50°F (4–10°C). Rapid cooling helps reduce oxidation. Transfer to a sanitized vessel and taste: you should have a very low alcohol, lightly malty, crisp beer base.

Optional: Add Campden tablet (crushed) or potassium sorbate as per package instructions to stabilize beer against re-fermentation if you want to completely halt yeast activity after dealcoholization. If used, follow recommended dosing and allow to sit 24 hours.

If you want natural carbonation in bottles, dissolve the priming sugar in 2–3 tablespoons warm water, cool, then add to the beer and bottle immediately in sanitized bottles. Alternatively, force-carbonate in a keg to 2.4–2.6 volumes CO2 for a crisp lager mouthfeel.

Cap bottles and condition at room temperature (65–72°F / 18–22°C) for 7–10 days, then cold condition for 2–3 days before chilling and serving. If kegging, carbonate to target volumes and cold condition 24–48 hours before serving.

Before final serving, if beer tastes slightly flat or a touch acidic after dealcoholization, stir in a very small pinch (1/8 tsp) baking soda per 1 quart to neutralize harsh acidity. Mix thoroughly and let sit 12–24 hours, then re-check flavor. Use sparingly to avoid altering flavor profile.

If clarity is desired, cold-crash the beer at 34–40°F (1–4°C) for 24–48 hours before packaging. This helps settle proteins and hop particulate for a bright, pale appearance reminiscent of Bitburger Dry.

Serve well-chilled (38–45°F / 3–7°C) in a clean pilsner glass. Pour gently to retain carbonation and present a firm white head.

Filtered water

Light lager malt extract (liquid or dry)

Dextrin malt extract (for body, optional)

Pilsner or pale liquid malt (crushed) OR steeping specialty grain

Flaked rice (for a dry, crisp finish)

Hallertau or Tettnang hops (bittering)

Styrian Goldings or Saaz hops (aroma)

Clean lager yeast (attenuative strain)

Campden tablet (sodium metabisulfite) or potassium sorbate (optional, for stabilizing after dealcoholization)

Priming sugar (corn sugar/dextrose) for bottling

Cold filtered water (for top-up)

Baking soda (very small pinch, optional to reduce residual acidity)

Irish moss or whirlfloc (fining, optional)

Cold-crushed ice (for dealcoholization)

Bitburger Dry Lager

Make Bitburger Dry Lager Recipe in just 6h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

Bitburger Dry Lager

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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