Prior to my recent trip to Germany, I didn’t care for lagers and pilseners. They seemed to lack flavor and felt really weak on the palate. Since there wasn’t much else to drink while I was in Germany, I ended up trying several different brands, and ended up really enjoying a few, my favorite being Jever. When I got back and found Jever at Total Wine, I was super excited to have this tasty beer readily available. However, I noticed that it didn’t taste the same. It wasn’t as crisp and hoppy as it was in Hamburg, and I was, once again, disappointed. I decided that I had to learn to brew it for myself.
This recipe was pieced together from different sources online, but mostly from articles talking about how to clone Jever. Of course, it starts with a base malt of German Pilsener, a small percentage of Munich, and a touch of Sauer (Acid) malt. It was moderately hopped with Tettnang at the beginning of the boil, and then a bit of Czech Saaz was added in the whirlpool for aroma and a bit of flavor.
The name is a tip-of-the-hat to the seafarers who stumbled around Hamburg (a large sea port city) with me and introduced me to Jever. It also alludes to the easy drinkability of this beer which will suit everyone’s palette. To Antje, Wiebke, and Berni, this beer is for you. Now come visit so we can taste it together and stumble around my town!
It ended up tasting pretty good. It’s nowhere near Jever, but it’s a good start. I’ve been searching for good lager brewers to help me figure out what I can alter in the recipe to make it better, but nothing has come up so far.
Brew Date: November 25, 2012
Kegged On: December 16, 2012
O.G.: 1.047
F.G.: 1.012
ABV: 4.6%