In the last couple of years I have travelled about and I have come into contact with some very fine examples of Copper Altbier. One being quite local to the Glengarry brewmaster called ZipLine Brewing in Lincoln, NE. The other being slightly more remote in Charlotte NC called Olde Mecklenburg Brewing Co. Of the two, I have to say Olde Mecklenburg is my favorite. Before COVID 19 shutdown the world, I used to travel frequently to Oak Ridge, TN. Charlotte is a United hub and was always the place where we would switch planes to get to Knoxville or return to Omaha. I generally had about a 2-3 hour layover and Olde Mecklenburg has a brew pub in the Charlotte airport that I would frequent. I found their Copper Alt to be, I think, the best I have had to this point. I decided to try and come as close to recreating what they have as possible with my rendition of it. Instructions follow.
Grain Bill:
- 3 lbs. German Pilsner
- 4.5 lbs. Marris Otter Malt
- 1.0 lbs. Munich Malt
- 0.5 lbs. Carafa II
- 0.25 lbs. Caramel Malt 60L
Hops:
- 1 oz Hallertau @ start of boil
- 1 oz Perle @ 5 mins remaining
Adjuncts: none
Yeast: White Labs WLP036 Dusseldorf Alt, w/ starter
Infusion Process:
- 25 min rest @ 125 degrees F
- 60 min rest @ 152 degrees F
- 60 min boil
Fermentation:
- 14 days @ ^ 52 degrees F
- rack off for 3 - 4 weeks of Lager @ ~45 degrees F
OG: ~1.050
FG: ~1.010
ABV: ~ 5.1%