German Ale

Recipe Type: All Grain.

Fermentables
8 lbs. Belgian 2-row Pilsen (1.5L)
2 lbs. Belgian 2-row Munich (~4L)
.5 lb. Belgian 2-row Aromatic (~21L)
.5 lb. Belgian 2-row Carapils (?L)
.5 lb. Belgian 2-row Caramunich (~64L)
0.75 oz. Crystal " 30 min.
 
Hops
3.25 oz. Crystal (pellets, 3.3%) 60 min.
 
Other
.5 lb. German wheat (?L)
 
Yeast 1007 German Ale yeast 
Procedure I mashed (single infusion) at 152F for 1.5 hours. Primary fermented at around 55-60F for 6 days. I split the batch after the primary - put 1 gallon in my fridge at around 38F for two weeks, while the other 4 gallons sat in a carboy in my basement at around 70F. The beer was very spicy (from the 1007?) at first, but mellowed out nicely after about 4 weeks.

The cold-conditioned gallon was smoother, and more drinkable at an earlier age (~2 weeks after bottling) than the warm-conditioned portion. The cold-conditioned beers were also *brilliantly clear*! It was perfectly balanced (to me), with a complex maltiness that I haven't had in any of my past beers. The IBU's were around 36, using Tinseth's calculator. The color was perfect (dark copper?), though the alcohol was probably a bit on the high side for the style.