Schwarz & Giggles Schwarzbier | Extract Recipe Kit | 5 Gallons
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The short version before the full profile, ingredients, and process notes below.
Complete the brew day:
Schwarz & Giggles Schwarzbier
Schwarzbier is one of the best little tricks in German beer: it looks like it should drink heavy, roasty, and serious, then lands smooth, crisp, and dangerously easy to finish. The style is dark by color, not by weight — expect dark bread crust, subtle cocoa, light coffee-like roast, restrained noble hops, and the clean snap of a well-made lager.
Schwarz & Giggles Schwarzbier leans into that contrast. It gives you the visual drama of a black lager without the weight of stout, using Munich and Vienna malt for bread-crust depth, Caramunich for a touch of rounded malt sweetness, and dehusked Carafa Special II for smooth color and roast without burnt harshness.
Why Brew This Kit
This is a great kit for brewers who want something dark but still highly drinkable. It is satisfying in cooler weather, surprisingly refreshing when served cold, and a useful showcase for how lager process can make dark malt taste clean, polished, and balanced instead of heavy.
Companion version: This is the extract with grains version. If you prefer the other brew-day format, see the Schwarz & Giggles Schwarzbier all-grain recipe kit.
Beer Profile
- Style: Schwarzbier
- Batch Size: 5 gallons
- Estimated OG: ~1.048–1.052
- Estimated FG: ~1.010–1.014
- Estimated ABV: ~4.8–5.4%
- Bitterness: Balanced, ~24–30 IBU
- Color: Dark brown / black with ruby highlights
- Fermentation: Cool lager fermentation + cold conditioning
Grain Milling
We automatically mill the grains included with SoCal Brewing Supply beer recipe kits so they are ready for brew day. If you want the grains left unmilled, please add that request in the shopping cart notes before checkout. We’ll do our best to support unmilled requests when packing your order.
What to Expect
Dark bread crust, restrained chocolate-like roast, clean malt, noble hop balance, and a crisp lager finish without stout-like heaviness.
Fermentation Requirements
Pitch SafLager W-34/70 cool around 50–55°F. Hold steady, allow a diacetyl rest near the end of fermentation if needed, then cold condition for several weeks before packaging or serving.
Detailed Kit Contents
- Briess Pilsen Light DME: 3 lbs
- Briess Pilsen Light DME: 2 lbs supplied as two 1 lb packs
- Briess Traditional Dark DME: 1 lb
- Munich Malt: 16 Ounces
- Vienna Malt: 8 Ounces
- Caramunich® I Malt: 8 Ounces
- Carafa® Special II: 8 Ounces
- Hallertau Mittelfrüh Hops: 2 Ounces
- Tettnang Hops: 1 Ounce
- SafLager W-34/70 Yeast: 2 Sachets
- Large Muslin Grain Bag: 1 Large Muslin Bag
Brewing Notes
Use the mini-mash for smooth dark malt character, dissolve extract off heat, and ferment cool for a clean lager finish.
Download the Schwarz & Giggles Schwarzbier brewing instructions PDF.
Helpful Bottling & Kegging Add-Ons
- Bottling this batch? Add powdered dextrose priming sugar and use our Priming Sugar Calculator for the actual packaged volume, beer temperature, and carbonation target.
- Kegging instead? Use our Beer Carbonation Chart & Keg Serving Pressure Calculator to choose the right CO₂ pressure for your serving temperature and target carbonation.