Dark Rye Lager Recipe Kit - 5 Gallon All Grain

This is the Dark Rye Lager that JW from Asheville Brewers Supply brewed for the advanced brewing workshop at Homebrew Con 2026 in Asheville, packed as a 5 gallon all grain kit. It is built almost entirely on Riverbend malt from just down the road: Cumberland Pilsner for a clean lager base, Carolina Rye and Munich Rye for spice and depth, and a little Carafa Special II for color without harsh roast. Mosaic and Amarillo keep the hop side modern and bright.

At 4.1% it drinks like a session beer, but the rye and the dark malt give it far more character than the number suggests. Deep mahogany pour, tan head, bread crust and light cocoa up front, and a peppery rye finish that stays dry and clean.

What's Included?

• Milled All-Grain Malt (5 lb 6 oz Riverbend Cumberland Pilsner, 1 lb 1 oz Riverbend Carolina Rye, 1 lb 1 oz Riverbend Great Chit, 1 lb 1 oz Riverbend Munich Rye, 10 oz Carafa Special II, 6 oz Rye Red Crystal)
• Sealed Hop Pellets (1 oz Mosaic, 1 oz Amarillo)
• One Packet of Dry Lager Yeast (CellarScience German)

Description

Dark lagers live or die on balance, and rye is what sets this one apart. Two different rye malts make up almost a quarter of the grain bill, so you get a slightly slick mouthfeel and a spicy, earthy edge that plays against the cocoa and bread crust from the Carafa Special II. Great Chit malt builds body and head retention without adding sweetness, so the beer finishes dry. The hops go in late, at 15 and 10 minutes, which keeps bitterness moderate and lets a little Mosaic and Amarillo fruit sit on top of the malt. Fermented warm under pressure with CellarScience German the way JW brewed it, or cold and slow if you prefer the traditional route, it comes out smooth and easy to drink.

Specs

Brew Style: Dark Rye Lager
Batch Size: 5.3 Gallons (20 L)
Original Gravity: 1.044
Final Gravity: 1.013
ABV: 4.1%
IBU: 34
SRM: 25
Boil Time: 30 Minutes

Brewing Instructions

Mash: Heat 6.8 gallons of water and mash the full grain bill for 30 minutes at 154°F, then raise to 170°F and hold 10 minutes for a mashout. Target mash pH is 5.5.

Boil: Bring the wort to a boil for 30 minutes. At 15 minutes remaining, add 1 oz Mosaic. At 10 minutes remaining, add 1 oz Amarillo and a Whirlfloc tablet. Target 1.044 into the fermenter.

Ferment: Chill the wort to 65°F, transfer to your fermenter, and pitch the CellarScience German yeast. JW ferments this one warm and fast: 65°F under 15 PSI of pressure for 7 days. If you do not have a pressure-capable fermenter, ferment at 52°F for 2 weeks, then raise to 60°F for a 3-day diacetyl rest.

Carbonate: Package your beer in bottles or a keg and carbonate to 2.4 volumes of CO₂. A couple of weeks cold makes it even smoother.

Shipping is included. Kits are packed and shipped by our friends at Asheville Brewers Supply.