1519 Barker Exportbier
Brewed: 10/19/2026 Kegged: 9/24/2025
Late August, 2024, while on a morning walk, I was listening to a homebrewing podcast which had me craving a golden German lager.
My mind started wandering a bit, and I started thinking about my college years.
While living in the dorms, a few of my friends lived just off-campus in a house they shared on Barker Avenue, just a couple blocks south of Bradley University.After I moved out of the dorms, I moved into the house for a bit as well.
Even when I wasn't living there, I spent quite a bit of time drinking beer and playing beach volleyball with my college friends.
From time to time, we'd throw keggers that rivaled fraternity parties. We'd charge a couple bucks at the door and serve way too much beer.
We'd buy two kinds of beers for these parties. Most of it was "Natty Light", and that is what got served to most of the people.
But, hidden upstairs for those of us who knew where it was hidden was a keg of Michelob, which was very much a premium beer for us.
Basically, we drank Michelob for free, curtesy of the people we charged for "Natty Light".
Lots of my favorite college memories happened at 1519 Barker.
Now-a-days, "Michelob" mostly means those absolutely awful low-carb "Ultra" watery beers. I know there are other beers with the Michelob label, but I don't think they make the Michelob that I remember from college anymore.
And ... I honestly have no idea what kind of beer it was, but in my mind, a German Helles Exportbier matches my memory of the beer.
So, this is what I decided to brew.
On untappd: 1519 Barker Exportbier
| 1519 Barker --- Batch 3 (400) |
| Style | German Helles Exportbier | Batch Size | 5.50 gal | |||
| Type | All Grain | Boil Size | 6.60 gal | |||
| Brewhouse Efficiency | 65.00 | Boil Time | 60 minutes |
Recipe Characteristics
| Recipe Gravity | 1.052 SG | Estimated FG | 1.012 SG | ||||
| Recipe Bitterness | 21.1 IBUs (Rager) | Alcohol by Volume | 5.3 % | ||||
| BU : GU | 0.402 | ||||||
| Recipe Color | 5.5 SRM |
|
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| Measured OG: | 1.050 | Measured FG: | |||||
| ADF: | Measured ABV: |
Ingredients
| Amt | Name | Type | # | %/IBU | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.98 gal | Denver, Colorado | Water | 1 | - | - |
| 4.00 g | Calcium Chloride (Mash) | Water Agent | 2 | - | - |
| 2.00 g | Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash) | Water Agent | 3 | - | - |
| 1.50 tsp | Lactic Acid (Mash) | Water Agent | 4 | - | - |
| 10 lbs | Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) | Grain | 5 | 83.3 % | 0.78 gal |
| 2 lbs | Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) | Grain | 6 | 16.7 % | 0.16 gal |
| 1.00 tsp | Yeast Nutrient (Boil 25.0 mins) | Other | 7 | - | - |
| 1.000 oz | Magnum [11.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min | Hop | 8 | 15.9 IBUs | - |
| 1.00 Items | Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 mins) | Fining | 9 | - | - |
| 2.000 oz | Tettnang [3.80 %] - Boil 5.0 min | Hop | 10 | 5.2 IBUs | - |
| 1.0 pkg | Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70) [50.28 ml] | Yeast | 11 | - | - |
| 0.50 tsp | Gelatin (Bottling 1.0 days) | Fining | 12 | - | - |
Mash Profile
| Name | Description | Step Temperature | Step Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saccharification | Add 31.92 qt of water at 158.8 F | 152.0 F | 45 min |
| Heat | Heat to 158.0 F over 10 min | 158.0 F | 15 min |
| Mash Out | Heat to 170.0 F over 7 min | 170.0 F | 10 min |
If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort
Recipe Notes
If harvesting yeast from previous batch, make 6 cup starter a day or two before brew day.
Brewing salts in the mash water. This should bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith) to
Ca=83,Mg=8,Na=21,SO4=88,Cl=87,HCO3=104
Acid addition based on BeerSmith predicted pH. Should lower from 5.7 to 5.4.
Mash and boil as directed
Chill to around 50 degrees. Rack to fermentor and add pitch yeast. Ferment between 50 and 55 for one week. Then, let temperature rise to ambient.
Keg. Add gelatin after a day or two in the refrigerator.
Carbonate and drink.
Brewing Record
| Brew Date: | Strike Temp: | |||||
| Mash Temps: | ||||||
| Pre-boil OG | (1.048 SG) | Pre-boil Vol | (6.60 gal) | |||
| Actual Mash Efficiency | Pitch Temp | |||||
| Fermentation | ||||||
| Day 1: | ||||||
| Day ... | ||||||
| Day ... | ||||||
Brewing Notes
10/1/2026 Updated recipe with new AA% ... for some reason the IBU went up more than I think it should have. But ... not going to worry about it. Thinking about brewing this weekend. Depends on whether I can get Khupacabra kegged.
10/7/2026 Placed order with Tom's. Proximity Pilsen rather than German. Might brew this weekend.
10/8/2026 Picked up grains and yeast. Brew Day Sunday?
10/19/2026 Rare Monday brew day today. Getting started real late ... like 2:30 pm. I'll probably be regretting this by 6pm or so.
10/19/2026 Got brew day done just before dinner time. Everything went well. 1.050 OG a little low, but ok.
10/20/2026 I see some bubbles every once and awhile, but I don't think fermentation has really started yet. Tilt says 1.046 at 56 degrees.
10/21/2026 Fermentation did take off shortly after the comment yesterday. Tilt now says 1.036 at 55 degrees.
10/23/2026 Been bumping up the temperature a little every day. Now at 57. Tilt says 1.007 at 58 degrees.
10/1/2026 Updated recipe with new AA% ... for some reason the IBU went up more than I think it should have. But ... not going to worry about it. Thinking about brewing this weekend. Depends on whether I can get Khupacabra kegged.
10/7/2026 Placed order with Tom's. Proximity Pilsen rather than German. Might brew this weekend.
10/8/2026 Picked up grains and yeast. Brew Day Sunday?
10/19/2026 Rare Monday brew day today. Getting started real late ... like 2:30 pm. I'll probably be regretting this by 6pm or so.
10/19/2026 Got brew day done just before dinner time. Everything went well. 1.050 OG a little low, but ok.
10/20/2026 I see some bubbles every once and awhile, but I don't think fermentation has really started yet. Tilt says 1.046 at 56 degrees.
10/21/2026 Fermentation did take off shortly after the comment yesterday. Tilt now says 1.036 at 55 degrees.
10/23/2026 Been bumping up the temperature a little every day. Now at 57. Tilt says 1.007 at 58 degrees.