A Viking Meets the Sumerians

Every year, the American Homebrewer’s Association puts on the world’s largest homebrew competition with over 7,000 entries. To put that into perspective, the next largest competitions have around 1,400 entries. Winnowing through that many beers in an effort to determine the winners is a massive logistical exercise.

The competition’s “ultimate” prize is the Ninkasi Award, which goes—with certain restrictions—to the brewer scoring the most medals in the second round. Recent winners include Gordon Strong (3 times) and Jamil Zainasheff (2 times).

Winning Ninkasi is beyond difficult. You must brew great beer and receive lucky blessings from the award’s namesake Sumerian goddess. In recent years, the award has become even harder to win because the number of beers contestants are allowed to enter is restricted. No longer is it possible to shotgun the proceedings. Now homebrewers must be selective and submit their very best.

The tighter entry restrictions potentially open the award to more entrants, but they’ve also led to tighter scoring margins. All of this makes it doubly impressive that Mark Schoppe of the Viking-helmed Austin ZEALOTS just grabbed his second Ninkasi Award at this year’s competition. What’s more, three of his four allowed entries scored medals in the final round! This sour smoked German ale, a Lichtenhainer, was one of them.

SCHOPPE’S LIGHTENHAINER
For 5.0 gallons at 1.040, 3 SRM, 5 IBU, 4.2% ABV

Malt
4.125 lb. Weyermann beech smoked barley malt
4.125 lb. Weyermann pale wheat malt

Mash
Mash in at 150°F and hold for 60 minutes. Add boiling water to raise temperature to 168°F before recirculating and sparging to collect 7 gallons.

Hops
0.25 oz Hallertauer (pellets) | 5.7% AA | 60 minutes

Yeast
White Labs WLP677 (Lactobacillus delbrueckii) or Wyeast 5335 (Lactobacillus)
White Labs WLP029 (German Ale/Kölsch) or Wyeast 2565 (Kölsch)

Notes
Vigorously boil for 90 minutes. Chill wort and pitch with Lacto. Ferment at 90°F for one week. Then chill beer to 68°F, pitch with ale yeast and ferment for another week. Carbonate to 2.7 volumes. Schoppe recommends aging the beer for at least a year for optimal flavor. ■