Almost Tomm’s Classic American Lager Homebrew Recipe

This recipe is our homebrewed nod to Tomm’s Classic American Lager from Falling Knife Brewing Company in Minneapolis, which is coincidentally the brewery’s nod to Hamm’s, the quintessential Midwestern beer. It was shared with us a couple years back by Tom Berg, Falling Knife co-owner/founder and Chief Brewing Officer, who sadly passed away in April 2025. We gathered to brew the beer in his memory and have our own small celebration of life in this video. Brew your own Almost Tomm’s, and raise a glass to Tom and the other great brewing icons, legends, and friends who’ve we lost over the years.

Almost Tomm’s American Lager 
amounts in parentheses are BABA’s for 10 gallons

OG: 1.047
FG: 1.009
ABV: 5.0%
IBU: 16 IBUs

Malt/Fermentables:

46% Rahr 2-Row (8 lbs)
29% Rahr 6-Row (5 lbs)
10.5% Flaked Corn (1 lbs 13 oz)
6.5% Weyermann CaraFoam (1 lbs 3 oz)
8% Corn Syrup (1 lbs 6 oz) [add at whirlpool]

Hops:

7.6 IBUs Hallertau Mittelfrueh [4.00% aa] (1 oz) at 60 min
4.6 IBUs Citra [12% aa] (0.2 oz) at 60 min
3.8 IBUs Hallertau Mittelfrueh at Flame-out/Whirlpool (1 oz)

Yeast:
Imperial Yeast L18 The Goat
Year-Round options from Imperial Yeast: Global, Harvest, Urkel

Process:

Mash grains 152 for 60 min.

Runoff to collect wort. 60-minute boil hopped per recipe between bittering addition and whirlpool addition.

Cool wort to pitching temperature for chosen yeast strain.