Bayou Beer

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Tag Archives: Bock

Doppelbock 2016 Edition

February 12th, 2016

Probably the final beer in my annual German series will be a very nice doppelbock. This is a re-brew of a beer that’s come out extremely well in the past. I’m really looking forward to fermenting it with two different yeasts. The 2015 edition of this beer got great marks at a few competitions but didn’t place. My thoughts on it were that it wasn’t quite aromatic enough in it’s malt profile. . So I’ll be adding some melanoidin malt to try and bump that up a little.

Update 2/15/2016

Brew day was a pain in the ass. Lots of wind made it hard to get to a boil. I’m going to have to invest in building a wind guard to fit on these keggles for 10 gallon batches. Gravity readings early made it seem as if I’d be high on gravity but ended up being around 1.074. So somewhat low for some reason but it tasted great and should be a fine beer. Pitching the yeast 24 hours later after it cools down to 50F.

Update 2/18/2016

Fermenting like crazy for the first couple of days. Still going now. Made a mess in the bottle of the chest freezer. Very thick smell of yeast character in there compared to the previous two beers on the yeast.

Update 2/28/2016
Final gravity on the 833 version was around 1.013 for an 8% alcohol beer. Final gravity on the 830 version was 1.016 for a 7.5% alcohol beer. Both taste like young doppelbock with my preference being towards the 833 version. The both need about 6 months to mature. I’ll carbonate these two, bottle them and put them in the closet until the end of 2016.

Update 1/30/2017
This beer was over-carbonated so it’s been hard to enjoy. I tend to believe this beer will behave similar to my previous years doppelbock and need another year to be worth drinking. Although I’ll have to let every beer rest before actually enjoying it. Or employ some strategy to reduce carbonation.

Recipe Details

Batch Size Boil Time IBU SRM Est. OG Est. FG ABV
5.5 gal 60 min 22.0 IBUs 20.8 SRM 1.081 1.022 7.9 %

Style Details

Name Cat. OG Range FG Range IBU SRM Carb ABV
doppelbock 5 C 1.072 - 1.112 1.016 - 1.024 16 - 26 6 - 25 2.3 - 2.6 7 - 10 %

Fermentables

Name Amount %
Munich Malt 12 lbs 61.54
Pilsner (2 Row) Ger 5 lbs 25.64
Caramunich Malt 2 lbs 10.26
Melanoiden Malt 4 oz 1.28
Special B Malt 4 oz 1.28

Hops

Name Amount Time Use Form Alpha %
Magnum 1 oz 20 min Boil Pellet 14
Hallertauer Mittelfrueh 0.25 oz 0 min Aroma Pellet 4

Miscs

Name Amount Time Use Type
Lactic Acid 15.00 ml 60 min Mash Water Agent
Calcium Chloride 8.00 g 60 min Mash Water Agent
Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) 4.00 g 60 min Mash Water Agent

Yeast

Name Lab Attenuation Temperature
Bohemian Lager (2124) Wyeast Labs 71% 48°F - 58°F

Mash

Step Temperature Time
Mash In 152°F 60 min

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Doppelbock March 2015

March 15th, 2015

One of my favorite styles to brew when it’s cold. I’ve been a little behind on my brew schedule as evident that I posted this guy in February, got the flu and am just now going to brew it in March. So actual brew day ended up being March 15. Gravity was coming in a little low so I gave it a pound of DME. The only big change for me in brewing this beer versus my previous bocks was the use of a late charge of magnum instead of an hour long charge of Hallertau. I find with the Hallertau I’m waiting longer for the beer to smooth out. The wort tasted excellent and came in around 1.072. Pitched yeast from the Export I brewed a month ago. It seemed to be very vibrant yeast which woke up quickly in the starter and quickly took to this bock.

Update January 2016

Nearly one year later and this beer is excellent in my opinion. Lots of malty toastiness, dark fruit and chocolate malt flavor, fair malt aroma. It got excellent marks from the 2015 Dixie Cup with a total score of 39. The judges in question did a not so great job on any comments. I think it needs something to enhance melanoidin aroma. So on the next run in 2016 I’ll do melanoidin malt at around 3/4 of a pound.

Update October 2016

Maybe all this beer needed was time. It ended up getting first place with a 41.5 score at the 2016 Dixie Cup. Really stoked about my first ever first place medal at the Dixie Cup.

Update January 2017

So I finally got around to enjoying in good conditions my last bottle of this bock. I’d say the difference between this January and 2016 January is the malt aroma. Everything else is the same but the aroma is now there. Additionally there is more apparent oxygen in the form of enhanced dark fruitiness and melded flavors. It currently reminds me of a light version of Samichlaus. Like many of my big beers I will rebrew this guy but at 10 gallons.

Recipe Details

Batch Size Boil Time IBU SRM Est. OG Est. FG ABV
5.5 gal 60 min 22.9 IBUs 19.8 SRM 1.076 SG 1.021 SG 7.4 %

Style Details

Name Cat. OG Range FG Range IBU SRM Carb ABV
Doppelbock 5 C 1.072 - 1.112 1.016 - 1.024 16 - 26 6 - 25 2.3 - 2.6 7 - 10 %

Fermentables

Name Amount %
Munich Malt 12 lbs 65.75
Pilsner (2 Row) Ger 4 lbs 21.92
Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L 1 lbs 5.48
Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L 1 lbs 5.48
Special B Malt 0.25 lbs 1.37

Hops

Name Amount Time Use Form Alpha %
Magnum 1 oz 20 min Boil Pellet 14
Hallertauer Mittelfrueh 0.25 oz 0 min Aroma Pellet 4

Miscs

Name Amount Time Use Type
Lactic Acid 15.00 ml 60 min Mash Water Agent
Calcium Chloride 8.00 g 60 min Mash Water Agent
Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) 4.00 g 60 min Mash Water Agent

Yeast

Name Lab Attenuation Temperature
Bohemian Lager (2124) Wyeast Labs 71% 48°F - 58°F

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Bock Plus Vienna

August 28th, 2013

This bock was a little bit of a trainwreck beer. Brewstock messed up my order and combined my two stock-up base grains. No worries as I just calculated how much caramunich was coming out of this mix of caramunich and Vienna I was sent. Everything went pretty well. I may have gone heavy on the Epson salts but we’ll see. I pitched on top of the yeast from last month’s Helles Bock and boy that thing took off with the WLP833. Brew date was 8/26/2013

Update 9/27/2013

This beer turned out fantastic in my opinion. It’s just a wonderfully smooth and rich beer at 1 month. Given another month it should clear more and be a beer that can win some awards.

Recipe Details

Batch Size Boil Time IBU SRM Est. OG Est. FG ABV
6.5 gal 90 min 18 1.08 1.018 8

Style Details

Name Cat. OG Range FG Range IBU SRM Carb ABV
0 - 0 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 - 0 %

Fermentables

Name Amount %
Munich Malt 14 lbs 59.57
Pilsner (2 Row) Ger 4 lbs 17.02
Caramunich Malt 2 lbs 8.51
Extra Light Dry Extract 2 lbs 8.51
Vienna Malt 1 lbs 4.26
Aromatic Malt 0.5 lbs 2.13

Hops

Name Amount Time Use Form Alpha %
Hallertauer 2 oz 60 min Aroma Pellet 4.8
Hallertauer 0.5 oz 10 min Aroma Pellet 4.8

Miscs

Name Amount Time Use Type
Calcium Chloride 60 min Mash Water Agent
Epsom Salt (MgSO4) 60 min Mash Water Agent
Whirlfloc Tablet 15 min Boil Fining

Yeast

Name Lab Attenuation Temperature
German Bock Lager (WLP833) White Labs 73% 48°F - 55°F

Notes

Caramunich 3 came in a mix of 2lbs caramunich 1 pound vienna and 1 pound munich

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Weizenbock

May 3rd, 2013

So the first beer on the new Blichmann RIMS will be a Weizenbock.  I figure what the hell might as well brew a simple beer for the first ever beer on the brand new fancy system.   Ron who sold me the system walked me through it’s use at his shop and I was as impressed with all his thought in building the system as the system itself.     By the way Main Grain in Abita Springs is an extremely nice brew shop that’s just an awesome place to hang out while shopping brew supplies.

Well it’s time for me to get these bocks and barleywines brewed.   Dixie Cup is in 6 months and they’ve got to age if they’re going to win there’s no doubt about it.    Weizenbock will be the last in my spell of brewing all of German Wheat & Rye category so here it goes.

Update 5/29/2013

The OG was low due to not being familiar with the new system so the gravity was a tad over 1.06.   The final gravity was about 1.013 which is fairly low for the style.   This beer is quite clear, beautiful and tastes very nice albeit a little on the light side.    I plan on fixing this via an attempt at freezing to concentrate it in to style.  I suppose it’ll be an Eisbock of a weizenbock which should be fun to do!    I’ve got several months to get this guy just right so no worries.

Recipe Details

Batch Size Boil Time IBU SRM Est. OG Est. FG ABV
6 gal 90 min 16 1.081 1.021 8

Style Details

Name Cat. OG Range FG Range IBU SRM Carb ABV
Weizenbock 15 15C 1.064 - 1.09 1.015 - 1.022 15 - 30 12 - 25 0 - 0 6.5 - 8 %

Fermentables

Name Amount %
Wheat Malt, Dark 10 lbs 53.33
Pilsner (2 Row) Bel 5 lbs 26.67
Munich Malt 2 lbs 10.67
Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L 8 oz 2.67
Special B Malt 8 oz 2.67
Caramunich Malt 8 oz 2.67
Chocolate Malt 4 oz 1.33

Hops

Name Amount Time Use Form Alpha %
Hallertauer Mittelfrueh 2 oz 60 min Aroma Pellet 4.5

Miscs

Name Amount Time Use Type
Lactic Acid 529.11 oz 60 min Mash Water Agent
Calcium Chloride 17.64 oz 60 min Mash Water Agent
Epsom Salt (MgSO4) 17.64 oz 60 min Mash Water Agent

Yeast

Name Lab Attenuation Temperature
Hefeweizen Ale (WLP300) White Labs 74% 68°F - 72°F

Mash

Step Temperature Time
New Mash Step 152°F 60 min

Notes

Gonna brew it on the Blichmann system so only God knows what the actual efficiency will be. Chocolate malt will actually be pale chocolate. Yeast is the dunkelweizen yeast cake.

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First 2.5 Gallon Batches – Bock & Munich Dunkel

November 14th, 2012

I’ve recently figured out that my small bar refrigerator at the lowest setting will hold 2 – 3 gallon better bottles and will keep their temperature at about 44 degrees Fahrenheit.   So now it’s time to start brewing some lagers!    Both of these guys are either direct copies or very near copies of Jamil’s Brewing Classic Styles recipes.    Here’s hoping the new 2.5 gallon kettle and mash tun scenario works out!

Brew day was November 21, 2012

Everything went very well.  It was much easier working stovetop in the kitchen rather than working outside.   The small batches went almost exactly as planned.   The Munich Dunkel finished at around 1.059 and slightly low in volume.   I decided to leave it rather than dilute it.     The bock finished at 1.069ish.    PH, Mash Temperature, cooling and boil all were fine.  I pitched the Dunkel after a few hours in the refrigerator and waited until morning to pitch the bock.   I pitched an active 1 liter starter in the bock.    I think these two beers will end up great.

I don’t have the recipes up here at the moment.   I used my new Brew Tablet software on this particular round of brewing.  Due to not having a “recipe export” feature completed yet I’m not able to post them here yet.   However I will be getting that done in the next month so I can continue posting the recipes I use here.

Notes From Bock Recipe:

Single infusion mash at 155F.  Mash with 10 quarts of acidified prepared water.     Sparge with 8 quarts of acidified  water.    Water Salts Used:   1.4 grams of chalk, 0.25 grams Gypsum, .5 grams calcium chloride.    1 ml of lactic acid on the mash and 1 ml lactic acid on the sparge should adjust the ph.   This is an adaptation of a Munich water profile.

Notes From Dunkel Recipe:

Mash at 154F single infusion.   8 quarts of acidified mash water needed.    6 quarts of acidified sparge water needed.     Treat 10 quarts of mash water and 8 quarts of sparge water to be safe on amounts.   Water Salts Used:   1.4 grams of chalk, 0.25 grams Gypsum, .5 grams calcium chloride.    .8 ml of lactic acid on the mash and .8 ml lactic acid on the sparge should adjust the ph.   This is an adaptation of a Munich water profile.

Notes at Fermentation after 10 days of fermentation.:

The beer seemed to take off immediately but it was slow at first.   There was immediate krausening and it was obvious activity was happening.   After 6 days I took a reading and it was about 30% done.   At 10 days there’s a lot of movement in the fermenter.   The yeast is doing very well now.   Interesting enough the WLP833 yeast is rocking despite being below it’s optimum temperature.   The liquid temperature is in the mid 40’s.   I decided to try this from what I heard from the head brewer at Karbach who spoke at the Dixie Cup.   The bock tastes nice so at this point I think it’s a good suggestion.

Notes at Fermentation after 14 days of fermentation:

The dunkel is at 1.013 and appears completely done fermenting and the bock is at 1.018 with some yeast still left in suspension.   Both are at desired terminal gravity and taste great so I’m dropping the temperature on them to cold crash.   So far pretty darn good on first attempt in this new brewing configuration.

Tasting Notes on Dunkel at 32 days

The nose is right on as it smells like cocoa, fudge type character. The taste is good but at first astringent. A light astringency but it’s indeed there. I believe it should age out after 1 month of lagering.

Tasting Notes on Dunkel and Bock at 42 Days

I just got around to racking the bock to a keg and was a little worried about it.   However it looks beautiful and tastes absolutely wonderful even flat.   I hope not a thing changes!    The astringency in the dunkel is gone and it tastes like German bakers chocolate to me.   Zero head retention though.   Both should be very good beers.

Bayou Beer

All about beer brewing and drinking in South Louisiana.

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