doggage

Recipes 

I love this beer, so I'd like to try this. Wondering if anyone has any advice before I try, or if you notice anything off about the recipe. This will probably be one of the more challenging brews I will have done.

Oh Ba Ha Ha Ha Ha Doppelbock - 3.5 gallons

8.5 lb German Munich
2.7 lb Wheat Malt
2.7 lb American Two-Row
2.4 lb Crystal 60
0.5 lb Chocolate Malt
0.75 oz Hallertauer (4.8% AA, 60 minutes)
0.5 oz Hallertauer (4.8% AA, 30 minutes)
WLP820 Oktoberfest Lager Yeast

OG=1.082
IBU=22

Make gallon starter a week in advance. Single-infusion mash at 151 F for 60
minutes. Batch sparge. Boil 30 minutes, then add bittering hops. Boil 30
minutes, then add bittering/flavoring hops. Cool, aerate very well, pitch
yeast sediment. Ferment at 50 F for 6 weeks. Rack and lager 45 days near
32 F. Prime with scant 1/2 cup sugar and bottle. Allow at least 2 weeks
prior to drinking. Flavor improves at warmer temperatures, so don't serve
ice cold. Enjoy.

Oldsock

Recipes 

I believe WL 833 Bock is the Ayinger strain, it does a great job in this sort of thing.

If you wanted to be like Ayinger you would also do a decoction.

I would lower the chocolate malt and crystal and swap them to German alternatives like carafa and caramunich. The original probably doesn't have wheat, but I did a doppelbock with 33% wheat that turned out great, so no morries there.

Good luck (and give it as much time to lager as you can stand).

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Check out The Mad Fermentationist for my adventures in fermentation (cheese, bread, ginger beer plant, and of course plenty of funky beer).

doggage

Recipes 

Thanks.

Anyone have advice on the decoction? I've been reading up a bit, but this would be a first for me. I'm thinking a heatstick would make the decoction process much easier.

Oldsock

Recipes 

Decoctions aren't too bad, just keep the grain moving while it is on the heat and it won't burn. Also pull more grain than you think you need, my first few decoctions didn't get me the temperature jump I was expecting. How were you thinking of using the heat stick?

__________________
Check out The Mad Fermentationist for my adventures in fermentation (cheese, bread, ginger beer plant, and of course plenty of funky beer).

doggage

Recipes 

Okay, that doesn't sound bad. I was thinking I could use the heat stick to bring the grist I pull out to a boil, since I have only one burner and one kettle. How much grist should I be taking out? Could I just bring it to a boil on my electric stove top inside?

Oldsock

Recipes 

Yeah, no problem doing it on your electric stove (I would be worried that grain would stick to the heat stick and burn). The amount you need will need to pull depend on the volume of the mash and what temperature jump you are trying to make. I use promash to figure that out (you can use the free trial), just pull extra just in case you are low (or have some hot water ready).

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Check out The Mad Fermentationist for my adventures in fermentation (cheese, bread, ginger beer plant, and of course plenty of funky beer).

mkling

Recipes 

I just did my first decoction mash in probably 10 years on Friday. I used BeerSmith's calculations and they never got me to my target temperature. I needed to pull more. Made for a frustrating experience. Given that BeerSmith's calculations have always been right on for infusion and temp controlled mashing, I though they'd work. Instead my double decoction turned into a triple.

So, as Oldsock says, pull more than the calculators suggest.

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Currently On Draft: Bamberger Rauch Dunkel, Belgian Blond, Pilsener Urquell clone, Smoked Porter
Bottled: Concord Pyment, Mi'Apa Sparkling Mead, Chimay Blue, Old Simcoe American Barleywine, Old Cantankerous
Fermenting and Conditioning: Pseudo-Decoction Munich Dunkel, Left Hook Bitter
Recently Kicked Kegs: Fresh Hop Pale Ale, Citra Rye IPA
On Deck: Old Rasputin, Northstar IPA, Ur-bock Dunkel

michael.berta

Recipes 

My efficiency goes way up with a decoction mash. Single infusion i build my recipes at 70% effeciency. For a decoction I build my recipes for 85% efficiency. So plan accordingly with your grain bill.

If you don't want to do a decoction you can add some melanoiden malt and I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference. Personally I think doing a decoction mash is a waste of time on a batch size this small.

Also I agree with Oldsock about swapping the crystal 40 for some caramunich and the american 2 row for german pilsner malt. I'd also drop the wheat malt and replace it with more Pilsner and/or Munich malt as well.

doggage

Recipes 

thanks for the suggestions. after watching kaiser's video on decoction mashing, i think i'm going to put this off for a while. seems like a little more than i'm up for right now.

MacGruber

Recipes 

Decoction mashing is really NOT hard. It's just a little more time consuming and I've loved the effects. I've had fuller bodied, maltier beers as a result. I use my brew pot to heat my initial mash water - and I always have about 2 qts. more than I need in there. I pour in the necessary water into the mash tun, and reserve some of the water in the brew pot.

When you really break it down, you need to get your strike water to a temp to mash at about 135 for half an hour or so. Then simply pull some of the thickest part of the mash out of the mash tun, place it back into your brewpot with the excess water which has pre-heated to about 160. Heat the whole thing to 165 and let it sit for 20 minutes then bring it to a boil. Add it back into the main mash.

It's just a longer brewday.