running a doppelbock

what's your fermentation schedule like? aging?
I'm working on one to keg, and am curious. I'm in no hurry, either.

I haven't done one yet myself but I got some advice from an experienced local homebrewer. He says use WLP820, pitch a one gallon starter. Give it three weeks to ferment at 50 before a short D-rest at 65. Then drop 2-3 *F per day to 38 for lagering. He says that strain is pokey for a big beer but it makes a killer Doppelbock. I was gonna do one for winter but decided to do a tripel instead.

I've been slowly letting mine rise from 50 to 60. I'll let it climb to 65 by the end of this week. I'll have to leave it there for a few days while I travel, but then I will bring it down at the 2-3 per day recommended to 38 like you suggest and let it develop. Maybe i'll keg it at that temp and keep the keg in the lagerator and keep it vented and take samples every week until it's ready.

I used wlp833 on it. I a 3/4 gallon starter (just the yeast part, of course). Hopefully I'm close enough to the mark to turn this out well.

Lager it as long as you can wait, preferably at least 2-3 months at about 30 degrees. I made a lager that was 18 percent and lagered it for 1.5 years at 30 degrees and it turned out great-very smooth, no alcohol bite. For me, fermentation is around 45 degrees for about 2-3 weeks with a HUGE starter being pitched (about 2/3 gallon for a normal strength beer). Good to see you aren't in a hurry, you will be rewarded if you wait as long as possible. If I made a doppelbock now, I wouldn't drink it until the end of Jan or early Feb of 2009. It would be plenty smooth by then!

I can definitely wait. I have seven kegs ready to go right now anyway, and a fairly steady brewing schedule this month to provide more.

I'm slowly lowering it now, and when it hits the low 30's I'll move it to my giant chest freezer and stick it in the corner (that one can hold 15 cornies at least I think) and ignore it for the next six months.