Munich Malt style

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I made a unique beer on a whim. The problem is, it actually came out really, really well. So well in fact that I would like to enter it in competition. The problem is, I have no idea what style to submit it as.

It's a light-flavored beer made with 100% Munich Malt, Ale yeast and 2 oz of Saaz hops. It has a nice dark brown color, foamy head, light floral aromas and clean texture.

The problem is, the ingredients I used don't seem to fit any standard of style. The ingredients would typically be for that of a lager, but since I didn't lager it, I have no idea what it is. Any guidance here would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
Unfortunately, there isn't really a category for this. The grist and hops are very bock-like (as you mention), but you'll get dinged in that category because of the fermentation profile. Dead Guy, for example, gets classified sometimes as a maibock, but it doesn't really taste like any maibock I've ever had. Category 23A?
 
You didn't mention your specs like OG & IBUs, but have a look at the Dusseldorf Altbier category.... maybe?

Here's the recipe:

Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 5.72 gal
OG: 1.060
FG: 1.010
Estimated Color: 8.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 19.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
10.00 lb Munich Malt (6.0 SRM) Grain 100.00 %
1.00 oz Saaz [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 19.2 IBU
1.00 oz Saaz [5.50 %] (1 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
5.00 gal New York, NY Water
1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: My Mash
Total Grain Weight: 10.00 lb
----------------------------
My Mash
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Step Add 12.00 qt of water at 168.4 F 156.0 F
10 min Step Add 5.00 qt of water at 208.7 F 170.0 F
 
Mysticmead said:
you're almost an Altbier.. just low on the IBU for the style

I'm no expert on altbiers, but aren't they usually mostly pilsner plus a little bit of Munich, roast, and dark crystal? The OPs beer sounds like a (potentially very tasty) Munich bomb with none of the darker kilned tones that I (perhaps incorrectly) associate with alts.
 
I'm no expert on altbiers, but aren't they usually mostly pilsner plus a little bit of Munich, roast, and dark crystal? The OPs beer sounds like a (potentially very tasty) Munich bomb with none of the darker kilned tones that I (perhaps incorrectly) associate with alts.


yes and no... here's the definition of ingredients straight from the BJCP style guideline.

Ingredients: Grists vary, German base malts(typ. pils, occ. Munich)w sm amts of crystal, chocolate, &/or black malts to adj color. Occ wheat. Spalt hops traditional, noble hops ok.Mod carbonate water.Clean,highly attenuative ale yeast. step mash/decoct is traditional

while its typically Pils is does say that occasionally (occ) its Munich. Like I said, it was almost an Alt.
 
Mysticmead said:
yes and no... here's the definition of ingredients straight from the BJCP style guideline.

while its typically Pils is does say that occasionally (occ) its Munich. Like I said, it was almost an Alt.

Fair enough, though I think he'd get dinged pretty hard for the lack of roast/crystal. Even with Munich as a base, those flavors are quite pronounced in any alt I've had.

Somebody else around here was having a similar problem about six months ago, though I can't for the life of me find the thread. It wiuld be worth figuring out how that brewer fared. If specialty beer isn't an option, I think your best choice (of bad options) would be maibock.
 
Mysticmead said:
oh he'd get hit for the malts and for the lack of hops as an Alt...

Yeah, basically... he's screwed. :D it's just a question I guess of if he expects the judges to be more sensitive to yeast, malts, or hops. The good news is that he'll have something to drown his misery with when the score sheet comes back.
 
Yeah, basically... he's screwed. :D it's just a question I guess of if he expects the judges to be more sensitive to yeast, malts, or hops. The good news is that he'll have something to drown his misery with when the score sheet comes back.

looking at the guidelines...even a maibock it's not strong enough and to light..plus low on hops
 
I think catagory 23 is your best bet, and I would call it a "Pale Munich Dunkel" (oxymoronic - I know). At least you won't get dinged for lack of originality.

I am not a fan of ale yeast in a lager style, but the US-05 fermented very cool could supress a lot of the esters associated with an ale. Your gravity is really close to the high end of the style, and your munich malt backbone is essential in a dunkel. You simply left out the small % required of dark malt. You fall in line with a noble hop, and IBU's also look good (low end of the style, but good).

I think the late hops would also be uncharacteristic of a Munich Dunkel, but lets face it, throwing it in as a well described entry in Catagory 23 is your best shot.

As I have come to understand it, the first rule of success for catagory 23 is a tasty beer. The second rule is a great description. In other words, the judges need to know what your beer will taste like before they taste it. The narrower the gap between their taste buds and their expectations, the more successful you should be. So, do you think your beer tastes like a "pale munich dunkel"?

Good Luck,
Joe
 
I think catagory 23 is your best bet, and I would call it a "Pale Munich Dunkel" (oxymoronic - I know). At least you won't get dinged for lack of originality.

I am not a fan of ale yeast in a lager style, but the US-05 fermented very cool could supress a lot of the esters associated with an ale. Your gravity is really close to the high end of the style, and your munich malt backbone is essential in a dunkel. You simply left out the small % required of dark malt. You fall in line with a noble hop, and IBU's also look good (low end of the style, but good).

I think the late hops would also be uncharacteristic of a Munich Dunkel, but lets face it, throwing it in as a well described entry in Catagory 23 is your best shot.

As I have come to understand it, the first rule of success for catagory 23 is a tasty beer. The second rule is a great description. In other words, the judges need to know what your beer will taste like before they taste it. The narrower the gap between their taste buds and their expectations, the more successful you should be. So, do you think your beer tastes like a "pale munich dunkel"?

Good Luck,
Joe

The beer does taste like a Dunkel. Although it also tastes a lot like a Helles. the truth is that although I used Ale yeast, it was such a clean fermentation (at a relatively low temperature, too), that it really does taste like a dark lager. So much so that I think any expert would be hard-pressed to negate the fact.

Again, this beer was just a whim that turned out to be the tastiest beer I've ever made and really want to find a good category to submit it in. In my mind it's a toss-up between the altbier, dunkel or helles.
 
Cool to find this thread. I'm thinking of doing essentially the same thing only I have a Brown in the fermenter already using the Wyeast 1882-PC*Thames Valley II. Hope it turns out tasty.
 
Competitions are great, but I would rather have my friends and fellow brewers be happy with what I made.

I made a awesome batch of ribs once, they fell between a Memphis and a St Louis style. They would never win any competition, but what did do was get eaten up to the very last one.

That's a blue ribbon in my books.
 
Competitions are great, but I would rather have my friends and fellow brewers be happy with what I made.

I made a awesome batch of ribs once, they fell between a Memphis and a St Louis style. They would never win any competition, but what did do was get eaten up to the very last one.

That's a blue ribbon in my books.

those are the BEST awards! they are also the ones I brew for myself. Sure a competition win is nice and can be used to validate your recipe and brewing skill, but truthfully its when your friends and family drink it the last drop and tell you that it was the best they ever had, that's the real winner.
 
I just stumbled across this thread looking for something to make with my newly acquired bag of Munich Malt; I have never used munich malt. I also have a pound of Saaz hops that I haven't used yet. A smash of this like the OP did would be interesting.

But lets say if it turns out good; and I would want to put this into a competition.
What tweaks would I need to make to have it fit in a catagory?
I do have the ability to lager and I have pilsner, MO, and 2-row malt available if necessary but I want the bulk of the grain bill to be Munich.
 
Returning to this thread....

I've made this beer a couple more times and it is still in my mind one of the best beers I've ever had (worth noting I love bavarian brews). As for the competition, I decided it wasn't worth submitting because it doesn't fit into any category.

HOWEVER, I entered the Brooklyn Wort competition in which they choose the participants based on an initial beer submission, regardless of style guidelines, and naturally I submitted this beer. Apparently I'm not the only one who likes this beer because out of 125 submissions, I was chosen and went on to come in 2nd in people's choice with a unique belgian tripel.
 
Well, if you've brewed it several times and you & your friends like it then it doesn't matter if it fits a style - except for competitions! Style guidelines are just that - if it were brewing law, a bunch of light beer drinking lawyers would have us all in beer prison!

Cheers....
 
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