Red Lager, critiques and comments please!

Batch Size: 5.50 gal Boil Size: 6.57 gal
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (7 gal) and Igloo/Gott Cooler (5 Gal)
Brewhouse Efficiency: 85.0%

Amount Item Type % or IBU
10 lbs Pale Malt - 2 Row (Cargill) (2.0 SRM)
1 lbs Biscuit (Dingemans) (22.5 SRM)
12.0 oz Crystal Extra Dark - 120L (Crisp) (120.0 SRM)
2.9 oz Chocolate (Dingemans) (340.0 SRM)
1.00 oz Cascade [7.80%] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) 25.5 IBU
0.50 oz Tettnang [4.20%] (10 min) Hops 2 IBU
0.25 oz Tettnang [4.20%] (5 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep)
0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Hella-Bock (Wyeast Lab #2487VSS) Yeast-Lager

Est Original Gravity: 1.067 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.4 %
Bitterness: 29.2 IBU
Est Color: 17.2 SRM

Mash Name: Temperature Mash, 2 Step, Medium Body Total Grain Weight: 11.93 lb
Sparge Water: 4.52 gal
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F

Protein Rest Add 14.91 qt of water at 129.3 F 122.0 F 30 min
Saccharification Heat to 154.0 F over 15 min 154.0 F 45 min
Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min 168.0 F 10 min

The last beer I made (the Peg Leg IPA) came out at something like 91% efficiency. So I may back down on the base malt. I thought about subbing some dark munich for some base also. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. The AAU % are correct for the hops I have (though it is possible they have degraded some during storage).

I managed to pick up a pack of the Hella-Bock yeast from my LHBS, and thought this might make a good beer to combine with my new lagering box. I am considering cranking up the IBU to like 35 or so also.

I suppose I could list what hops I have on hand, although my LHBS still has about 20 varieties at a reasonable price. I have: 4oz Tettnang (whole), 8oz Cascade, 2oz Centennial, 5oz Hallertau. There's probably a pack or two of something else in the freezer as well. I can get all the usual suspects for grains.

That's an awful lot of 120L crystal in there, but it is not out of control. If you've worked with that stuff before, and you know what you want, then go for it. If you have not brewed with 120L before, then you might want to back off to 8 oz. and see if you want more later on.

It is in an interesting recipe, but I might back off the 120L crystal and add something else, maybe some of that dark Munich you were talking about or some crystal in the 50-60L range. I would probably go more with the Munich, though, as I don't know how much caramel I would want in something like this.


TL

Without the Chocolate beersmith shows a nice Red color 13.3 Srm with the chocolate you are at a really dark brown color.

Thanks for the advice, guys! I plan on using

7lbs 2-row
2lbs Munich type 2
8oz Crystal 120

etc...

I'm excited, this will be my first lager!

... I ended up with this:

5 lbs Pale Malt - 2 Row (Cargill) (2.0 SRM) Grain
2 lbs 3.2 oz Munich I (Weyermann) (7.1 SRM) Grain
2 lbs 3.2 oz Munich II (Weyermann) (8.5 SRM) Grain
8.0 oz Crystal Extra Dark - 120L (Crisp) (120.0 SRM) Grain
3.0 oz Chocolate (Dingemans) (340.0 SRM) Grain
1.00 oz Cascade [7.80%] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 27.0 IBU
0.15 oz Tettnang [4.20%] (60 min) Hops 2.0 IBU
0.50 oz Hallertauer [4.80%] (15 min) Hops 3.7 IBU
0.25 oz Tettnang [4.20%] (10 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -

OG is 1.059, for 87% efficiency. It's bubbling away in the lagering box at 55F - I had it a bit warmer to let it get going but I'm dropping the temperature a little every day. 32.7 IBU, possibly a bit less depending on how old my hops are. I had the munich I sitting around, so that went in. I guess it's more of a bock than a red lager now, but it'll be beer!