Bock style without lagering?

I hope I don't get blasted for this question but are there any suggestions for brewing a Bock style beer without being able to achieve lagering temperatures? Perhaps some particular yeast?

It's summer in South East Texas and I've measured between 70 & 75 F temperatures. I'm not at a point to make the capital investment in additional refrigeration and am eager to try my hand at a Bock style brew.

Not sure what process you are using to brew. If extract, I understand they sell munich malt extract, you could whip up a recipe with like half munich extract and half regular extract to resemble a bock. Or, if you are doing all grain, just follow a bock recipe and use a neutral yeast like s-05, 1056, nottingham, or wlp029.....but you gotta keep your temps lower than 75

I would visit the swamp bucket technique if your temps are 75, or else you'll get too many esters and fruity notes. I favor the swamp bucket, wet t-shirt, and fan technique....not expensive at all.

Great sugestion I'll have to give that a try. I am using extracts with occasional grain presteap. The brew shop I frequent (DeFalko's in Houston) does offer a Munich/Light blend so this sounds perfect. You commented 75F max was too. What would you say is an acceptable upper limit for the mid afternoon peak temp?

High 60's max.

You could always try the hybrid yeasts (WLP036 and WLP810). I've used both in the low 60's and while they're fairly clean, they're not as clean as a true lager yeast.

But, for a lager, Bock isn;t really that clean. Diacetyl makes up a good protion of the flavor.

bja said:

High 60's max.

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I don't really understand why it needs to be in the low 60s. I've brewed Ales between 70F & 75F without issue using Notingham yeast with a great taste.

GilaMinumBeer said:

But, for a lager, Bock isn;t really that clean. Diacetyl makes up a good protion of the flavor.

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That's not true. What kind of bocks have you been drinking?

BrewingME said:

I don't really understand why it needs to be in the low 60s.

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Because you are trying to brew a pseudo lager. Those flavors you like may be appropriate in a 75F fermented ale but you need to keep them to an absolute minimum when trying to imitate a lager beer. Using a clean ale yeast that will work in the low 60sF is your best bet as mentioned above.

Dark bocks are normally pretty close to 100% munich malt. Ideally you would find a 100% munich extract (I think there may be one supplier). If you get one of the 25% munich extracts you are going to get a maibock.

Rogue's Dead Guy Ale is a Maibock style brewed with their Pacman ale yeast (Wyeast 1764). Just ferment between 60-65 deg F and when fermentation is almost complete, raise the temperature up to about 70 deg F.

Does dead guy ale tastes anything like a bock to you? Not to me.

use a big starter of wyeast 1007 German Ale you'll be much closer... and shell out the bucks for imported german base malt unless you're looking to make a dead guy clone.

markg388 said:

Does dead guy ale tastes anything like a bock to you? Not to me.

use a big starter of wyeast 1007 German Ale you'll be much closer... and shell out the bucks for imported german base malt unless you're looking to make a dead guy clone.

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It kinda does, like an American version of a Maibock. It's quite heavy on the Saaz flavor hops. A lot of making a beer taste German is the use of the noble hops.

What is it about the ale yeast activity at the lower temperatures that imitates the taste of a bottom fermenting lager yeast? Should I be looking for the yeast to contribute little to no taste?

BrewingME said:

What is it about the ale yeast activity at the lower temperatures that imitates the taste of a bottom fermenting lager yeast? Should I be looking for the yeast to contribute little to no taste?

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right, lager yeasts are super clean and dry, but some also have a slight sulphur note. Just keep the ale yeast as neutral as possible (with the right strain and low temperature) and you'll be close enough to a lager yeast for the purposes of your bock.

BrewingME said:

What is it about the ale yeast activity at the lower temperatures that imitates the taste of a bottom fermenting lager yeast? Should I be looking for the yeast to contribute little to no taste?

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The lower the fermentation temperature, the fewer esters generated during fermentation. Hence, cleaner tasting beer with less yeast byproducts. However, you don't want to get the ale yeast so cold that your fermentation gets stuck. You generally want to run your fermentation cold with a clean American ale type yeast (Safale-05, Wyeast 1056, WLP001) at the bottom end of the fermentation range. Then ramp it up to the top end of the range as fermentation is finishing to dry it out.