Critique my Vienna Lager recipe

[Brewskier]

Hi guys, I was hoping somebody could help me out with this one. I saw a version of this on the internet and changed a few things.

Type: Partial Mash

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.00 lb Briess Munich Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 33.33 %
3.00 lb Munich 20L (Briess) (20.0 SRM) Grain 33.33 %
2.00 lb Vienna Malt (Briess) (3.5 SRM) Grain 22.22 %
1.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 11.11 %
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (60 min) Hops 19.3 IBU
0.50 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] (20 min) Hops 5.5 IBU
1.00 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] (0 min) Hops -
1 Pkgs German Lager (White Labs #830) Yeast-Lager


I can't do a full boil, so I plan on adding half the extract in the beginning and the other half at flameout. I usually boil 6 lbs worth of LME in 2 gallons of water, and then add another 1-2 gallons from the steeping grains + sparge. This will be a partial mash, and I'm using half the amount of extract... does anyone know how much water I should use? Can it be the same amount?

Let me know of any changes you feel I should make. I'm getting the starter started tonight, will brew Saturday.

 

[Brewskier]

Anyone?

 

[BigEd]

A Vienna is made with Vienna malt. With all that Munich, especially that very dark domestic, you are making more of a darker Fest beer than an actual Vienna. Which is perfectly fine, however, if you want to brew more of a Vienna style I would make all of your partial mash grain Vienna malt, and sub something else for the Munich extract. Use Vienna extract if it exists or if not a light/extra light along with a small addition (~1/2 lb) of CaraVienna malt.

 

[Brewskier]

A Vienna is made with Vienna malt. With all that Munich, especially that very dark domestic, you are making more of a darker Fest beer than an actual Vienna. Which is perfectly fine, however, if you want to brew more of a Vienna style I would make all of your partial mash grain Vienna malt, and sub something else for the Munich extract. Use Vienna extract if it exists or if not a light/extra light along with a small addition (~1/2 lb) of CaraVienna malt.

Good advice. I decided to swap out the munich for pilsen light DME. Here's the finished recipe. How does it look? I probably should have gone with the Southern German Lager instead of the German Lager, but I think this one should be good too.

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Vienna Lager
Brewer:
Asst Brewer:
Style: Vienna Lager
TYPE: Partial Mash
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 4.27 gal
Post Boil Volume: 3.90 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 4.60 gal
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 14.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 21.0 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 90.6 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
3 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 1 36.6 %
2 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 24.4 %
8.0 oz Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 3 6.1 %
3.2 oz Carafa III (525.0 SRM) Grain 4 2.4 %
2 lbs 8.0 oz Pilsen Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 5 30.5 %
1.50 oz Hallertauer [4.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 18.8 IBUs
0.50 oz Hallertauer [4.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 2.3 IBUs
1.0 pkg German Lager (White Labs #WLP830) [35.49 Yeast 8 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 8 lbs 3.2 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 8.13 qt of water at 160.0 F 150.0 F 75 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 3.17 gal water at 168.0 F
Notes:

 

[Brewskier]

I was a little worried that I shouldn't have added the biscuit malt in there, but I've had good results using it in the past, and I'm only adding 0.5 pounds. I like the bready/toasty flavor that Vienna and biscut produces, but I don't want to go overboard. 0.5 pounds of it shouldn't cause too much of a flavor change, right?

 

[Schmoogdaddy]

How was it? I'm looking to do something very similar.