Vienna lager Recipe help

[k47k]

I am new to brewing and allgrain (2 AG batches, 8 extract). Ive decided to use my own recipe for a vienna lager for my next batch. I am sure i botched it somehow. At this point i am unable to change the grainbill but i can adjust the hops. Please comment on the overall recipe and suggested hop changes (i am limited to 3oz of halletrau).


..trying to figure out how to post recipe....
Recipe: Vienna Lager
Brewer: Josh
Asst Brewer: Lily
Style: Vienna Lager
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.052 SG
Estimated Color: 10.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
10.25 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 89.13 %
1.00 lb Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 8.70 %
0.25 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 2.17 %
1.50 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.00 %] (60 min)Hops 20.4 IBU
0.50 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.00 %] (15 min)Hops 3.4 IBU
0.50 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.00 %] (5 min) Hops 1.4 IBU


Mash Schedule: My Mash
Total Grain Weight: 11.50 lb
----------------------------
My Mash
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mashin Add 14.38 qt of water at 167.1 F 155.0 F
10 min Sparge Add 18.00 qt of water at 179.9 F 168.0 F

 

[uwjester]

It looks like a pretty solid recipe to me. I would have liked a little pilsner malt. Vienna doesn't have a whole lot of diastatic power. That is going to lower your efficiency a bit. You could mash an extra half hour, or maybe slightly lower temperature and you will get a little more fermentable sugar out of your wort.

The hops look fine. You could lose the 5 min addition and keep a little more malty profile, but that isn't a big deal.

You mention that you are new to brewing. Out of curiosity, are you set up to ferment a lager at the correct temperature? Lagers sort of need to be fermented around 50F. If you use a lager yeast at ale temperatures, you tend to get some off flavors. If you don't have a way to cool it off that much, you could always use an ale yeast to ferment it. There is a style called California Steam Lager that is done at higher temps. That might be a good yeast, or maybe something fairly subtle like nottingham or even california ale. Lots of luck.

 

[944play]

I would have liked a little pilsner malt. Vienna doesn't have a whole lot of diastatic power. That is going to lower your efficiency a bit.

Disagree. Briess Vienna has a DP of 130ºLintner, for example:
http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Products/High_Temp_Kilned_Malts.htm#Vienna

 

[uwjester]

When I pulled it up in beersmith, it was listed at 50 Linter. If Briess is hitting 130, then there is no concern at all.

 

[mightynintendo]

That is a solid recipe. And for a Vienna Lager, you should be using Vienna malt exclusively as your base malt IMHO. Good job! Let us know how it turns out. Just curious, why did you choose 155 to mash?

 

[k47k]

Thanks for the replies.

I am setup for temperature control. I have a chest freezer with controller. I plan on setting the controller at 52* for primary which will keep it between 48* and 52*.

The mash temperature was default from BeerSmith. I have been shooting for 152 although im not sure if that is correct. I made one beer @152 at it came out good. The problem i had with extract was they always seemed sweet to me, i thought mashing at 150-152 would result in a drier product.

 

[mightynintendo]

152 will indeed give you a drier beer than 155 and is generally regarded as the overall best compromise temperature for most beers and, at least for myself, yields a wort that consistently has an apparent attenuation of 74%-82% with healthy yeast in ideal fermenting temperatures. 155 is appropriate for sweeter beers and is common among many stouts and porters.

 

[944play]

155 is appropriate for sweeter beers and is common among many stouts and porters.

A higher mash temp will not necessarily make your beer taste sweeter, neither will it be "maltier." The wort may contain more unfermentable long-chain sugars, but they tend not to taste sweet. Eat a scoop of maltodextrin to get an idea of what I'm on about here. This is also why I think Carapils is redundant in a lot of recipes.

That said, the recipe looks really good except it doesn't have yeast. I sure like WY2308/WLP838.:rockin:

 

[mightynintendo]

A higher mash temp will not necessarily make your beer taste sweeter, neither will it be "maltier." The wort may contain more unfermentable long-chain sugars, but they tend not to taste sweet. Eat a scoop of maltodextrin to get an idea of what I'm on about here. This is also why I think Carapils is redundant in a lot of recipes.

That said, the recipe looks really good except it doesn't have yeast. I sure like WY2308/WLP838.:rockin:

I didn't mean to imply that it would make the beer sweeter or maltier, just that it is more appropriate for porters and stouts as they tend to have more body. I wasn't clear about that but thanks!

 

[k47k]

Ill be using Dry US-23 for this one. May be not hte best option but its hot now and i worry about liquid yeast after 5 days of transport. Even if you get a cold pack, the cold pack is melted in a few hours so i find its pretty much useless.

 

[pkgmsu2000]

sorry to pull up an old thread... but i was hoping to get some help/suggestions/etc with a Vienna lager recipe that would be similar to the commercial brand "Dos XX amber".

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style03.php#1a

3A. Vienna Lager

Aroma: Moderately rich German malt aroma (of Vienna and/or Munich malt). A light toasted malt aroma may be present. Similar, though less intense than Oktoberfest. Clean lager character, with no fruity esters or diacetyl. Noble hop aroma may be low to none. Caramel aroma is inappropriate.

Appearance: Light reddish amber to copper color. Bright clarity. Large, off-white, persistent head.

Flavor: Soft, elegant malt complexity is in the forefront, with a firm enough hop bitterness to provide a balanced finish. Some toasted character from the use of Vienna malt. No roasted or caramel flavor. Fairly dry finish, with both malt and hop bitterness present in the aftertaste. Noble hop flavor may be low to none.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body, with a gentle creaminess. Moderate carbonation. Smooth. Moderately crisp finish. May have a bit of alcohol warming.

Overall Impression: Characterized by soft, elegant maltiness that dries out in the finish to avoid becoming sweet.

Comments: American versions can be a bit stronger, drier and more bitter, while European versions tend to be sweeter. Many Mexican amber and dark lagers used to be more authentic, but unfortunately are now more like sweet, adjunct-laden American Dark Lagers.

History: The original amber lager developed by Anton Dreher shortly after the isolation of lager yeast. Nearly extinct in its area of origin, the style continues in Mexico where it was brought by Santiago Graf and other Austrian immigrant brewers in the late 1800s. Regrettably, most modern examples use adjuncts which lessen the rich malt complexity characteristic of the best examples of this style. The style owes much of its character to the method of malting (Vienna malt). Lighter malt character overall than Oktoberfest, yet still decidedly balanced toward malt.

Ingredients: Vienna malt provides a lightly toasty and complex, melanoidin-rich malt profile. As with Oktoberfests, only the finest quality malt should be used, along with Continental hops (preferably noble varieties). Moderately hard, carbonate-rich water. Can use some caramel malts and/or darker malts to add color and sweetness, but caramel malts shouldn’t add significant aroma and flavor and dark malts shouldn’t provide any roasted character.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.046 – 1.052
IBUs: 18 – 30 FG: 1.010 – 1.014
SRM: 10 – 16 ABV: 4.5 – 5.5%

Commercial Examples: Great Lakes Eliot Ness (unusual in its 6.2% strength and 35 IBUs), Boulevard Bobs 47 Munich-Style Lager, Negra Modelo, Old Dominion Aviator Amber Lager, Gordon Biersch Vienna Lager, Capital Wisconsin Amber, Olde Saratoga Lager, Penn Pilsner

i am still a brewing newb. Ive only used the extract kits from northern brewer up to this point, but I would like to find a partial mash recipe that would deliver the vienna lager style that im interested in brewing.

i do have a lager fridge with a digi johnson temp control.

TIA for any and all help

 

[Miracletripper]

Did you ever brew that beer? I'll be making a Vienna Lager this weekend and I think I'll mash at 152. I typically mash lower on my lagers but I think this style will need a bit more body.