Sacred Knot Brewing
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2020
- Messages
- 50
- Reaction score
- 25
Hey all, I am going to preface this by saying I know my recipe is not quite "traditional," and frankly that is what I am going for. So if you are going to get on me for going against the grain, this post is not for you. I am first generation German-American so I wanted to find a hybrid of both old world style with a modern, American flare. Vienna lager is by far one of my favorite styles and so it only seemed right. Anyways, I am looking into trying something "different" with the hops. My grain bill is already set and I think I am happy with what I have in that regard.
So the dilemma is this: looking at new and experimental hops on Hopsteiner I came across "Akoya" hops. Their website gives aroma notes of tea, spicy, green fruit and pepper. It's main growing country is Germany so I thought that could be an interesting choice. But I was also thinking about jumping on the Loral bandwagon. It is described as a "super noble" hop and according to Yakima Valley's website: The aroma profile of Loral® has been described as a “super noble hop” with its wonderful floral and herbal notes followed by a backdrop of citrus and earthy character. A touch of sweet fruity aroma rounds out this well-balanced hop. In beer, the floral notes are accentuated yet complemented nicely by fruity and citrus with just a hint of herbal. Don’t expect an in-your-face fruity character with Loral® as seen with some recent U.S. variety releases - this hop is approachable and balanced. Great for distinctive IPAs and pale ales but perfect for sessionable and lager-style beers.
From what I can gather, Akoya would be the safer option as it sounds almost like a "new" noble hop. Loral sounds like a more "unique" option for a Vienna lager, but I am a bit hesitant as I think I have only seen it in IPAs and so I am afraid its going to be too fruity. I've not ever worked with it. A touch of lemony citrus zest might be a nice addition, I just don't want something that will give off a super juicy flavor. Thoughts?
Here's my recipe for reference:
Hygge - Vienna Lager
All grain
Batch size: 5 gallons
Total water volume: 8 gallons
Total grist weight: 8.75 lb
Est mash pH: 5.28
Target OG: 1.048
Target FG: 1.007
Est ABV: 5.4%
IBU: (aiming for) ~ 28
SRM: 12.00
Grain bill
6 lb (68.6%) Vienna
2 lb (22.9%) Light Munich
0.25 lb (2.9%) Victory
0.25 lb (2.9%) CaraMunich I
0.25 lb (2.9%) Pale Chocolate
Hop schedule
~ 21 IBU Akoya/Loral @ 60 min
~ 7 IBU Akoya/Loral @ 170 degree starting whirlpool (est 10% utilization)
Yeast
Saflager S-189 Swiss Lager
Water adjustments (salts added to mash only)
1.5 g Gypsum
2 g Epsom salt
Single infusion mash at 153 x 60 min w/ 3 gallons of strike water. Sparge w/ 5 gallons water @ 170 degrees. 60 min boil followed by whirlpool beginning at 170 degrees. Chill to 50 degrees and follow typical lager fermentation schedule.
So the dilemma is this: looking at new and experimental hops on Hopsteiner I came across "Akoya" hops. Their website gives aroma notes of tea, spicy, green fruit and pepper. It's main growing country is Germany so I thought that could be an interesting choice. But I was also thinking about jumping on the Loral bandwagon. It is described as a "super noble" hop and according to Yakima Valley's website: The aroma profile of Loral® has been described as a “super noble hop” with its wonderful floral and herbal notes followed by a backdrop of citrus and earthy character. A touch of sweet fruity aroma rounds out this well-balanced hop. In beer, the floral notes are accentuated yet complemented nicely by fruity and citrus with just a hint of herbal. Don’t expect an in-your-face fruity character with Loral® as seen with some recent U.S. variety releases - this hop is approachable and balanced. Great for distinctive IPAs and pale ales but perfect for sessionable and lager-style beers.
From what I can gather, Akoya would be the safer option as it sounds almost like a "new" noble hop. Loral sounds like a more "unique" option for a Vienna lager, but I am a bit hesitant as I think I have only seen it in IPAs and so I am afraid its going to be too fruity. I've not ever worked with it. A touch of lemony citrus zest might be a nice addition, I just don't want something that will give off a super juicy flavor. Thoughts?
Here's my recipe for reference:
Hygge - Vienna Lager
All grain
Batch size: 5 gallons
Total water volume: 8 gallons
Total grist weight: 8.75 lb
Est mash pH: 5.28
Target OG: 1.048
Target FG: 1.007
Est ABV: 5.4%
IBU: (aiming for) ~ 28
SRM: 12.00
Grain bill
6 lb (68.6%) Vienna
2 lb (22.9%) Light Munich
0.25 lb (2.9%) Victory
0.25 lb (2.9%) CaraMunich I
0.25 lb (2.9%) Pale Chocolate
Hop schedule
~ 21 IBU Akoya/Loral @ 60 min
~ 7 IBU Akoya/Loral @ 170 degree starting whirlpool (est 10% utilization)
Yeast
Saflager S-189 Swiss Lager
Water adjustments (salts added to mash only)
1.5 g Gypsum
2 g Epsom salt
Single infusion mash at 153 x 60 min w/ 3 gallons of strike water. Sparge w/ 5 gallons water @ 170 degrees. 60 min boil followed by whirlpool beginning at 170 degrees. Chill to 50 degrees and follow typical lager fermentation schedule.