Amber Bock Ale Version???

[andyherrick]

Hello Everyone,

My brother really likes Amber Bock/ Shiner. He is getting married and I would like to brew something for his rehearsal dinner. I do not have the best equipment for fermenting lagers. I was wondering if anyone had some input or a recipe (all grain) for an ale that would be close to the taste of an Amber bock.

I have done one lager (maibock) last winter. I have a cold basement and used a tub of water with switching out ice bottles. In my opinion, it did not turn out like a true lager.

Thanks for helping out.

 

[Gwitz]

In my experience a neutral ale yeast fermented cool, and cold conditioned after fermentation is complete gets you about 90% of what a lager yeast can do. Theres lots of bock recipes in the recipe section. I do a 50/50 pale/munich with 5% crystal 60, bittered with something noble to around 20-25 ibus. It turns out really nice and is a favorite around the house.

 

[andyherrick]

What would be a neutral ale yeast? 1056?

What total weight of grains would you recommend?

Thanks for the input

 

[wickman6]

I just used safale 05 on an altbier and fermented right around 60 deg. I cold conditioned in my 40 deg garage after primary for 2 weeks and the resulting beer is very lager-like.
Just my experience, Others on here may have more/better insight tho.

 

[wickman6]

I should add that I pitched onto a cake, so it was overpitched. That may have kept the flavor more clean as well, but I don't know if its necessary. Its a pretty neutral strain if kept cool, from what I understand.

 

[andyherrick]

Thanks for the pointers. I have played around with a recipe and here is what I am thinking.

5 lbs. pale malt
5 lbs. munich malt
.5 lbs. crystal 60 or 80

1 oz hallertau for 60 min.
.5 oz hallertau for 20 min.
.5 oz hallertau for 5 min

Wyeast 1056 (because I have some on hand)

Ferment in cold basement. Then move to secondary to garage. Did you cold condition in your carboy?

I will let you know how it comes out.

I will be doing this late January. Friday I am making an old speckled hen clone. Should be good.

 

[wickman6]

1056=safale us-05 from what I have read. I would still recommend a starter though.

How cool is your basement?

I did condition in my carboy, on the original yeast cake. I used gelatin to clear it up 2 days after the carboy was in the garage, well after it cooled. The beer was ridicously clear, almost unreal! It was my best effort to clear up a beer.

Your recipe looks tasty to me!

Good luck with your brews!

 

[andyherrick]

Wickman6,

I just bottled my Amber bock imposter ale. I gave it that name. I got 78 percent efficiency. My basement this winter fermented at 52-54 degrees for two weeks. Perfect for lagers. I put into secondary and let sit for a week and a half in the basement at still 53.

bottled today and ended up with 47 beers. It tasted pretty clean. Not smooth yet, but with carbonation I am pretty sure it will be delicious.

By the way, you made me fall in love with Munich malt. Thanks for the recipe.

 

[bianco152]

Well how did it turn out? I was thinking about doing a 50/50 Maris otter/Munich with a little caramel 40 and maybe some victory and using maybe English or Scottish ale yeast for a super malty brew

 

[andyherrick]

It still doesn't taste as smooth as a real lager but it is tasty. Took a while to carb up. I think my yeast was slow from cold ferment. I would definitely brew this again only with more hops. Good call on using an English yeast. Should be good!

 

[bianco152]

I brewed a wee heavy recently with WLP028 and it came out somewhat lager-like with the low temps I used (62-65F). I'm "lagering" in the fridge and the malt flavors are pretty clean....if a little fruity