Are doppelbocks hard to brew?

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jgalak

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So I just finished brewing my first batch (an AHS Blue Moon clone, extract with specialty grain), and thinking towards the next one. My wife really likes the Weihenstephaner Korbinian, a doppelbock. I'd like to try making something similair, but I'm concerned that a heavy lager like this seems much more complicated, requiring some sort of fermentation chiller, more temperature controls, etc.

Is it possible to make such a beer easily, or should I put it off until I have more experience and equipment!?
 
If you don't have good fermentation temperature control, you should wait IMO. You will want to do primary ferment at around 48-50F for a month or two, and then lager that beer for quite some time afterward. There are other things to worry about with lagers, like pitching enough yeast, managing diacetyl, etc. It's not something I'd want to do if I just started brewing.

I would also add that for a big lager like this, you'll want to pitch a lot of yeast, which means making a huge starter (or probably just brew a batch of a smaller lager first) and probably involves equipment that you don't have.
 
It is not more technically difficult, it will take more work. As WB says above, fermentation temp control is a must for a lager. Start with something having a little less of an investment as a first lager.

Now a world-class, BOS winning doppelbock (here comes people telling me I am wrong) is double-decocted. If you taste the same recipe side by side, one "modern" and one decocted, you will very easily taste the difference. If you are going to try a doppelbock someday at least study up on the method so you understand the origins. You may decide not to do this, and that's fine, buy I think everyone should do it at least once.

So ... yes if you just did your first extract kit it *might* be a little presumptuous to do this next. But, I ain't gonna stand in anyone's way.

By the way, the Weihenstephaner Korbinian is a nice beer, but the Ayinger Celebrator is world-class in this style IMHO. Give that a go and see what she thinks.
 
Yeah, my temperature control is the basement, which is around 66F right now, which seems perfect for the Witbier. I have a small freezer I can someday convert into a fermentation chiller, but that's not a right now project.
 
I will have to track that one down, thanks.

New goal is then to find a beer we both like that's easier to brew (she does _not_ like the Blue Moon type witbiers that I love). Well, I guess we'll just need to taste a bunch of beer... :)
 
If she likes a Doppelbock and you like a Wit ... well that's a wide chasm. How about an ale in the middle of those two characters like a Newcastle?
 
It's not "hard" to brew a dopplebock, but without temperature control and a solid understanding of yeast pitching rates, it would be hard to make it taste good! Read up on the subject, brew simpler beers and get more experience, then go for it!
 
By the way, the Weihenstephaner Korbinian is a nice beer, but the Ayinger Celebrator is world-class in this style IMHO. Give that a go and see what she thinks.


They are both world-class, IMO. I can usually pick up the melanoiden better in Korbinian than I can in Celebrator. FWIW Paulaner Salvator is the first listed in BJCP style guidelines, but I don't really get the huge melanoiden character in that one.
 
They are both world-class, IMO. I can usually pick up the melanoiden better in Korbinian than I can in Celebrator. FWIW Paulaner Salvator is the first listed in BJCP style guidelines, but I don't really get the huge melanoiden character in that one.
Hrm, really ... I'll go get both today (if I remember, damned ADD) and check them out side by side. I probably never have done so. That character is exactly why I always look to a decoction method for home-brewing the style.
 
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