I'm working on a couple recipes and putting together a shopping list right now, so if you have suggestions for my upcoming Quad, I'd love to hear them as well. Many of the questions in both threads focus on working within my somewhat limited ingredient availability, most notably lack of liquid yeast, since I live in China.
I'm hoping to do a Doppelbock for an upcoming brew. The argument against this is that it's probably pretty ambitious for my first lager, but considering that Spaten Optimator and Paulaner Salvator are my favorite bottom-fermented brews, it seems fitting.
It's been suggested that I try ~1.080 with 100% Munich (I'd be using Weyermann Munich II because of availability), healthy aeration, and a healthy pitch of Saflager 34/70, but my other research doesn't turn up 100% Munich Doppelbocks like that. Notably, it's unlikely that I, as a BIABer, will be doing a decoction or multiple-infusion mash unless it's really impossible to make a decent doppelbock without it, not out of stubbornness but because I'm a lot more likely to screw up a more complicated mash schedule than a simple single infusion. I'm leaning towards something like the second recipe in this BYO article in order to avoid a decoction, but I'm also tempted to try an all-base recipe (whether 100% Munich or Munich and Pils) and maybe do some wort concentration on the side during the boil for extra maillards.
I'm limited to dry yeast or the off chance that any common German lagers are bottle conditioned with their primary yeast and I could use them to build up a starter. If the former, would I be better off with S-34/70, S-23, or M54? If the latter, which breweries/beers should I look at for harvestable yeast?
Finally, hops: 22-25 IBU, right? Are any late hops necessary or beneficial, or just a bittering charge? I have some cheap but sub-par domestic Saaz, or I could easily get a couple ounces of Perle, Czech Saaz, Tettnanger, or Hallertau. Suggestions?
I'm hoping to do a Doppelbock for an upcoming brew. The argument against this is that it's probably pretty ambitious for my first lager, but considering that Spaten Optimator and Paulaner Salvator are my favorite bottom-fermented brews, it seems fitting.
It's been suggested that I try ~1.080 with 100% Munich (I'd be using Weyermann Munich II because of availability), healthy aeration, and a healthy pitch of Saflager 34/70, but my other research doesn't turn up 100% Munich Doppelbocks like that. Notably, it's unlikely that I, as a BIABer, will be doing a decoction or multiple-infusion mash unless it's really impossible to make a decent doppelbock without it, not out of stubbornness but because I'm a lot more likely to screw up a more complicated mash schedule than a simple single infusion. I'm leaning towards something like the second recipe in this BYO article in order to avoid a decoction, but I'm also tempted to try an all-base recipe (whether 100% Munich or Munich and Pils) and maybe do some wort concentration on the side during the boil for extra maillards.
I'm limited to dry yeast or the off chance that any common German lagers are bottle conditioned with their primary yeast and I could use them to build up a starter. If the former, would I be better off with S-34/70, S-23, or M54? If the latter, which breweries/beers should I look at for harvestable yeast?
Finally, hops: 22-25 IBU, right? Are any late hops necessary or beneficial, or just a bittering charge? I have some cheap but sub-par domestic Saaz, or I could easily get a couple ounces of Perle, Czech Saaz, Tettnanger, or Hallertau. Suggestions?
