What do you guys think of this recipe for a vienna lager?

[muskiecf]

I wanted to keep the abv down for a house session beer. What do you guys think of this recipe? I'm brewing it Sun. Pitching on a yeast slurring from a lager I just finished. Made a 1300ml starter for it and got it on the stir plate. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Vienna Lager 1
Brew Type: All Grain Date: 10/8/2010
Style: Vienna Lager Brewer: Chris Fields
Batch Size: 6.00 gal Assistant Brewer:
Boil Volume: 7.23 gal Boil Time: 90 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %

Brewing Steps Check Time Step
1-2 Days Before Brewing Prepare Yeast Starter
Amount Item Type
1 Pkgs Bavarian Lager (Wyeast Labs #2206) [Starter 2 ml] Yeast-Lager

10/8/2010 Clean and prepare equipment.
-- Measure ingredients, crush grains.
-- Prepare 8.38 gal water for brewing
-- Prepare Ingredients for Mash
Amount Item Type
3.00 lb Munich Malt (6.5 SRM) Grain
3.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (1.5 SRM) Grain
3.00 lb Vienna Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain
0.10 lb Carafa II (400.0 SRM) Grain

2 min Mash Ingredients
Mash In: Add 3.00 gal of water at 165.9 F
60 min - Hold mash at 154.0 F for 60 min
-- Sparge with 5.38 gal of 168.0 F water.
-- Add water to achieve boil volume of 7.23 gal
-- Estimated Pre-boil Gravity is: 1.034 SG with all grains/extracts added
Boil for 90 min Boil Ingredients
Boil Amount Item Type
60 min 1.50 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [3.90 %] (60 min) Hops
10 min 0.50 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [3.90 %] (10 min) Hops

-- Cool wort to fermentation temperature
-- Add water (as needed) to achieve volume of 6.00 gal
-- Siphon wort to primary fermenter and aerate wort.
-- Add Ingredients to Fermenter
Amount Item Type
1 Pkgs Bavarian Lager (Wyeast Labs #2206) [Starter 2 ml] Yeast-Lager

10/8/2010 Measure Original Gravity: ________ (Estimate: 1.041 SG)
10/8/2010 Measure Batch Volume: ________ (Estimate: 6.00 gal)
45 days Ferment in primary for 45 days at 49.0 F
11/22/2010 Transfer to Secondary Fermenter
30 days Ferment in secondary for 30 days at 34.0 F
12/22/2010 Measure Final Gravity: ________ (Estimate: 1.010 SG)
-- Bottle beer at 60.0 F with 4.5 oz of corn sugar.
4.0 Weeks Age for 4.0 Weeks at 52.0 F
1/19/2011 Sample and enjoy!

Taste Rating (50 possible points): 35.0

 

[BigEd]

My preference for a Vienna is to use 100% Vienna malt or close to it. The blend of Vienna, Pils and Munich will get you something similar but all you really need is the Vienna. The crystal malt and Carafa are superfluous IMO. I don't see IBUs listed but that eyeballs to about 18. A few more to get it into the low 20s would be my suggestion as would to lower the mash temp a few degrees.

 

[Revvy]

Bg ed is right, you're grainbill is way too complex for a true vienna lager. Mine which netted a bronze at the World Expo of Beer Homebrew Comp was based on this podcast,

Basic Brewing Radion-December 29, 2005 - Vienna Lagers
We talk to Chris Colby of Brew Your Own magazine about Vienna Lagers, a style favored south of the border. Chris takes us through the style and how to make great Vienna lagers at home.

Clicky to listen, Mp-3

Mine is
8# Vienna
1# Caramunich (56 SRM)
8 ounces of Crystal 60l
1.35 ounces of Hallertauer @ 60...

More info on it can be found here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f59/revvys-vienna-lager-147772/

 

[muskiecf]

I was going to use more vienna but my local hbs only had 3 lbs left. So I can either go with the recipe above or I did pick up an extra 2 lbs of the light munich and could add them into the grain bill. I was leaning toward mashing @ 152, not the 154.........still getting used to using beersmith. So you think I should bump up the ibu's a bit huh?

 

[BigEd]

I was going to use more vienna but my local hbs only had 3 lbs left. So I can either go with the recipe above or I did pick up an extra 2 lbs of the light munich and could add them into the grain bill. I was leaning toward mashing @ 152, not the 154.........still getting used to using beersmith. So you think I should bump up the ibu's a bit huh?

Go ahead and use the grains you have, the beer will be very good. As for the IBUs I would put them in the low 20s for this beer so you may want to check the numbers with a couple of brewing programs but I think what you have will wind up in the high teens. My suggestion for the mash temp is 148/150F to get a touch more attenuation and a nice clean finish although anything between that and your original temp listing is still going to make good beer.

 

[Otto_on_the_island]

Im just into the 2nd keg of Vienna lager I did back in the begining of Aug. I went 100% vienna for the malt, and all Czech Saaz for the hops. Fermented with WLP838 (German lager yeast). Actually, it's 'Brads Vienna Lager' recipe from here. Damn tasty. Its one that's going to be a house staple here.