Home Brew Forum

Bock - 20L - 24.07.15

Wort into Boiler (L): 25.0
Pre-boil Gravity (OG): 1.050
Original Gravity (OG): 1.060
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 6.5%
Colour (EBC): 57
Bitterness (IBU): 22.0
Mash Efficiency (%): 73.0
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 68.0
Boil Time (Minutes): 60
Mash (Minutes): 90 @65C


Grain Bill
2.560 kg Muntons Pilsner 3.0 EBC (43%)
2.560 kg Weyermann Munich 1 15.0 EBC (43%)
0.300 kg Weyermann Carapils 4.0 EBC (5%)
0.300 kg Dingemans Special B 300.0 EBC (5%)
0.240 kg Weyermann Melanoidin 70.0 EBC (4%)

Hop Bill
36.0 g Northern Brewer Whole 5.40%AA @ 60 Minutes
10.0 g Tettnang Whole 3.40%AA @ 30 Minutes


Misc Bill
1 tbsp Irish Moss @ 15 Minutes (Boil)

Yeast
WLP833 German Bock + 1 x sachet of Coopers Lager (600ml of slurry from a 1.042 Pils) @12C

I've been meaning to brew this for a couple of months now, and finally got around to it on Friday night in the peeing rain!

Barley Water on here gave me the idea of brewing a smaller lager first and using the yeast cake slurry a for this brew, as it's got a relatively high OG for a cold pitch. I brewed a Coopers Pils kit with Saaz hop tea to an OG of 1.042, and ended up with approximately 600ml of yeast for the Bock.

My water isn't really suited to normal lagers, but as this is a darker, maltier style, I'm thinking that it will be ok. I reduced the alkalinity from a measured 148 to 51ppm and ended up with a mash ph of 5.3. All I did then was balance the Sulphate and Chloride by adding 1.5g of Calcium Chloride to the mash.

Apart from the rubbish weather, my brewday mainly went without a hitch, apart from missing my target OG of 1.064 by 4 points. I can only put the low efficiency down to the different base malts, as I normally use Maris Otter from my LHBS for my AG brews, and get much higher efficiencies.

I finished around midnight, and couldn't seem to get the wort below 22C, so decided to just get in the FV, and let it cool overnight in my fridge to my intended pitching temperature of 11C. I didn't get the chance to pitch the yeast until 7pm on Saturday evening, as I got called into work, but I gave the wort some good aeration by thrashing away with the metal probe of my digital thermometer. Judging by the fermentation activity 24 hours later, I think the yeast was happy.

Here are a few pic's of the brewday -

Racked Coopers Czech Pils brew with jug of yeast a couple of days earlier.


Grain shot, and the Special B certainly tasted good when I had a nibble.


Almost bang on my intended mash temperature.


I had a semi-educated guess at my starting alkalinity, so pleased with this.


Supped a couple of Vienna Blondes while the mash was on.


The first runnings were a lovely reddy brown colour.


Check out my fully IP rated extension lead!


Spent mash.


All leaf hops, so no blockages with this brew.


24 hours after pitching and it's all happening.


Cheers

MB

I took a gravity sample last night to see how things are going, and it's down to 1.012 in just over a week!

I've raised the temperature by 4C and will then check again towards the end of the week.

Even though the sample was very yeasty, it tasted quite pleasant.

Cheers

MB

looking good there monkey

sbond10 wrote:looking good there monkey

Cheers bonders, early signs are good

After 4 days @16C the gravity is still 1.012 (6.4% before priming), so I'm dropping the temperature now to aid clearing before bottling next week.

Cheers

MB

Would a few days diacetyl rest be in order first mate? So I've heard its the norm, but as you know I don't do much on the lager scene

timbo41 wrote:Would a few days diacetyl rest be in order first mate? So I've heard its the norm, but as you know I don't do much on the lager scene

It had 4 days with the fridge set at 16C, but due to the heat in my shed, was sitting at 17C most of the time ☺

Cheers

MB

Still haven't bottled this one yet, but I did rack it a week ago and it has been bulk lagering since, as I'm on my hols in Somerset for a week.

Aiming to package this one early next week.

Cheers

MB

That looks like a decent brew and brew day. ...love a good Bock and always wanted to try an Eisbock but might be beyond my capabilities

alix101 wrote:That looks like a decent brew and brew day. ...love a good Bock and always wanted to try an Eisbock but might be beyond my capabilities

Cheers alix101

This is my first attempt at something like this, and my first AG lager, so I will only know how successful I've been once it been bottled for a month or so.

Definitely bottling tomorrow night, and assume that I should prime as I would for a more normal lager?

I'm thinking 7-8g per Litre.

Cheers

MB

Finally bottled this last night. Work, holidays and life delayed things a bit, but gave the brew a couple of weeks of bulk lagering.

I primed at 7g/L with dark brown muscavado sugar, was going to use normal white sugar, but saw the dbm in the cupboard and made a rash decision!



Really liking the reddy brown colour, let's hope it lives up to my expectations hey.

Cheers

MB

Have you cracked one open yet MB? I'd love to know how your Bock turned out. I'm planning to brew the Traditional Bock from Greg Hughes book soon .

TheEarlOfMarquis wrote:Have you cracked one open yet MB? I'd love to know how your Bock turned out. I'm planning to brew the Traditional Bock from Greg Hughes book soon .

Hi Matey

I tried one at the weekend, and it was tasting quite nice.

I served it at 5C and it wasn't totally clear, but the carbonation is coming along nicely, with a small head that stayed. The body is medium and gives a nice smooth feel to the beer.

I have never used Special B before, but I would say that it is the dominant malt flavour. I have come to this conclusion because the flavour reminds me of the 2 Brewferm Diabolo kits that I have brewed in the past. I'm hoping that this flavour will mellow a bit with conditioning.



I'm certainly pleased with it, in as much as it's a tasty beer, but quite how true to style it is, I'm not qualified enough to comment.

If I brew it again, I would try it without the Special B, and possibly use a darker Munich Malt.

Cheers