Hey guys,
Thinking about taking a break from drinking alcohol for the rest of the year and I want to lager a few beers that will hold up for 3 months or longer in corny kegs while lagering. I was thinking about a Vienna and maybe a dunkel. Anyone have any good recipes or ideas for doing this? I’ve already got 2 sours aging for the next 4 or so months so I’m thinking lagers.
Even a small clean ale tastes fantastic… Cold conditions for a brew to rest is so well paid back… Basement… Hooked up to 10 PSI’s … I bet you’d break yer arm patting yer back. Sneezles61
I’m assuming an ale with little ibus? I have some grain I milled last week for a late addition hazy just dont think that would fair well.
As long as it’s not hop forward or a wheat beer most things will hold up for the time period you mention. Wheat beers lose their best qualities with age imo. Stouts age very well and I think would be great for your needs.
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Any lager will benefit from a 3 month lagering period.
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Here’s a Vienna Lager recipe that’s made the rounds of this forum for years. I originally got it from @mattnaik who I haven’t seen on here in a couple of years. He was a huge contributor here when I first joined.
This is based on 80% efficiency and 5.5 gals into the fermenter. I now use german magnum exclusively for bittering my lagers, and I kind of prefer hersbrucker for the late additions in this beer, any noble hop would work well.
Recipe Specifications
Boil Size: 6.94 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.94 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.25 gal
Estimated OG: 1.047 SG
Estimated Color: 10.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 21.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 82.9 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
Amt Name Type # %/IBU Volume
5 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 1 54.8 % 0.39 gal
2 lbs 8.0 oz Pilsner (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 27.4 % 0.20 gal
1 lbs 8.0 oz Munich Dark (15.0 SRM) Grain 3 16.4 % 0.12 gal
2.0 oz Carafa Special III (Weyermann) (470.0 SRM) Grain 4 1.4 % 0.01 gal
1.75 oz German Hallertau [2.70 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 17.3 IBUs -
0.50 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 6 - -
0.80 oz German Hallertau [2.70 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 3.9 IBUs -
1.0 pkg Bavarian Lager (Wyeast Labs #2206) [124.21 ml] Yeast 8 - -
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Very simple dunkel recipe that renders a very nice malty dunkel. Again pretty much any noble hop would work well. This is for 11 gallons 80% eff. so scale accordingly.
This one originated with @rebuiltcellars I believe.
Recipe Specifications
Boil Size: 12.58 gal
Post Boil Volume: 11.67 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 11.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 10.75 gal
Estimated OG: 1.050 SG
Estimated Color: 16.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 81.5 %
Boil Time: 55 Minutes
Ingredients:
Amt Name Type # %/IBU Volume
18 lbs 8.0 oz Avangard Munich (15.0 SRM) Grain 1 99.0 % 1.45 gal
3.0 oz Carafa Special III (Weyermann) (470.0 SRM) Grain 2 1.0 % 0.01 gal
0.80 oz Magnum [14.70 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 20.8 IBUs -
0.75 oz Hallertau Tradition [5.30 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 4 4.3 IBUs -
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 5 - -
1.0 pkg Bavarian Lager (Wyeast Labs #2206) [124.21 ml] Yeast 6 - -
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Hey @sneezles61 do you think an ipa would hold up at all? I already have the grain milled so I was just curious if I did a co2 pressure transfer from primary into a corny and kept it at lagering temp under pressure until around january if it would be any good? I definitely would either dry hop in primary or into the keg in january before I tap it. Any thoughts?
I’m not @sneezles61 but there’s no reason that won’t work. I wouldn’t carb it then hit it with dry hops. Adding the DH will create nucleation sites and the CO2 will explode out of the beer.
If you’re looking for something to age why not try something with oak. It could even be your IPA idea. Age it on oak then add the dry hops. Start carving with the DH and it will be done sooner.
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I’m with Loopie… Hop aroma and flavor seem to fade away from some longer storage… I haven’t done a wood infused brew for quite a while… Did a few with birch a long time ago… Really was interesting… DH just before you’re ready to serve then… Sneezles61
Sounds good. Thanks guys
I have this on tap right now and it is fantastic. It probably wont be around long, but that’s OK because I’ll definitely be making this one again and again. Thanks dannyboy! I also like Dunkels a lot and see you have a recipe for one below, May have to give it a go.
I pretty much always have that vienna around. Just tapped the Marzen/Ofest which is pretty great this year. havne’t brewed that Dunkel recently but it always got good reviews from friends.
What mass temp are you doing for the vienna? Single infusion or decoction?
My mash temp for this has been lowered over the years. Used to mash it at 154. Last time I brewed it I mashed at 151 single infusion, BIAB with a sparge. I’ve never decocted this one. Never felt there was a reason to. I’m not a fan of really malty sweet vienna lagers.
Ok @dannyboy58 I just got grain for the vienna. They only had cara special 2 and us munich which is 8 to 10 srm I plugged it into beer smith and hallertau comes up as 4.5 percent AA
yea my closest lhbs only has carafa spec II as well. The one where I used to get III is closed now. It’s only for color anyway. Special won’t much affect the taste since it’s dehusked. You could even use midnight wheat which I’ve started to use more for mouthfeel and color.
Dark Munich is not real common. Not many people use it. I’m lucky that my LHBS carries Avangard Best Malz because I love all their grains. The dark gives a little more of that sweet malty caramel flavor along with the usual bready munich flavor.
You may want to dial back the IBU a point or two depending on how you want your vienna to taste. I don’t like mine sweet at all so I probably increased hops for the dark munich. My latest vienna was closer to 30IBU. If you’re using brewing software just shoot for midrange bittering for the style. I think the original recipe from @mattnaik was closer to 21IBU with the bittering charge at about 18 IBU. I now use german magnum for bittering to about 22-23 then another 5 or so IBU at 10 mins or so. Again, I tend towards a little higher bitterness within(usually) style guidelines.
Speaking of IBU, hops AA percent will vary by crop so use the numbers from your actual package and plug that into your software along with the changes to your grain bill.
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Will do thanks! They are 3 percent AA didnt know I could change that in beersmith. So I’m at 30.9 IBUs now and 1.047 OG
