Will my Belgian Pale Ale recipe make a good Vienna Lager?

[sa_brew]

Will my Belgian Pale Ale recipe make a good Vienna Lager? I am thinking about making a Belgian Pale with 515 Antwerp yeast, and thought I might pitch the other 5 gallons with lager yeast. My concern is the Biscuit and Cara-Vienne. I have used Vienna malt instead of Munich before and like the Munich better in a Belgian pale ale (De Koninck clone.)

10 Lbs Weyermann pils
8 Lbs Weyermann Munich
1 Lb Dingman’s Biscuit
1 Lb Dingman’s Cara Vienne
20-25 IBU Sterling or Saaz bittering
1/2 Oz Saaz 10 min
1/2 Oz Saaz 2 min

This should get me 11-12 gallons at 1.048-1.050.
I am looking to enter the Vienna in some home brew competitions if it turns out well so I am asking for opinions based on BJCP style guidelines as well as overall flavor.

[bryanh]

Others may disagree but I think a Vienna lager is about Vienna malt, giving the beer a rich, warm, malty body that is at the same time still delicate. What you have there, IMO, is more of an American style take on a Festbier. Will it taste good? Yes, but it’s too busy with specialty malts and decidedly lacking in Vienna malt to be a Vienna lager.

With that said it’s quite possible the beer may be more impressive to a judging panel than what I have said is my choice for a Vienna. That says more about my opinion of some beer judges than it does about the style guidelines. :cheers: