You Guys are lucky

Here in NW Oklahoma we have more tornadoes than choices of
different beer styles to try. I read the posts from up there in the
northern tier of states where brewing first began in the U.S. and
can only be envious. As I type, I am drinking only the fourth
dopplebock I have ever had (Ayinger Celebrator). Until recently,
anything like that was simply unobtainable out here in the sticks.
I have never tasted an IPA or a schwarzsbier. They may be
available here now but only recently. I have never tasted a Belgian
beer either. I only tasted Pilsener Urquell recently. WOW! Anyways,
I just thought I would post this to remind you guys that not everyone
has access to a wide selection of brews to sample. Our closest brew-
pub is 90 miles away and their beer is pretty mediocre. I am up in
years so I can’t do a lot of beer tasting travel so next time you raise
a glass, remember you are lucky to have a lot of choices. My Grandparents
immigrated here from Germany only in the 1900’s so I guess beer drinking
is in my blood. My Granddad would sit in his rocking chair and drink a
beer and eat a Hershey bar with it. Anyway, I have a question. Is a
dopplebock like Celebrator like a schwarzbier? Why does NB not offer
an AG kit for a dopplebock? What is the difference between a schwarzbier
and a dopplebock? I will post more dumb questions later.

[quote=“1tun”]Here in NW Oklahoma we have more tornadoes than choices of
different beer styles to try. I read the posts from up there in the
northern tier of states where brewing first began in the U.S. and
can only be envious. As I type, I am drinking only the fourth
dopplebock I have ever had (Ayinger Celebrator). Until recently,
anything like that was simply unobtainable out here in the sticks.
I have never tasted an IPA or a schwarzsbier. They may be
available here now but only recently. I have never tasted a Belgian
beer either. I only tasted Pilsener Urquell recently. WOW! Anyways,
I just thought I would post this to remind you guys that not everyone
has access to a wide selection of brews to sample. Our closest brew-
pub is 90 miles away and their beer is pretty mediocre. I am up in
years so I can’t do a lot of beer tasting travel so next time you raise
a glass, remember you are lucky to have a lot of choices. My Grandparents
immigrated here from Germany only in the 1900’s so I guess beer drinking
is in my blood. My Granddad would sit in his rocking chair and drink a
beer and eat a Hershey bar with it. Anyway, I have a question. Is a
dopplebock like Celebrator like a schwarzbier? Why does NB not offer
an AG kit for a dopplebock? What is the difference between a schwarzbier
and a dopplebock? I will post more dumb questions later.[/quote]

Totally different styles. Both tasty. Schwartzbier is like a super clean porter… Dark and roasty, but with a clean, lagery profile. Dopplebock is tough for me to describe. I really wish there were a good mail order beer sampling service so folks could try more styles. In the meantime, you can read about beer styles… BCJP descriptions are a good start.

NB doesn’t have a current dopplebock recipe because lagers aren’t “in style” so to speak. Plus they take a while to ferment and mature, which won’t sell kits to impatient newbies.

Here’s a good Dopplebock I brew every year:

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.00 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Vol: 5.50 gal
Efficiency: 75.00 %

10 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 60.3 %
5 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 30.2 %
1 lbs Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 6.0 %
5.3 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 2.0 %
4.0 oz Carafa III (525.0 SRM) Grain 1.5 %
0.25 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [12.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8.0 IBUs
1.50 oz Perle [8.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 14.7 IBUs
1.0 pkg Munich Lager (Wyeast Labs #2308) [124.21 ml] Yeast

Est Original Gravity: 1.081 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 8.6 %
Bitterness: 22.7 IBUs
Est Color: 21.0 SRM Measured Original Gravity: 1.081 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.018 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 8.3 %
Calories: 278.6 kcal/12oz

Thanks Mont. I will do it. I hate to open this can of worms but
what about the water? What Brunwater profile would you use?

Using the color profiles in Bru’n Water has always worked well for me. (Amber Malty, Brown Balanced, etc). The problem with city profiles is they can change over time and you don’t know how the brewery is treating to the water.

[quote=“1tun”]…what about the water? What Brunwater profile would you use?
[/quote]For now I build my water up from scratch with RO water using the baselines in this thread at HBT:

I meant to get a sample sent to Ward Labs this week and start using Brunwater but I got sidetracked with work and forgot to do it.

[quote=“1tun”]Thanks Mont. I will do it. I hate to open this can of worms but
what about the water? What Brunwater profile would you use?[/quote]
A doppelbock would probably be a brown malty profile in brunwater wouldn’t it?

[quote=“1tun”]Why does NB not offer
an AG kit for a dopplebock? What is the difference between a schwarzbier
and a dopplebock? I will post more dumb questions later.[/quote]
They don’t have a kit anymore, but if you do a search on the ordering site, they do have a recipe that you could put together.

[quote=“1tun”]
Until recently,
anything like that was simply unobtainable out here in the sticks.
I have never tasted an IPA or a schwarzsbier. They may be
available here now but only recently. I have never tasted a Belgian
beer either. I only tasted Pilsener Urquell recently.

Another reason why we homebrew.