Maibock - Birthday Bock (Geburtstagbock)
Last year around this time I decided to treat myself by brewing a bock that would lager until my birthday in April. The results were fantastic and must be shared! Checkout the recipe and a bit about the maibock style after the jump.
A Maibock is a wonderful lager that was brewed in Germany in the winter months, lagered till the spring and consumed when the weather first begins to warm. This light in color, and body, brew is a deceiving one. Behind its fruity and crisp exterior hides a very high amount of alcohol that is sure to keep you warm on a cool spring day!
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Style & Targets
Maibock Lager
6.8% ABV @ 5 gallons
Ingredients
9.5 lbs pilsner malt
3 lbs munich I
1 lbs crystal 40L
1 oz cluster hops at 60 minutes
1 oz cluster hops at 30 minutes
1 tsp Irish Moss (15 minutes - how to use properly)
White Labs Yeast #WLP833
*Recipe calculated with BeerSmith 2.0 - The best brewing software around*
Procedure
Mashed 17 qt at 150 F for 60 minutes
Sparged with 5 gal at 180 F
Bring to boil, follow hop schedule, chill, siphon off to bucket and pitch yeast.
OG: 1.066
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Don't forget to make a starter for this yeast 3 days ahead - it's a lager and the extra beasties will ensure fermentation starts even at the cooler lager temperatures of around 52 F.
The day it stops bubbling move it to a warmer spot, around 62 F, and let it rest for 3 days. This step is called the diacetyl rest, it will eliminate any of the diacetyl (butter flavor) from the beer. After the third day, put the beer back in a cool spot and if possible lager it at around 32 F for 3 to 4 months. If you have a temperature controlled space, make sure you lower the temperature slowly, over a week, so you don't shock the yeast.
Cheers and happy birthday bock to you!