Doppelbock Blonde/Pale Dopplebock

[cactusgarrett]

Recipe Type

All Grain

Yeast

WLP833

Yeast Starter

Big One

Original Gravity

1.081

Final Gravity

1.016

Boiling Time (Minutes)

90 minutes

IBU

30

Color

7 SRM

Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)

5 days at 51°F

Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)

5 days at 62°F

Additional Fermentation

Lager for at least 30 days

Tasting Notes

A longer boil and decoction do well to produce big, complex malt flavors, with a clean German lager yeast profile.

Mash
40% German Pilsner Malt
40% Vienna Malt
20% Munich Malt (light, 6L)
pH 5.4

• Low sulfate (~20 ppm) with a Cl:SO4 ratio of 1.25
  
  
• Hochkurtz mash profile:
  144°F for 30 minutes, then infuse/decoct to hit 160°F for 45 minutes. I decoct, but adding a bit of melanoidin malt could suffice as a substitute.
  
  
• Due to the larger grainbill, expect to take a bit of a hit from your typical extraction efficiency. Take care of the yeast and pitch a big starter to ensure you get down to a final gravity that isn't cloyingly sweet.

Boil
90 minutes
24 IBU Magnum at 60 minutes
0.5 oz German noble hop at 20 minutes
0.5 oz German noble hop at 0 minutes

• I used a special hop not likely found anywhere but around me (Top Secret) for flavor and aroma, so your choice of typical German noble hop (Hallertau, Tettnang, etc.) should work.

Fermentation

• Pitch at 46°F and let rise naturally to 51°F.
  
  
• Perform d-rest once you've hit about 75% of your expected attenuation (~1.035), hold for however long it takes to finish up and hit a constant FG.
  
  
• Slowly ramp down (3°F/day) to cold temps (33-35°F) and lager for no less than 30 days.
  
  
• Carb to 2.8 volumes.

Prost!

 

[cactusgarrett]

7 SRM is the software generated value, but I'd put it closer to 10 SRM due to the extended boil and decoction.

Despite the 2015 BJCP (9A) stating: "The pale versions will not have the same richness and darker malt flavors of the dark versions, and may be a bit drier, hoppier and more bitter," this one of mine does actually mimic the dark version, except without the dark malt flavors. It isn't drier, hoppier, nor more bitter, either. For all intents and purposes, this one is just like the dark version without the dark malt flavors/color.

 

[Yooper]

That sounds great!