Pale/Vienna Lager

[Will_the-new-brewer]

I am trying to come up with a recipe for this weekend using some extra grains/hops/yeast that I have laying around. Can I get some feedback...

5.5# Pale Malt
5# Vienna Malt
0.5oz Magnum @ 60min
0.5oz Tettnang @ 10min
0.5oz Hallertau @ 10min
34/70 yeast

Is the malt/hop balance okay?

Thanks!

 

[thehaze]

The recipe looks solid. Even for a lager, the hopping is underwhelming for my personal taste. With 1.5 oz your beer will most likely be a really, really light lager. If that's your thing, that's OK. If you're looking for something closer to a (Southern or Northern ) German lager, then you need some pilsner malt to freshen up the malt and more hops.

 

[ducati]

Assuming a 5 gallon batch, I have your bitterness ratio just above 0.5. (IBU/SG) I would consider that OK, but a little low for a "Vienna Lager." This will be too strong and way too light colored for a Vienna lager. But you don't seem to be targeting a specific style, just using the ingredients you have on hand. This gives you an idea of the perceived bitterness. Sounds tasty to me whatever you call it.

 

[Toxxyc]

I regularly make a "Vienna lager" using 50/50 Vienna and Pale malt. The hops also looks fine. In a 5.5 gallon batch, the Magnum will give a nice ~24IBUs (depending on your hop util, obviously) but I think it's pretty nice. I actually prefer my lagers this way - slightly on the lighter side. I think that'll make a really nice beer. Go for it.

 

[Jag75]

I'm with Toxxyc , I dont like my lagers to have a high ibu either . My lagers I keep 10-15 ibu. It really comes down to what YOU like .

 

[Immocles]

Agree with the folks above, I'd brew it. And probably drink the hell out of it.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Running through my system, and assuming a 6.0 gals chilled post boil volume (5.4 gals in the fermenter), Magnum is 12%AA, Tettnang and Hallertau are 4%AA, you would get...

OG - 1.050
FG - 1.012
IBU - 24.5 (Tinseth)
BU/GU - .50
SRM - 4.0
ABV - 4.75%

Everything is in line with BJCP style parameters except SRM which is low. OG and ABV are at the lower end of BJCP. Adding 3.5 Oz of Carafa II will raise SRM to ~11 and have minimal impact on flavor and OG.

Bottom line - you will have a delicious beer.

 

[Brooothru]

Running through my system, and assuming a 6.0 gals chilled post boil volume (5.4 gals in the fermenter), Magnum is 12%AA, Tettnang and Hallertau are 4%AA, you would get...

OG - 1.050
FG - 1.012
IBU - 24.5 (Tinseth)
BU/GU - .50
SRM - 4.0
ABV - 4.75%

Everything is in line with BJCP style parameters except SRM which is low. OG and ABV are at the lower end of BJCP. Adding 3.5 Oz of Carafa II will raise SRM to ~11 and have minimal impact on flavor and OG.

Bottom line - you will have a delicious beer.

"Yes" to the Carafa addition, but it should probably a de-bittered one. I'd look at adding 2 (maybe 3) ounces of Blackprinze and maybe 4 oz melanoidin. That would really dial in the color and the malty flavor.

 

[Will_the-new-brewer]

Thanks for quick response guys. I'll comment on several of the posts above here...
@thehaze I've only brewed for a couple of years, but never used pale in lager--I just don't have any Pilsner malt on hand.
@ducati Agreed, I kept the IBUs on the lower side...to fit my taste.
@Toxxyc Thank you! Was hoping I would find someone that brewed with that grain bill to post a comment.
@Holden Caulfield I don't think I have any Cara, but will ask a buddy if he has some.

Thanks all! I appreciate the quick responses.

 

[Will_the-new-brewer]

"Yes" to the Carafa addition, but it should probably a de-bittered one. I'd look at adding 2 (maybe 3) ounces of Blackprinze and maybe 4 oz melanoidin. That would really dial in the color and the malty flavor.

For some reason I didn't catch the Blackprinze or the Melanoidin comment before. I don't have Blackprinze...but I do have some chocolate malt. I do have some melanoidin so I may go with some of that.

 

[Toxxyc]

Running through my system, and assuming a 6.0 gals chilled post boil volume (5.4 gals in the fermenter), Magnum is 12%AA, Tettnang and Hallertau are 4%AA, you would get...

OG - 1.050
FG - 1.012
IBU - 24.5 (Tinseth)
BU/GU - .50
SRM - 4.0
ABV - 4.75%

Everything is in line with BJCP style parameters except SRM which is low. OG and ABV are at the lower end of BJCP. Adding 3.5 Oz of Carafa II will raise SRM to ~11 and have minimal impact on flavor and OG.

Bottom line - you will have a delicious beer.

Exactly, how I make mine as well, yes. My "budget Vienna" as I call it is also low on colour, purely because I sub out half the Vienna for pale malt. Doesn't matter to me though. It tastes wicked, and I'm not entering it into any competitions. At my ~4.6% ABV (I aim for 1.045 OG, 1.010 FG) I'm also pretty happy to have more than one before dinner without ill effect, so that's a bonus to boot.

 

[Beermeister32]

Hopping schedule looks fine. If you like more bitter lagers bump the 60 min Magnum up to 1.5 oz. If you like less bitter lagers, keep it at the 0.5 oz you are using. Also I'd swich the pale malt to pilsner malt and do a 90 minute boil.

 

[Brooothru]

For some reason I didn't catch the Blackprinze or the Melanoidin comment before. I don't have Blackprinze...but I do have some chocolate malt. I do have some melanoidin so I may go with some of that.

Chocolate malt would work well, with maybe a slightly different taste, but still good. The melanoidin should definitely be in to simulate a detection mash. Just go easy on the melanoidin since a little goes a long way. 4 ounces is probably plenty for 5 gallons.