Vienna Schwarzbier - delicious!

[ghpeel]

So I've made a pretty tasty Vienna Lager Negra Modelo clone before, and made it again recently with the intent of making it a little darker and richer. I ended up with something that's like a Scharzbier with a Vienna base, but really tasty. A Vienna Schwarzbier! A new style is born! (Well, for me anyway, I intend on brewing this one over and over again.)

Here's the recipe

% 	LB 	OZ 	Malt or Fermentable 	ppg 	°L
---------------------------------------------------------------
69% 	7 	0 	Vienna Malt 	        36 	3 	~
20% 	2 	0 	Munich Malt 	        37 	9 	~
5% 	0 	8 	CaraBohemian 	        34 	80 	~
5% 	0 	8 	Aromatic Malt 	        36 	26 	~
1% 	0 	2 	Carafa III, Special     32     525 	~

boil 	60 mins  1.5   Tettnanger 	pellet 	5.1
boil 	15 mins* 1.0   Spalt 	        pellet 	4.9 (NO CHILL TRANSFER ADDITION)
boil 	15 mins* 0.5   Tettnanger 	pellet 	5.1 (NO CHILL TRANSFER ADDITION)
boil   10 mins   1     Whirlflock tablet

Saflager w 34/70 - 2 packets, rehydrated in room temp water

Water: 5gal Reverse Osmosis Water, 2.5 gal "Spring" Water from store
Mash: Single Infusion at 152F for 60min (5.2 Stabilizer in mash)
Sparge: 164F for 10min

Chilling method: NO CHILL, 
Then put into No Chill tank into fridge to get it down to pitching 
temps before pitching yeast.

Starting Gravity: 1.056
Ending Gravity: 1.015

Fermentation Schedule: 
5 days at 52F, sample was at 1.024 by 5th day
5 days at 65F, diacytl rest, sample tasted great!
14 days at 35F, cold crash, in secondary
30 days at 35F, in keg, lagering

Tasting Notes:

Dark brown with a beige or tan head, looks like a Porter. Head is a little thin after a few minutes
Clarity isn't great, but maybe it will clear with age. Aroma is sweet malt, with a hint of coffee or roast, but its barely there.

Taste is dry, malty with a slight toast/roast quality. Finishes very quickly. Body is slightly fuller than a normal Pilsner, but still in the typical range for a lager, meaning its very drinkable.

Lacing sticks while drinking. gets slightly sweeter after sitting for a few minutes, probably from the C02 leaving the beer. Like a lot of beers, its better as it warms just a touch. It becomes more and more "German" as it warms. I definitely prefer it a little warmer than my keg freezer (35F).

 

[kpr121]

Sounds and looks tasty. I may have to try something like this when it gets cooler and I can regulate my lager temps better.

 

[donjonson]

This looks pretty good. I might have to try this one!

 

[1Mainebrew]

How do you like the 34/70 yeast? I've thought about brewing with it and was wondering your opinions with it. Thanks!

 

[944play]

How do you like the 34/70 yeast?

My unsolicited opinion of W-34/70 is that it needs careful handling to avoid diacetyl. Same with WLP830, which is reputedly the same strain. I like Wyeast 2308 a lot more, even though it doesn't attenuate as well, which can work for or against you.

OP: Recipe looks killer. I heart Tett, but Spalt even more!

 

[ghpeel]

My unsolicited opinion of W-34/70 is that it needs careful handling to avoid diacetyl. Same with WLP830, which is reputedly the same strain. I like Wyeast 2308 a lot more, even though it doesn't attenuate as well, which can work for or against you.

OP: Recipe looks killer. I heart Tett, but Spalt even more!

I haven't had a problem with Diacytl in my 34/70 beers, but I do a pretty aggressive D-rest (65F or so as the primary slows down). I have heard that pitching cold helps combat diacytl (no idea if that's true), and since I No-Chill these beers, they are at 49-50F when I pitch, so that might be a small piece of evidence for that theory.

Love me some Tett and Spalt, 944play, they don't get enough love! :rockin: