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Author Topic: Maibock Recipe  (Read 2412 times)

Offline Hickory

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Maibock Recipe
« on: April 04, 2016, 11:09:21 pm »
Hello all. I'll be doing my first lager this week, probably Thursday. I was curious if I could get some critique on my recipe.
71% Pilsner                               
25% Munich I
4% Carapils
23 IBU Sterling @ 60 min
6 IBU Saaz @ 15 min
Wyeast 2206
1.070 OG should finish around 1.013 ABV 7%

Calcium 62
Sulfate 60
Chloride 67
pH 5.5

Tell me what y'all think!

Offline blair.streit

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Maibock Recipe
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2016, 09:37:05 am »
Looks pretty tasty. I've made a similar one, but I go more like 70/20/10 Pils/Munich/Vienna. I get a little too much cherry flavor out of the Avangard Munich that my LHBS carries so I often cut it with Vienna. If you're using Wyermann  your mix may be more appropriate. Definitely worth playing around a bit with that as I've had drastically different experiences with different Munich malts.

What mash temp are you targeting?

Minerals and pH look right to me. I think Braukaiser has a recipe on this so you may want to check his mineral and pH targets.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2016, 09:38:41 am by blair.streit »

Offline Hickory

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Re: Maibock Recipe
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2016, 10:27:27 am »
Looks pretty tasty. I've made a similar one, but I go more like 70/20/10 Pils/Munich/Vienna. I get a little too much cherry flavor out of the Avangard Munich that my LHBS carries so I often cut it with Vienna. If you're using Wyermann  your mix may be more appropriate. Definitely worth playing around a bit with that as I've had drastically different experiences with different Munich malts.

What mash temp are you targeting?

Minerals and pH look right to me. I think Braukaiser has a recipe on this so you may want to check his mineral and pH targets.

Probably going to mash around 150*. I think I would prefer it to be a little dry, but not completely set on that yet. I recently listened to Jamil talk about Maibocks on his BN show and he was pretty adamant about no crystal in this. Might take the carapils out. I'll also have to check out what malts the lhbs uses.

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Maibock Recipe
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2016, 10:31:50 am »
Looks pretty tasty. I've made a similar one, but I go more like 70/20/10 Pils/Munich/Vienna. I get a little too much cherry flavor out of the Avangard Munich that my LHBS carries so I often cut it with Vienna. If you're using Wyermann  your mix may be more appropriate. Definitely worth playing around a bit with that as I've had drastically different experiences with different Munich malts.

What mash temp are you targeting?

Minerals and pH look right to me. I think Braukaiser has a recipe on this so you may want to check his mineral and pH targets.

Probably going to mash around 150*. I think I would prefer it to be a little dry, but not completely set on that yet. I recently listened to Jamil talk about Maibocks on his BN show and he was pretty adamant about no crystal in this. Might take the carapils out. I'll also have to check out what malts the lhbs uses.



Definitely take out the carapils IMO. A 1.070 beer will have plenty of body on its own. Even a rich, malty lager still needs to have a well attenuated drinkability.
Jon H.

Offline blair.streit

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Re: Maibock Recipe
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2016, 11:11:44 am »
Probably going to mash around 150*. I think I would prefer it to be a little dry, but not completely set on that yet. I recently listened to Jamil talk about Maibocks on his BN show and he was pretty adamant about no crystal in this. Might take the carapils out. I'll also have to check out what malts the lhbs uses.
Jamil's Brewing Classic Styles Maibock is mashed at 156. I accidentally undershot this when I brewed it so I was at 153 for about 15 mins until I added enough boiling water to get to 156. I thought it came out just the right compromise between  sweet and dry. The flavor was more like cookie dough but the body/mouthfeel wasn't too chewy. In my experience mash temp is highly dependent on your system. Since this one is at the high end of the range I would set your target there and err on the side of a little too low. Better to have a sweet flavored lager turn out a little too thin than a little too chewy in my opinion.

I've never used CaraPils but most Wyermann specific recipes seem to include it, so I'm probably not the best source. As I mentioned earlier, I get plenty of sweetness out of the Munich I use, so I have no need for additional Crystal. YMMV


Offline JJeffers09

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Re: Maibock Recipe
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2016, 08:15:54 am »
I always thought this style does best with a SUPER clean ale strain (only example I have tasted was 1007 German Ale) with the cold side of ale fermentation.  Any malt and balanced hop ale-strain yeast with clean flavors is what I assume gave birth to the style.  Obviously speculation, but I assume they were not up to snuff on maintaining lager strains, methods of separating strains and propagating the intended strains all while keeping them healthy enough that another wild bacteria or yeast would slip in there like a stow away back in the 13th century.  But hey that's just my assumption.  I think an old world example would be fun to do.

Tried a brew by a buddy of mine that was my favorite example so far for being smooth and clean enough to experiment with:
46.1% Pils
38.4% Vienna
7.9% Munich light
7.6% Carahell

Just sterling hops at 30 mins for ~30IBU
1007 Germain Ale @55F
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Offline Saccharomyces

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Re: Maibock Recipe
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2016, 04:07:28 pm »
Probably going to mash around 150*. I think I would prefer it to be a little dry, but not completely set on that yet. I recently listened to Jamil talk about Maibocks on his BN show and he was pretty adamant about no crystal in this. Might take the carapils out. I'll also have to check out what malts the lhbs uses.

While I agree that caramel malt has no place in German-style lager, CaraPils is not a true caramel malt.  The name CaraPils is a registered trademark for a type of specialty malt known as dextrin malt, which is even less sweet than 2-row.  Dextrine malt is not about caramel flavor or sweetness. Dextrine malt is about foam stability and mouthfeel.  You may not need any help in the mouthfeel department with a beer that big.