Early bock beers were brewed with plenty of wheat and were dark and malty. Bock is not bitter beer; instead, it should be brewed with the emphasis on the malt. The addition of small amounts of aromatic or biscuit malt will add a pleasant malt aroma to the beer.
Doppelbock is one of my favorite styles, but it is a tough beer to make. You have to pay total attention to many things in order to get it right. Malt is the showcase, so hops are a lesser concern. Low- to mid-20s on the IBUs will balance the sweetness. Perle and Northern Brewer are good choices. Avoid hops that leave a footprint, like Chinook or Centennial or Cascade.
- Brewer Alec Mull has been with Kalamazoo Brewing Company in
Michigan since 1999. He was promoted to head brewer in 2001.
Kalamazoo’s Consecrator Doppelbock won a bronze medal at the 2001 GABF.
The flavor of an excellent doppelbock can be described as clean
maltiness. The beer should be quite rich, almost bready. The malt
should be dominant. The alcohol character should not be off-putting;
neither should there be any astringency in the beer. In a doppelbock,
there is a fine line between getting full flavor, maltiness and
drinkability, or missing it altogether.
- Brewer Dan Carey is well-known in the microbrewery world. He is the co-owner and brewmaster for the New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, Wisconsin. Before founding New Glarus in 1993, he was a production supervisor for Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
A Bock that has a nutty, chocolate malt flavor with mild hopping.
A good, basic Bock, featuring all grain and extract brewing instructions.
A popular Holiday Wheat Lager recipe from a popular brewer.
Literally, Doppelbock means double Bock(bier), a stronger, usually darker beer than the original.
One of the winners of Boston Brewing Company's LongShot contest.
A great Bock recipe for a traditional German Bock(bier).
As members of the Bock(bier) family, Eisbocks have all the characteristics
of a typical strong beer, only more so. They are much maltier and smoother
even than the Dopplebocks. Essentially, Eisbocks are "iced strong beers," becuase they are frozen at the end of their maturation period (which separates out water in the form of crystals that can be removed).
Here’s a hearty holiday beer with an unusual spice — evergreen needles. Spruce tips, the new-growth of spruce trees, give a unique, characteristic flavor to beer. This flavor is not “piney,” as many people suppose. Spruce tips can be found through an internet search. For best results, age your beer several months before sampling it.
A Helles Bock made with rice... How is that wild? Helles is German for "bright," so this is a bright or light colored bock.
- Adapted from “Wild Wild Rice” by Joe and Dennis Fisher.
Maibock literally means "May Bock," and it is Bavarians' favored springtime strong, golden lager.
The word "dunkles" is a German word that means "dark" (just as "helles" is the German word for "light" or "bright"). This type of beer is made in the lager tradition and it’s characterized by the use of Munich malt, in the brewing process, or sometimes wheat malt.
One humorous tale of bock tells of a man in old Germany brewing an exceptionally strong beer that was consumed during the spring and summer. A friend came over to sample the brew and got so drunk that he fell on his way out the door. Flat on his face, in fact. Too embarrassed to relate the truth to the gentlemen at the local pub, he blamed his condition on a kick from a goat. This beer will make you feel the same. A variety of caramel and roasted grains will lend great depth and interest to the finished product.
