Wiener Blut Vienna Lager
Chris Colby’s Wiener Blut (Vienna Lager)
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.052 FG = 1.013
IBU = 25 SRM = 11 ABV = 5.0%
Ingredients
5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) Briess Less Modified Pilsner malt
4.75 lbs. (2.2 kg) Weyermann Vienna malt
6.6 oz. (0.19 kg) crystal malt (20 °L)
4.0 oz. (0.11 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
6.75 AAU Hallertau Hersbrücker hops (60 mins) (2.05 oz./58 g of 3.3% alpha acids)
1 tsp Irish moss
1/4 tsp yeast nutrients
White Labs WLP920 (Old Bavarian Lager) yeast
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)
Step by Step
In your kettle, mash in at 131 °F (55 °C) with 3.4 gallons (13 L) of water. Pull a 1.0-gallon (3.8-L) decoction, add a pinch of calcium (CaCl2), and begin heating it — stirring nearly constantly. Rest decoction at 158 °F (70 °C) for 5 minutes, then boil for 15 minutes. Add decoction to main mash and adjust temperature to 154 °F (68 °C) and hold for 45 minutes. Heat to 168 °F (76 °C) for mash out. Transfer mash to lauter tun. Sparge with 180 °F (82 °C) water until grain bed reaches 170 °F (77 °C), then continue sparging with 170 °F (77 °C) water. Boil for 90 minutes. Add 1/4 tsp gypsum with 75 minutes left in boil. Add the hops at 60 minutes. Add Irish moss and yeast nutrients with 15 minutes left. Chill wort and transfer to fermenter. Aerate with a 45 second shot of oxygen (swirl carboy as you oxygenate). Ferment at 54 °F (12 °C) and lager for 6 weeks at 40 °C (4.4 °C).
Written by Chris Colby
Recipe author Chris Colby says, “Wiener Blut is a malty, lightly sweet amber lager with slightly more German noble hops than usual.” Silver medal winner at the 2004 National Homebrew Contest.
