Dovetail Brewery’s Vienna-Style Lager clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.052 FG = 1.012
IBU = 27 SRM = 6 ABV = 5.1%

A traditional Vienna lager using one malt, one hop, and traditional double decoction method.

Ingredients
11.25 lbs. (5.1 kg) Weyermann Barke® Vienna Malt
3.9 AAU Styrian Golding hops (50 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 5.25% alpha acids)
3.9 AAU Styrian Golding hops (30 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 5.25% alpha acids)
1.5 oz. (43 g) Styrian Golding hops (0 min.)
SafLager S-23, Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian Lager), or White Labs WLP920 (Old Bavarian Lager)
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
The brewery uses reverse osmosis (RO) water and adds back calcium chloride and magnesium sulfate to achieve a soft water profile for this beer. At home, for strike and sparge water, do the same or use a mixture of 90 percent distilled water and 10 percent moderately hard, dechlorinated water.

This is a double-decoction mashed beer. Mill grains and mash-in at 127 °F (53 °C). Rest for 5 minutes then pull about one-third of your mash (from the thickest part) and, in a separate pot, bring to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes. Slowly and gently return your decoction to the main part of the mash, until the mash temperature reaches 140–149 °F (60–65 °C). (Don’t exceed 149 °F/65 °C.) Rest for 15 minutes. Pull the second decoction — again, one-third of the mash — and boil for 20 minutes. Slowly and gently return decoction to the main part of the mash, until the mash temperature reaches 158–167 °F (70–75 °C). (Don’t exceed 167 °F/75 °C.) Rest for 45 minutes (this is for good foam). Raise to 172 °F (78 °C) to mash out. Lauter. Boil for 60 minutes, following the hopping schedule.

After the boil, whirlpool for 20 minutes, then crash cool to 41–45 °F (5–7 °C). Pitch the yeast, aerate well, and allow the temperature to free rise to 48 °F (9 °C). Hold at 48 °F (9 °C) until 50 percent attenuation (3 to 4 days), then raise to 54 °F (12 °C) for a diacetyl rest. When the beer reaches its final gravity (typically 5 to 7 days), crash to 30 °F (-1 °C) and lager for 4–5 weeks. Rack and package at 2.6 volumes (5.2 g/L).

Dovetail Brewery’s Vienna-Style Lager clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.052 FG = 1.012
IBU = 27 SRM = 6 ABV = 5.1%

Ingredients
7.3 lbs. (3.3 kg) Muntons Vienna liquid malt extract (see Step by Step if not available)
3.9 AAU Styrian Golding hops (50 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 5.25% alpha acids)
3.9 AAU Styrian Golding hops (30 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 5.25% alpha acids)
1.5 oz. (43 g) Styrian Golding hops (0 min.)
SafLager S-23, Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian Lager), or White Labs WLP920 (Old Bavarian Lager)
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
If the Vienna liquid malt extract is not available from your supply retailer, you could substitute in 2⁄3 light liquid malt extract and 1⁄3 Munich liquid malt extract. The brewery uses reverse osmosis (RO) water and adds back calcium chloride and magnesium sulfate to achieve a soft water profile for this beer. At home, do the same or use a mixture of 90 percent distilled water and 10 percent moderately hard, dechlorinated water.

Since this recipe is 100% extract and you’re not mashing anything, simply raise 2 gallons (7.57 L) of water to a temperature somewhere around 150 °F (66 °C). A little higher or lower is fine. Remove pot from heat source, and slowly pour in half of your extract, stirring the entire time. Return to flame, raise to boil and boil for 60 minutes, adding hops as indicated. If you want to add a clarifier such as Whirlfloc® or Irish moss or a yeast nutrient, do it with 10 minutes left in the boil. Add the remaining extract with 5 minutes left in the boil, but be sure to take the pot off the heat source and pour extract very slowly while stirring. Return to the heat source and complete the boil. Meanwhile, pre-boil, then chill 3.5 gallons (13.25 L) of water that you’ll later use to top up your wort.

Follow the all-grain recipe for fermentation and packaging instructions.

Tips For Success:

If using a coolship, upon completion of the boil, immediately transfer your wort to the coolship, allowing the wort to cool to 167 °F (75 °C). Then crash to 41–45 °F (5–7 °C) and follow the rest of the directions above. This step replaces the traditional whirlpool stage.

At this temperature (167 °F/75 °C), while not sterile, the wort is still sanitized. The 25 or so minutes it takes from boiling in the kettle to 167 °F (75 °C) in the coolship gives enough time for the hot trub to settle and any more DMS precursor to blow off. This also provides a window for additional hot-side hopping if so desired.