Market Garden Brewery’s Boss Amber Lager clone

Market Garden Brewery’s Boss Amber Lager clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.054  FG = 1.014
IBU = 30  SRM = 11  ABV = 5.2%

A traditional Vienna-style lager that has a semi-dry, toasted malt finish. A great session beer and a menu mainstay since Market Garden Brewery’s opening in Cleveland, Ohio in 2011.

Ingredients
8 lbs. (3.6 kg) Vienna malt
2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) dark Munich malt    (20 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) biscuit malt
0.5 lb. (0.22 kg) acidulated malt
5 AAU Hallertau Tradition hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28g at 5% alpha    acids)
2.5 AAU Hallertau Tradition hops (20 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 5%    alpha acids)
3.25 AAU Hallertau Tradition hops (10 min.) (0.65 oz./18 g at 5%    alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Hallertau Tradition hops (0 min.)
White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or Saflager W-34/70 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Using high-quality malts and a grist of 3-to-1 water-to-grain weight ratio (~1.5 qts/lb), perform a step mash beginning with a 131 °F (55 °C) protein rest. Each step should be about 20 minutes. Raise temperature to 145° F (63 °C) to convert beta amylase before raising to 158 °F (70 °C) for alpha amylase conversion. Finally, mash out at 170 °F (77 °C). Sparge with 5 gallons (19 L) of water at 170 °F (77 °C) and collect 6.75 gallons (25.5 L) of wort.

Boil for 75 minutes. If you choose to add any fining agents such as Whirlfloc or Irish moss, do so with 10 minutes remaining in the boil. At flameout, whirlpool the beer and add the final hop addition. Give the wort a long stir and let settle for 10 minutes. Chill rapidly to 52 °F (11 °C). Pitch the yeast and oxygenate thoroughly.

Ferment at 52 °F (11 °C) for seven days before raising temperature to 56–60 °F for a 2-day diacetyl rest. Once complete, slowly drop the temperature a few degrees per day until reaching 40 °F (4 °C) over the course of a week. Once 40 °F (4 °C) is achieved, drop the temperature to 30 °F (-1 °C) for cold conditioning. Lager the beer for four weeks. Force carbonate to 2.5 volumes or prime and bottle condition. If bottle conditioning, leave the beer at 70–75 °F (21–24 °C) for about two weeks.

Market Garden Brewery’s Boss Amber Lager clone

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.054  FG = 1.014
IBU = 30  SRM = 11  ABV = 5.2%

Ingredients
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Vienna malt
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) dark Munich malt (20 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) biscuit malt
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Briess Goldpils® Vienna dried malt extract
5 AAU Hallertau Tradition hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28g at 5% alpha    acids)
2.5 AAU Hallertau Tradition hops (20 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 5%    alpha acids)
3.25 AAU Hallertau Tradition hops (10 min.) (0.65 oz./18 g at 5%    alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Hallertau Tradition hops (0 min.)
White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or Saflager W-34/70 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Heat 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to 161 °F (72 °C) and place large steeping bag containing the crushed grains into a 5-gallon
(19-L) pot. Submerge the bag and stir grains to ensure sufficient hydration. Mash for 45 minutes targeting a mash temperature of 149 °F (65 °C). Remove bag from pot and sparge with 170 °F (77 °C) water to collect 2.25 gallons (9.5 L) of wort.

Top off kettle with water to make 3 gallons (11 L) and stir in 2 lbs. (0.91 kg) of the Vienna malt extract. Adding this amount of extract here will improve the isomerization of the bittering hops. When the extract is dissolved, bring to a boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the schedule. If you choose to add any fining agents such as Whirlfloc or Irish moss, do so with 10 minutes remaining in the boil. Add remaining malt extract in the last 15 minutes of the boil.

At flameout, add the final hop addition, then give the wort a long stir and let settle for 10 minutes.. Cool wort to 52 °F (11 °C) and rack to fermenter. Top off wort with pre-chilled water to bring volume up to 5 gallons (19 L). Oxygenate thoroughly and pitch yeast.

Follow the fermentation, lagering, and packaging instructions outlined in the all-grain version of this recipe.