Time’s running out to get expert feedback on your homemade ciders and meads in the world’s largest competition for home winemakers (run by BYO’s sister magazine). Entry deadline is March 13. Click here for competition info!

recipe

Alex Drobshoff’s Traditional Bock

Alex Drobshoff’s Traditional Bock

(5 gallons / 19 L, all-grain)
OG=1.068  FG=1.014 IBU=28  SRM=16  ABV=6.6%

Ingredients

6.5 lbs. (2.9 kg) 2-row malt
6.5 lbs. (2.9 kg) Munich malt
0.75 lbs. (340 g) crystal malt 90 °L
0.1 lbs. (45 g) chocolate malt
6.75 AAU  Hallertauer hops (1.5 oz./43 g at 4.5% alpha acids) (60 min.)
Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian Lager) or White Labs
WLP820 (Oktoberfest/Märzen Lager) yeast in a 2-Liter starter.

Step by Step

Dough in at 118 °F (48 °C) and rest for 10 minutes. Rise to 131 °F (55 °C) for 20 minutes, 149 °F (65 °C) for 30 minutes and 158 °F (70 °C) for 20 minutes. This could be done with a single infusion mash at 149 °F (65 °C) just as well. Sparage for 45 minutes collecting 6.5 gallons (25 L). Boil for 90 minutes adding the hops after the first 30 minutes. Expect 5 gallons (19 L) at the end of boil. Cool to 55 °F (13 °C), transfer to your fermenter, aerate and pitch yeast starter. Ferment 10–14 days at 55 °F (13 °C) then let the temperature increase to 60 °F (16 °C) for three days. Rack it off of the yeast into a keg to finish lagering for 4-6 weeks.

Extract with grains option: Reduce the pale malt and Munich malt to 9 oz. (255 g) each. Add 4.5 lbs. light liquid malt extract and 4.5 lbs. Weyermann’s Munich liquid malt  extract. Steep crushed grains in 3 qts. (2.8 L) of water at 150 °F (66 °C) for 45 minutes. Combine “grain tea,”  Munich liquid malt extract and water to make 3.0 gallons (11 L) of wort. Boil 60 minutes, adding hops at times indicated in the all-grain recipe and pale liquid malt extract for final 15 minutes of boil. Cool, transfer to fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Pitch yeast. Ferment, at 70 °F (21 °C).

You might also like…

recipe

283 Kilometers (European Pale Lager)

Named for the distance between Plzen (Pilsen), Czechoslovakia and Wien (Vienna), Austria, 283 Kilometers is a crisp, clean, well-balanced be

recipe

Gordon Strong’s Sweet Stout

This example is more like the Mackeson’s I remember — closer to 5% than 6. I also keep the IBUs down, around 25, since I don’t want th

recipe

Comrade John & Tim’s American Light

This American-style Light Lager won Best of Show at the 21st Annual Dixie Cup
   Comrades John Donaldson and Tim White

recipe

Epic Brewing Co.’s Utah Sage Saison clone

The initial aromas are all herb, with a low floral and fruity hops aroma underneath. I didn’t perceive much in the way of grist aromatics