FROM MUNICH TO MARYLAND, A DUNKLES BOCK WARMS THE WINTER

Way back before Halloween, This Provinciapolitan sought to prepare for the coming cold weather by brewing a lager beer that would stand up to winter’s chill, and a dark bock seemed likely to fit the bill. I wanted to use Munich malts almost entirely, because keeping the recipe simple would help understand how different ingredients perform after recent equipment upgrades.  This was actually something of a gamble:  while many resources confirmed that one could mash with only Munich malt, none claimed to have tried it, let alone that it tasted good!

According to the Oxford  Companion to Beer, the Spaten Brewery first developed Munich malt nearly two hundred years ago.  By kilning malted barley indirectly, in a way that preserves its brewing power while adding color and malty-sweet aromas, Munich makes special brews like Oktoberfest possible. Usually, malts kilned enough to gain comparable color and flavor lose too much brewing power in the process to be brewed without a lot of pale malt also in the mash, but Munich and Vienna malts are an exception. 

Three months later, the gamble paid off in spades!!  The Spouse’s discerning taste buds approved this Winter Bock, and the first neighbor to sample it wants seconds.  It may be a bit darker, or even redder, than most bocks, but is relatively clear. The beer has a lovely dark cherry aroma that is less pronounced on the palate. Its body is not thick like a strong ale, but fuller than most other lager brews. It has a bock’s heft, carrying ~ 7.5% ABV, but it’s not a hot beer. Be careful though, the finish leaves one wanting more of this malty lager, perfect for a cold winter night.

For any other brewers looking to try a new winter lager, consider using Munich malt as the base!

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WINTER BOCK RECIPE:

(Partial Mash, 5 gal. batch)

MASH:

5 lb. Munich 10⁰L

3 lb. Munich 30⁰L

Rest @ 145⁰F 30’

Rest @ 158⁰F 30’

pre-boil gravity = 1.045

boil volume = 3.75 gal.

BOIL:

1 oz. Hallertauer 3% AA @ 60’     (10 IBU)

3.3 lb. Munich LME 8⁰L @ 40’

1 oz. Hallertauer 4.7% AA @ 30’  (12 IBU)

1 tsp. Irish Moss

1 oz. Hallertauer 4.7% AA @ 5’   ( 3  IBU)

3 lb. Sparkling Amber DME 1⁰L @ Flameout

Post-boil gravity = 1.095

Top up wort with: 1.37 gal. H2O

OG = 1.072

FERMENTATION:

  1 pkg Saflager W 34/70 lager yeast

Primary fermentation @ 50⁰F for 21 days

Lager in keg @ 34⁰F for 42 days

Force carbonate