Doppelbock is, and will always be, one of my very favorite beer styles of all time. When it’s well done, this hefty, malty German lager goes down so smoothly and effortlessly that it’s all too easy to down an entire pint before the alcohol has a chance to settle in. Drink with joy, but drink with caution.
Traditionally brewed with enough lead time to be ready for Lent, Doppelbock is said to have served as the liquid bread of fasting monks in the weeks leading up to Easter, though I can’t imagine drinking Doppelbock on an empty stomach! Whether you’re preparing for your own fast or just want to have a keg of extra-strength bock ready to go come the spring thaw, now is the time to plan your Doppelbock.
The bulk of any bock’s grain bill is good German Munich malt, and Doppelbock is no exception. All-grain brewers have no shortage of excellent malt choices, but extract brewers will want to mainly stick to the many excellent Munich extracts now available. Specialty malts are best kept to a minimum, with perhaps a bit of caramel malt and roasted malt to round things out. A decoction mash traditionally delivers additional complexity, but a touch of melanoidin malt is a great time saver at which only the most devoted of purists will scoff.
As for hops, a single bittering addition is sufficient. Hallertauer Mittelfrüh and Tettnanger are traditional choices, but Perle and Magnum are also excellent. Just about any malt-forward lager yeast will work well, as long as you follow a patient fermentation schedule. Plan for primary fermentation to last at least two weeks (including a diacetyl rest), followed by a long, cold lagering period of at least 4 to 6 months. The longer you wait, the better it gets.
In a nod of reverence to the original Doppelbock, (Munich, Germany), many brewers name their versions with an appellation that includes the -ator suffix. Hence, Ayinger’s Celebrator (Aying, Germany), Augustiner’s Maximator (Munich, Germany), and Spaten’s Optimator (Minuch, Germany). Not to be outdone, American craft brewers have come up with similarly interesting names, including Jack’s Abby Saxonator (Framingham, Massachusetts), Tröegs Troegenator (Hershey, Pennsylvania), and Bell’s Consecrator (Kalamazoo, Michigan).
If you need some help putting together your own Doppelbock recipe, our recipe for The Invigilator is a good place to start. Don’t put it off, though. Brew that double bock now, and your patience will be amply rewarded when the snow starts to melt.