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For more on brewing a more süffig doppelbock—that is, a dangerously drinkable one—see this Brewer’s Perspective with Urban Chestnut Brewmaster Florian Kuplent. For much more about the style, see Jeff Alworth’s Style School: The Hallowed Comforts of Doppelbock.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG 1.074
FG: 1.017
IBUs: 22
ABV: 7.5%
MALT/GRAIN BILL
6.4 lb (2.9 kg) Rhön Pilsner
6.4 lb (2.9 kg) Rhön Müncher
14 oz (397 g) Weyermann Carahell
6 oz (170 g) Weyermann Caramunich II
0.5 oz (14 g) Weyermann Carafa Special II
HOPS SCHEDULE
0.55 oz (16 g) Perle at 75 minutes [13 IBUs]
0.5 oz (14 g) Perle at 30 minutes [9 IBUs]
0.2 oz (6 g) Hallertauer Mittelfrüh at flameout
YEAST
Fermentis SafLager W-34/70, or favorite lager strain
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash in at 122°F (50°C); raise to 126°F (52°C) and rest 15 minutes; raise to 145°F (63°C) and rest 30 minutes; then raise to 162°F (72°C) and rest 15 minutes. After that step comes a single decoction: Separate one-third of the mash to a separate burner, bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes. Reunite the mash. Vorlauf until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 6.5 gallons (25 liters) of wort—or more, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 75 minutes, adding hops according to the schedule. Chill to 46°F (8°C), aerate well, and pitch plenty of healthy yeast. Ferment at 50°F (10°C) for about 10 days, until fermentation is complete and the beer has cleared diacetyl (see Hunting for Diacetyl). Decrease the temperature by about 4°F (2°C) per day until you reach 32°F (0°C), then lager for 4–6 weeks, package, and carbonate.