Style Of The Week 20/6/07 - Maibock/helles Bock

[Stuster]

So this week it was suggested to me that we should look at lagers, a great style to brew at this time of year. The lager of choice this week is Maibock or Helles Bock, BJCP style 5A.

Some links
Jamil's show on Maibock
All about beer article on bock
Thread on Helles bock
German Beer Institute page on maibock

So what are your experiences with this style? Grains? Hops? Which yeast to use? Fermentation tips? Can this style be done by partial mashers? Kit based brewers?

Tell us all you know about this style so we can all make and drink great beer. :chug:

Info from the BJCP.

5A. Maibock/Helles Bock

Aroma: Moderate to strong malt aroma, often with a lightly toasted quality and low melanoidins. Moderately low to no noble hop aroma, often with a spicy quality. Clean. No diacetyl. Fruity esters should be low to none. Some alcohol may be noticeable. May have a light DMS aroma from pils malt.

Appearance: Deep gold to light amber in color. Lagering should provide good clarity. Large, creamy, persistent, white head.

Flavor: The rich flavor of continental European pale malts dominates (pils malt flavor with some toasty notes and/or melanoidins). Little to no caramelization. May have a light DMS flavor from pils malt. Moderate to no noble hop flavor. May have a low spicy or peppery quality from hops and/or alcohol. Moderate hop bitterness (more so in the balance than in other bocks). Clean, with no fruity esters or diacetyl. Well-attenuated, not cloying, with a moderately dry finish that may taste of both malt and hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Moderate to moderately high carbonation. Smooth and clean with no harshness or astringency, despite the increased hop bitterness. Some alcohol warming may be present.

Overall Impression: A relatively pale, strong, malty lager beer. Designed to walk a fine line between blandness and too much color. Hop character is generally more apparent than in other bocks.

History: A fairly recent development in comparison to the other members of the bock family. The serving of Maibock is specifically associated with springtime and the month of May.

Comments: Can be thought of as either a pale version of a traditional bock, or a Munich helles brewed to bock strength. While quite malty, this beer typically has less dark and rich malt flavors than a traditional bock. May also be drier, hoppier, and more bitter than a traditional bock. The hops compensate for the lower level of melanoidins. There is some dispute whether Helles ("pale") Bock and Mai ("May") Bock are synonymous. Most agree that they are identical (as is the consensus for Mrzen and Oktoberfest), but some believe that Maibock is a "fest" type beer hitting the upper limits of hopping and color for the range. Any fruitiness is due to Munich and other specialty malts, not yeast-derived esters developed during fermentation.

Ingredients: Base of pils and/or Vienna malt with some Munich malt to add character (although much less than in a traditional bock). No non-malt adjuncts. Noble hops. Soft water preferred so as to avoid harshness. Clean lager yeast. Decoction mash is typical, but boiling is less than in traditional bocks to restrain color development.
Vital Statistics:
OG FG IBUs SRM ABV
1.064 - 1.072 1.011 - 1.018 23 - 35+ 6 - 11 6.3 - 7.4%

Commercial Examples: Ayinger Maibock, Hacker-Pschorr Hubertus Bock, Einbecker Mai-Urbock, Augustiner Hellerbock, Hofbru Maibock, Capital Maibock, Victory St. Boisterous, Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock

 

[SJW]

This is my Doppelbock that is in CCing at the mo. I think it is going to be a cracker. I have spent a large part of my brewing past trying to perfect the Bock. I think I got close with this one so I up'ed it to a Doppelbock.

View attachment recipes.htm

 

[neonmeate]

i made a very nice one a few years back:
http://www.beertools.com/html/recipe.php?view=3856

i will be interested to see how you go with the no-lagering policy with beers like this... this one really needed its time in the fridge to get good. there's no dark malt woof for any impurities to hide behind. i would think this would be the worst style of all to do no-chilling on, due to the high concentration of German pils malt required (aussie malts would not cut it in this style IMO - you need pils malt with flavour)

i'd like to try one of these again with 100% vienna malt, perhaps with a little bit of cara-hell. id also like to try making a really bitter one with heaps and heaps of saaz (like a czech 14-16 svetly, a style that bjcp doesnt recognise).

edit : i thought i had a bit of deja vu: this time last year i told you about that beer already
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...=10601&st=0

 

[bconnery]

Here's a mini mash one I did a while back. It ended up in the first AHB case swap I went to and was pretty well received.

3kg L DME. 500g Amber DME. 500g LME. 200g Dark Munich. 150g Caramunich. 45g Hallertau Hersbrucker(NZ) 20g Hallertau Aroma (NZ)

Minimashed/steeped at around 65C caramunich and dark munich for 1hr. 30g Hersbrucker@45 All ME @15 Remaining hops @15.

I used K97 because of a miscalculation with supplies so it wasn't right on in terms of style but it was enjoyable.

I think the best of Bocks will always be mini-mashed or AG so as to get nice maltiness but one of these is perhaps a little more forgiving as they don't have to be quite so malty...

 

[Stuster]

i will be interested to see how you go with the no-lagering policy with beers like this... this one really needed its time in the fridge to get good. there's no dark malt woof for any impurities to hide behind. i would think this would be the worst style of all to do no-chilling on, due to the high concentration of German pils malt required (aussie malts would not cut it in this style IMO - you need pils malt with flavour)

Right. Sounds like a challenge.

Better no-chill, no-lager, no-decoction and possibly even no-mash this one.

Like the idea of using some Vienna as a base for this. I was planning an Oktoberfest, but now this one has fluttered it's eyelashes as me. Hmm.

 

[blackbock]

This is a brilliant beer style which we never see commercially in Australia.

I am yet to make an AG Maibock, It's on my mind for this winter. I like to think of this style as a Mnchner Helles on steroids, as that's pretty much what it is. When I do make one I will be aiming for the lower end of the colour scale, as I like the appeal of a dark straw-coloured brew with a Duvel-style alcohol level. :lol:

I think I would prefer to mash at 65-66 degrees, even though many on here would say go higher.
I am not sure that I would like a Vienna malt version though :unsure: I will probably stick to light Munich.
As far as the hops go, I would go with Tettnanger or Spalt.

The good thing about Maibocks is they can be a more hoppy than your usual bock, and that does lend itself to making a toucan from two kits. In the past I've tried using 2x Coopers Bavarian Lager with 1KG LDME, I thought it was a bit too malty, if I did it again I'd use 500g LDME and 500g dextrose.

 

[Kai]

Never tried nor brewed one but this thread made me thirsty so one has joined the recipe queue.

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

That linked recipe of mine is for a Helles, not a Helles Bock.

I have only brewed one MaiBock and it is currently on tap at home. If they always taste this good then it is going to be a regular seasonal brew for me.
I used a base malt of Weyermann Pils and added some Munich and Melanoiden IIRC. It was bittered with Magnum to 27 IBU and the yeast was good old Whitelabs 833. OG was 1069, FG was 1013 so that gives an ABV of 7.2%.
It was lagered for 6 months as well.
I will check Beersmith tonight and post the recipe.

Do yourselves a favour and brew one today :beer:

C&B
TDA

 

[Stuster]

Oops. Sorry about that. Thanks, TDA.

 

[Adamt]

Definitely on my holiday brew queue!

 

[Duff]

Maibock, mmmmm, one of my favourites.

Here's the receipe of my latest which went pffffttttt a couple of nights ago. Adapted from Drew Beechum's Receipe from the Maltose Falcons. He made one post here on AHB several months ago but hasn't been back unfortunately. I made his first and was nice, then have slowly migrated to this one.

Cheers.

----------

07-31 Maibock III

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 40.00 Wort Size (L): 40.00
Total Grain (kg): 11.10
Anticipated OG: 1.070 Plato: 17.13
Anticipated SRM: 7.1
Anticipated IBU: 25.5
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
81.1 9.00 kg. Weyermann Pilsner Germany 1.038 2
15.8 1.75 kg. JWM Light Munich Australia 1.038 10
3.2 0.35 kg. Weyermann Melanoidin Germany 1.037 36

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
90.00 g. Hallertauer Mittelfruh Plug 4.10 25.5 60 min.


Yeast
-----

DCL Yeast S-189 SafLager German Lager

 

[shonky]

Just noticed this recent article on Maibock on Beer advocate regarding a seasonal from Smuttynose Brewing in the States -

http://beeradvocate.com/news/stories_read/717

Cheers

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

Just dug out the recipe.

Rememberance MaiBock
Mailbock/Helles Bock


Type: All Grain
Date: 11/11/2006
Batch Size: 23.00 L
Brewer: Mark Rasheed
Boil Size: 30.33 L Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min Equipment: Marks Equipment
Brewhouse Efficiency: 68.0


Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.00 kg Weyermann Pilsner (3.9 EBC) Grain 79.3 %
1.00 kg Weyermann Munich I (15.8 EBC) Grain 13.2 %
0.28 kg Weyermann Carapils (Carafoam) (3.9 EBC) Grain 3.7 %
0.28 kg Weyermann Melanoidin (70.9 EBC) Grain 3.7 %
13.00 gm Magnum [13.90%] (60 min) Hops 26.6 IBU
1 Pkgs German Bock Lager (White Labs #WLP833) Yeast-Lager



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.070 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.069 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.018 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.8 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 7.2 %
Bitterness: 26.6 IBU
Est Color: 15.3

C&B
TDA

 

[blackbock]

This is the Maibock recipe I have settled on. It is slightly out of spec on bitterness (higher) and colour (lower) but that's how I want it :super:

Helles Bock
Helles Bock/Maibock
Type: All Grain

Batch Size: 15.00 L
Brewer: Blackbock
Boil Size: 18.06 L
Boil Time: 90 min

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU

4.28 kg Pilsner, Malt Craft Export (Joe White) (3.2 EBC) Grain 94.8 %
0.22 kg Carahell (Weyermann) (25.6 EBC) Grain 4.9 %
0.01 kg Carafa Special III (Weyermann) (925.9 EBC) Grain 0.3 %
54.23 gm Tettnang [4.50%] (80 min) Hops 38.0 IBU


Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.065 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG

Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.3 %
Bitterness: 38.0 IBU Calories: 90 cal/l
Est Color: 13.5 EBC Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Total Grain Weight: 4.51 kg
Sparge Water: 11.29 L Grain Temperature: 22.2 C
Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C TunTemperature: 22.2 C
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.3 PH

Name Description Step Temp Step Time

Mash in Add 11.3 L of water at 42.7 C 40.0 C 2 min
Step 1 Heat to 50.0 C over 2 min 50.0 C 30 min
Step 2 Heat to 65.0 C over 2 min 65.0 C 70 min
Mash out Heat to 76.0 C over 2 min 76.0 C 10 min

 

[RobboMC]

So this week it was suggested to me that we should look at lagers, a great style to brew at this time of year. The lager of choice this week is Maibock or Helles Bock, So what are your experiences with this style? Grains? Hops? Which yeast to use? Fermentation tips? Can this style be done by partial mashers? Kit based brewers?
Tell us all you know about this style so we can all make and drink great beer. :chug:

Info from the BJCP.

In searching for interesting beer to make in the cooler months I came across this style. Started with a Coopers Bavarian Lager kit. Next I boiled 30g of noble German hops into 1.5kg of light extract, and finally did a mini-mash of one kg of vienna/crystal grain. Since the kit came from the HBS I just used the Coopers kit yeast, which I think might be Saflager on the Bav Lag kit anyway.

Brewed away at 14 deg C, could have been a bit lower. Racked to secondary in one week and bottled after 4 weeks.

Kit and partials can definately make a decent Maibock. Mine turned out about 1% under in ABV, so I call it a Halb-bock, meaning half Bock. Should have made up to only 20 litres. It's also a bit on the dark side from too much crystal grain, but what the heck, I made it and it's pretty good to drink, who cares if it's not quite in the style. If it's not Maibock it is MYBock.

Very nice smooth beer though, and I aimed to make it not too strong. Pretty easy from kits and extracts as it's not hop driven.

I think racking is essential for this style, a couple of weeks in the secondary seems essential;
and could use a Pilsener kit for more authenticity.
Morgans make a Bock kit that would work with a can of malt and some extras, or make a lower volume.
Next year I'm trying that, unless I get a better idea for cold weather lager brewing.

Maybe even as a toucan, Bock and Pilsener together?
Anyone done that?

 

[blackbock]

Today's effort: KISS, for my favourite style :super:

Helles Bock/Maibock

Type: All Grain
Date: 13/04/2008
Batch Size: 18.00 L
Brewer: Blackbock
Boil Size: 21.13 L
Boil Time: 75 min Equipment: My Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.0

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.10 kg Pilsner, Malt Craft Export (Joe White) (3.2 EBC) Grain 95.4 %
0.25 kg Carahell (Weyermann) (25.6 EBC) Grain 4.6 %
46.21 gm Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00%] (75 min) Hops 30.0 IBU

Yeast Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.064 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.065 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.016 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.2 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.4 %
Bitterness: 30.0 IBU Calories: 620 cal/l
Est Color: 9.3 EBC Color: Color

 

[neonmeate]

very tasty looking recipe blackbock!

 

[Pumpy]

I made the TDA Maibock left out the Carapils bit more like Duff's

I filtered it last night it is really nice a grainey flavour as it is a simple recipe lovely golden colour , 32 IBU

had a few pints and i really am happy with it .

Highly drinkable for a strong beer


pumpy

 

[Pumpy]

Two weeks in the keg the grainy flavour has gone and the Hersbrucker and Saaz hops offer a really nice lager .

This is a really nice beer to brew .

Pumpy

 

[Stuster]

Saaz hops aren't really that traditional, but whatever, sounds like it's a nice beer. What was your recipe in the end, Pumpy?