8

May

Style Description for a German-style Strong Doppelbock

Posted by richb  Published in General, Things to Know

Keep this desciption in mind as you make comments on the recipe.

Malty sweetness is dominant but should not be cloying. Malt character is more reminiscent of fresh and lightly toasted Munich-style malt; more so than caramel or toffee malt character. Some elements of caramel and toffee can be evident and contribute to complexity, but the predominant malt character is an expression of toasted barley malt. Doppelbocks are full bodied and deep amber to dark brown in color. Astringency from roast malts is absent. Alcoholic strength is high, and hop rates increase with gravity. Hop bitterness and flavor should be low and hop aroma absent. Fruity esters are commonly perceived but at low to moderate levels.

Original Gravity (ºPlato): 1.074 1.080 (18 19.5 ºPlato)

Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato): 1.014 1.020 (3.5 5 ºPlato)

Alcohol by Weight (Volume): 5.2 6.2% (6.5 8%)

Bitterness (IBU): 17 27

Color SRM (EBC): 12 30 (24 60 EBC)

6 Responses

Subscribe to this post Comment RSS or Trackback URL

Subscribe without commenting

mygif
Doppledetopple says,
in 6-1-2007 @ 08:45:24    

Let’s take this in a slightly different direction, hear me out.

I’m all for making amazing German-style brews, frankly I think America needs more of this kind of brewing. The question is, how to make the beers stand out?

If I want a Doppelbock that is pretty much perfect, I can reach for a German example (like Korbinian or Celebrator). Not disrespect to Flying Dog, but these guys have hundreds of years of brewing experience. Going toe-to-toe with them won’t be easy.

Now, there are some American breweries that have managed to accomplish this by hitting the style spot-on (Victory and Capital come to mind) and there are some that push the envelope a little but stay within the style (like Sprecher). Then, there are the nut-jobs who take the style into a radical place, while making us slap out foreheads and say, “Why didn’t they think of this earlier?” like Ft. Collin’s Rauchator or the sugary-sweet Samiclaus.

Now, to me, Flying Dog has always seemed more like a brewery that goes out on a limb more than stays within rigid guidelines.

So, I’ve got two ideas as to how they could push that envelope:

1) American Dopplebock. Do to Dopplebocks what Gonzo did to Baltic porters. Use a tried-and-true German malt base and then accentuate it with American hops. Now, I’m not saying make a 80 IBU monster, but what about something between 40 and 60 with PNW hops making up the majority of the bill? It worked well once, so why not try it again?

2) Roggenbock. Think about it. We know Flying Dog can make a killer Weizenbock (see: Wild Dog), so why not give the much-neglected cousin of the Weizen a similar upgrade?

mygif
bolddeciever says,
in 6-3-2007 @ 00:36:07    

I like dt’s idea about trying PNW hops; if you look too far back in the history of any beer, you will see that even the most monolithic brew borrows heavily from other beers and other places, and this is how the art grows. Plus, I live in WA state, so I’m a bit partial ;) . I will give this some thought and post ideas in the “hops” thread.

Love the idea of this project. Looking forward to the results.

mygif
pimaxc says,
in 6-3-2007 @ 22:03:27    

Yet another idea changing the style a little how about you go for an Eisenbock you really don’t see as many of them around and as a small batch brew people would enjoy the stronger punch of a higher alcohol content

mygif
Doppledetopple says,
in 6-4-2007 @ 06:16:52    

Eh.

For my money, one of the mistakes of the American brewing scene is the emphasis on high alcohol. While big beers are nice, there is a glut of them on the market and I am generally just not that impressed by them. Especially when it seems like the abv is the major selling point.

A good eisbock is a wonderful thing, but the foundation needs to be there for the eisbock to make sense. Capital’s recent experiment with eisbocks is a perfect example, they took one of the best American Doppelbocks (Autumnal Fire) and then eisbocked it up for a celebration. That makes sense. But jumping right in? Ehhhh, let’s start with a proof of concept and make a doppelbock before we jump into an Eisbock.

mygif
Roy says,
in 4-5-2008 @ 18:28:02    

check out the beer section at AlcoholContents.com for an extensive database of beers and their % alcohol

http://www.AlcoholContents.com/beer/beer.htm

mygif
Bartending says,
in 12-16-2008 @ 15:07:36    

1st of all, in order to have a real Doppelbock, you’ll need to make sure you purchase it within the 40 days preceding Easter. I have read from numerous authorities that any one sent out during this time is brewed to coincide not only with the holiday, but are made under the strictest of code. 2 great examples that you can get state-side is the Spaten and the Ayinger (purple label). Nothing like a good 8%er that goes down smooth w/o so much of the meatiness you get from an Oatmeal Stout, but with the same kind of “punch.”

Leave Comments Below

Please enjoy your stay and feel free to comment below

 username (*required)

 mailing (*private)

 website (*optional)

Please note: Comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. There is no need to resubmit your comment.