May Bock

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My take on MaiBock sometimes also referred to as Heller Bock. Mai means the month of May in German (Pronounced May) and Heller means Pale in German.

Introduction:
After long winter months of drinking darker colored Bocks, May Bock ushers in spring, with a pale version of a traditional Bock. Traditionally served during the month of May and during Spring Fests.

The absence of caramel malts keeps this May Bock light-colored, while the large quantity of Munich and Light Pilsen base malts provides body, residual sweetness and Bock alcohol strength.

Adheres to German Reinheitsgebot (purity order) of 1516.
Ingredients for 5 gallons:
7 gallons spring Water
3 lbs Munich Dry Malt Extract
6 lbs Light Pilsen Dry Malt Extract
1/2 oz (14 grams) Hallertau hops
11g Saflager 34/70 Lager Yeast

Estimated stats:
OG 1.076
AVB 7.5%
IBU 12
Color 6 SRM

Target Appearance:
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CrealCritter

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I went ahead and brewed the May Bock this evening.

Here's what the malt looked like pre boil. I was pretty conserned because it started out dark amber color. This is supposed to be pale in color. I thought i messed up creating my recipe.
IMG_20200102_185015.jpg


But as the boil started it got lighter and lighter in color. I did a 60 minute gentle roiling boil. I didn't want to chance carmelizing any of the malt and making it darker.
IMG_20200102_201000987.jpg


14 grams of Hallertau hops (tare weight) added to a small muslin bag and then added to the wort at the beginning of the 60 minute boil.
IMG_20200102_190740468.jpg


This is what the wort looked like after chilling to 60 degrees. It's really close in color to what I had planned. But I'll have to see what the color is after primary fermentation completes. Gravity is 1.078, which is so close to 1.076 that I had planned, this made me very happy.
IMG_20200102_215552.jpg
 

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Finished at 1.020, which puts this jacked up juice at 7.61 alcohol by volume. I could let it go longer and it will continue to ferment some during lagering. But I like it just how it is, nice and sweet. Pilsen malt is a very sweet malt. It has a sweet citrus flavor, I can't quite put my finger on it but its like a real lite orange flavor. Most definitely a spring beer, that's for sure. Interested to see how this turns out after lagering and carbonation.
IMG_20200110_235004285_HDR.jpg
 
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It's almost May and you know what that means... it's getting close to carbonating and cracking this May Bock. Looking back at my previous post it was 7.61% ABV and a gravity of 1.020 when I kegged it.it will be interesting to see how it finished. It's been in lager for @35 degrees for 104 days (going on 15 weeks). :weee
 
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Just pulled my 5 gallon keg of May Bock out of lager and tapped it. I dumped the first pint of nasty trub beer from the bottom of the keg. But the second pint, although cloudy looked ok to try... it needs more carbonation but for a strong alcoholic beer, this stuff is the bees knees. It's smooth as silk, malty sweet and tastes like a honey biscuit. You know when you take a warm biscuit and cut it through the middle and smear honey onnit and eat it. Yeap that's it but this May Bock is the liquid version of that. It's even honey in color, with a off white head like a biscuit.

Bocks are by far my favorite beer style. It's on 30 PSI of CO2 at 35 degrees Fahrenheit. It should be ready to go to usher in May.

Probably a good thing I have to wait until Friday because I drank this pint to fast and I'm buzzing like a bee now. If I type any more I might start confessing sins or something... Yeah that's enough of that for now.
 

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May Day Celebrations on Germany

 

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My favorite daughter in law brought my granddaughters by for a visit. I poured he a small glass of May Bock and handed it her with a napkin and said here's a beer milkshake for you. My wife said, like she wants all that foam? I said maybe she just might like all that foam.

I was on the porch, she came out and said, dad what is up with this beer? I said a little strong hu? She said yes but it's so good, expecially with suds. Then she said what is that honey and biscuit flavor I taste? I said hun, that ain't honey, that's straight up ethenol on a sweet biscuit malt profile. She then said well I'm glad you poured me a little glass or I might need to sit for a while. I told her yep I knew that... that's the strongest beer I've tapped yet.

But there is one more even stronger, Monks Bread. She said when are you going to tap that keg? I said when I build up the courage, but it's got at least 3 more months of lagering left first though.
 

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I remember when we visited Denmark, we stayed at a lady's house. She was really good about telling us all the good places for a tourist to visit, and we ended up visiting the Carlsberg Brewery, and bought her some Elephant Beer as a gift. When we gave it to her, She smiled and hugged the bottles to her chest and said "You won't see me tonight!" lol
 

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I remember when we visited Denmark, we stayed at a lady's house. She was really good about telling us all the good places for a tourist to visit, and we ended up visiting the Carlsberg Brewery, and bought her some Elephant Beer as a gift. When we gave it to her, She smiled and hugged the bottles to her chest and said "You won't see me tonight!" lol

I tell you what, even ladies enjoy a good beer and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. I ain't talking about adjunct thin bodied pee colored water american beer either. It has to be fully bodied, malty and sweet with a creamy head to really enjoy. American beers kind of made beer, a guy thing... that's to bad, I guess.

My favorite daughter in law is... well my favorite. I gave her a growler of Notty Blonde Ale that I was going to taste myself after it completed natural fermention. I gave her directions to not open it until after May 8th. She kind of did the same, gave the growler a little hug. She's getting to taste the finished beers I brew, before I do. She's also been asking questions about how to make beer. So I suspect she'll want to learn how to shortly.
 
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