Batch #15: Alt (Decoction Experiment)

To find out what (if any) difference a decoction mash makes, I did a decoction variant of the previous alt batches. Everything should be roughly the same, with the exception of the mash regimen and fermentation temperature.

Recipe

Grain Bill

4 lbs. Durst Pilsener
4 lbs. Durst Light Munich (20 EBC)
4 oz. Durst Dark Crystal

Hops

1 oz. Hallertauer Hersbrucker (4.4% AA) @60 min.
1 oz. Hallertauer Hersbrucker (4.4% AA) @45 min.
1 oz. Spalt (4.5% AA) @15 min.
1 oz. Spalt (4.5% AA) @5 min.

Yeast

Wyeast 1007 washed from previous batch.

Mash

Decoction mash, first rest at 140F for 60 minutes, 150F for 30 minutes.

Vitals

OG: 1.045
FG: 1.011
Calculated IBUs: 44
Carbonation: 4.25 oz corn sugar (about 2.75 volumes)

Timeline

Brew day: March 1, 2003

12:26 Mash-in @140F.
12:41 Pull decoction (about 1.2 gallons from 3.8 gallon mash, most of the grist).
12:48 Decoction reaches 158F, rest for a while.
1:03 Begin heating decoction to a boil.
1:14 Decoction boils.
1:30 Add decoction back to main mash.
1:35 Mash temperatures stabilises at 150F.
2:05 Begin vorlauf and sparge...
2:30 Finish sparging, begin boil. Two-batch sparge, collected about 7 to 7.5 gallons wort.
3:40 Boil starts.
5:00 Add first Hallertau.
5:15 Add second Hallertau and Irish moss.
5:45 Add first Spalt and chiller.
5:55 Add second Spalt.
6:00 Turn off heat, start chilling.
6:20 Chilled to 60F, leave to settle.
7:00 Rack to fermenter. Forgot to whirlpool, had significant losses to trub and hop gunk.

Fermented at 58-60F (pantry), with about a 24-hour time to high krausen.

Racked to secondary (50-55F basement) March 13th.

Measured S.G. 1.011, March 23.

Bottled April 5. 12 22-oz + 27 12-oz bottles.

Tasting notes

4/23/2003

Woo-hoo, it's carbonated! The flavor and aroma are dominated by a nutty, smooth maltiness. The bitterness is assertive and keeps the intense malt from being overly sweet. The finish is quite dry and crisp, perfect for another sip.

6/21/2003

It has gotten much better with age. The hops have subsided, letting the Munich do its thing. Munich malt, after all, is what alt should be all about. The mouthfeel has greatly improved, giving the beer a "fuller" impression now than when it was young.

Brilliantly clear, with light copper color, good head retention, and ample carbonation. Aroma is of toasty munich malt with faint caramel notes, and is enhanced by a moderate spicy, lightly perfumy aroma of spalt hops. Creamy texture brings out the slight residual Munich malt sweetness, which is balanced by an earthy, somewhat herbal bitterness. Finishes crisp, dry, and slightly tart. Overall impression: a smooth, full, complex beer suitable for everyday drinking.

As far as competition-readiness, it's very light in color, probably half as dark as Frankenheim Alt, which is described as a lighter variant of the alt style. It has the requisite intense Munich aroma and slight sweetness. Hop aroma and flavor are low, but noticeably complement the malt. Bitterness is assertive enough to keep this Munich-heavy beer from tasting sweet. Other than the color, I would call this "to style."

07/27/2003

See note from previous batch

08/16/2003

Took third place in the light ales and wheat beers category at the 2003 MN state fair, out of 12 entries in that category. (score: 32)

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