Kit (All-Grain) - Doppelbock (Advanced) (5 Gallons)

This turned out to be an amazing beer, one of the best DoppelBocks I’ve ever had! If I were into bottling, I would enter this in a competition. If you are wanting to take this recipe to the next level try this out.

•Step up WLP820 to 740 billion cells.
•Water profile: Amber Full (BeerSmith or Bru’n Water).
•Mash at 154 deg f for 40 mins.
•Pull out 5 liters for decoction, boil for 20 minutes then add back to mash (follow proper decoction methods as to not burn decoction). If main mash was held at 154, temp will be 160 after adding decoction. Side note, if you have the capacity for a larger decoction, I would shoot for 1/3 of the mash. I didn’t so I used the largest pot available in the kitchen.
•Stir in both Crystal malts to mash and raise temp to 169 for 10-15 min mash out.
•Vorlauf and sparge.
•Boil for 90 mins.
•Follow recipe for hop additions, add whirlfloc and yeast nutrients at 10 min left in boil.
•Whirlpool for 20 mins, let settle for 10 mins, chill and rack to primary.
•Reduce wort to 53 deg f, pitch yeast then aerate to 10 PPM.
•Let temp free rise to 55 and hold this temp for primary.
•Optional step. If possible, aerate to 10 ppm once more about 12 hours later (before krausen has started to form) and add Fercap S to wort.
•Continue with primary for 12-14 days. By this time airlock activity should be slow (about 1 bubble every 4-6 seconds). If fermenting in clear vessel, you will notice a small layer of krausen remaining, most of it should have dropped back into the beer by this point.
•Raise temp to 67 deg f for d-rest by increasing 1 degree per hour. Let sit for 6 days. I use a BrewPi Spark 3 controller, so this is as easy as making a profile and clicking a few buttons.
•Cold crash to 33 deg f. Lower temp 1 degree per hour and hold for 5 days. Add gelatin 2-3 days prior to racking to keg.
•Lager for 2 weeks and carb to 2.4 vols.

One last thing, reduce cold side oxidation as much as possible. Try to purge gelatin with CO2 and pressure transfer it to beer. Also shoot for a closed pressure transfer when racking to keg. In the end you will have a wonderfully balanced and clear d-bock that friends and family will rave over!

I brewed this one 3 months ago and have been diligent about keeping the temps at the right level. The reward: a delicious, smooth, beautiful Doppelbock. No doubt, I plan to brew this again and again.