Missing: hot metal
The doppelbock was one of very few recipes to step outside our normal trio of base malts. Nearly eleven and a half pounds of Munich malt made up the bulk of the grain. Three and a quarter pounds of pilsner played more of a specialty role along with one pound ten ounces of CaraMunich. The mash called for a ninety minute run. Hallertauer went in at both sixty and thirty minutes: 1.40 and 0.50 ounces respectively. To my surprise on reviewing, this one was fermented with SafLager. Past experience suggests that could have gone badly without a careful lager cycle. It started at 1.072 and finished at 1.010.
Bock sans fire poker no longer does much for me. The mouthfeel comes across as thinner and the caramel notes are significantly subdued. The aroma is mild and malty with a touch of noble hops; the beer itself is much the same with a two-note presentation. First is a simple grain sweetness and second is a moderately drying finish. It’s properly clean without any odd yeast flavors from fairly imprecise lagering. The color’s nice but otherwise there’s not much to get excited about.