Roggenbock: Rye Invasion

Even the name of the month "May" brings to most brewers' minds a single beer style: Maibock. This strong, lagered beer was generally served in Spring and has a paler complexion than its longer-lagered (and older) brethren. 

But it's been done.

Enter the roggenbock, an invented style that melds the traditional bock (copper color, malt-forward and medium-bodied but not sweet, with just a hint of hops) with a rather American desire to shove rye into things. Indeed, the malty and non-sweet character of the bock seems to lend itself to the addition of a little spice from rye.

In a surprising twist, this brew day went almost perfectly. I ground the grain a couple days before (not ideal, but it's when I had time), mashed in at 7:30, and was finished with the boil by 12:30. By 2:00, everything was cleaned up. That's the kind of efficiency the brewing calculators can't measure.

Without further ado, the recipe!

Rote Roggenbock

Grain ratios
24 lb Munich Light
14 lb 2-row (American)
6 lb Rye Malt
20 oz (1 lb 4 oz) Crystal 20L
20 oz (1 lb, 4 oz) Crystal 60L
8 oz Crystal 120L

Hops
4 oz Tettnanger FWH
1 oz Columbus 60m
1 oz Chinook 30m
1.6 oz Chinook 5m

Yeast
WLP833 - German Bock Lager

Additional
Whirlfloc - 2 tabs, 10m

This actually produced ~12-13 gallons of Roggenbock, with another 5.5 gallons used to make what I've called "RogAle", using Wyeast American Ale (1056) and adding 1 oz Hallertauer at flameout. RogAle will also get 2 oz Tettnanger and 1 oz Hallertauer on transfer to the secondary. This will make it a little more floral, but still spicy (I don't want to overwhelm the rye inclusion here with hop bitterness or spice).

Mash out. Spin on.