Mardi Bock (archive)

This is the archive page for Mardi Bock. For the current recipe .. see Mardi Bock.

This was a beer originally brewed to enjoy during Lent in 2019.

When I asked my wife (aka The SheppyBrew Beer Model) what I should brew. Her response was "A Mardi Gras Beer". Lent was coming up in about a month, so that seemed like a good one.

But what is a Mardi Gras beer?

Upon research and reflection, we agreed that it had to be a Bock-style beer.

So, I came up with a recipe.

I decided to keep the color and OG on the lighter side of the style. I decided to keep the bitterness a bit higher in the range just because I don't like overly sweet beers.

For more information on this beer see Sheppy's Blog: Mardi Bock.

Mardi Bock --- Batch 3 (329)

Style	Dunkles Bock	Batch Size	5.50 gal
Type	All Grain	Boil Size	6.57 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency	68.00	Boil Time	60 minutes

Recipe Characteristics

Recipe Gravity

1.064 SG

Estimated FG

1.015 SG

Recipe Bitterness

26.0 IBUs (Rager)

Alcohol by Volume

6.6 %

BU : GU

0.404

Recipe Color

14.7 SRM

Color

Measured OG:

1.064

Measured FG:

1.016

ADF:

Measured ABV:

6.4

Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt	Name	Type	#	%/IBU	Volume
7.62 gal	Denver, Colorado	Water	1	-	-
8.00 g	Calcium Chloride (Mash)	Water Agent	2	-	-
9 lbs	Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)	Grain	3	62.1 %	0.70 gal
4 lbs 8.0 oz	Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)	Grain	4	31.0 %	0.35 gal
8.0 oz	Caramunich Malt (60.0 SRM)	Grain	5	3.4 %	0.04 gal
4.0 oz	Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM)	Grain	6	1.7 %	0.02 gal
4.0 oz	Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM)	Grain	7	1.7 %	0.02 gal
1.000 oz	Magnum [15.80 %] - Boil 25.0 min	Hop	8	26.0 IBUs	-
1.00 Items	Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)	Fining	9	-	-
1.00 tsp	Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 mins)	Other	10	-	-
1.0 pkg	Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70) [50.28 ml]	Yeast	11	-	-
0.50 tsp	Gelatin (Bottling 1.0 days)	Fining	12	-	-

Mash Profile

Mash Steps
Name	Description	Step Temperature	Step Time
Saccharification	Add 30.54 qt of water at 160.3 F	152.0 F	45 min
Heat	Heat to 158.0 F over 10 min	158.0 F	15 min
Mash Out	Heat to 170.0 F over 7 min	170.0 F	10 min

If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort

Recipe Notes
Make yeast starter before brew day.
Water profile assumes BeerSmith Denver profile start
Final: Ca=107; Mg=9; Na=21; SO=51; Cl=157; HCO3=104;
Mash / boil as directed on recipe.
Chill as close to 50 degrees as possible. Ferment cold for one week, let the temperature rise 1 or 2 degrees a day until in the 60's.
After a week, let the fermentation finish off at room temperature.
Keg. Once the keg has chilled for 24 hours, add geletin to 3/4 cup 150F water, and add to keg.
Carbonate.
Drink and enjoy.

Brewing Record

Brew Date:		Strike Temp:
Mash Temps:
Pre-boil OG	(1.057 SG)	Pre-boil Vol	(6.57 gal)
Actual Mash Efficiency		Pitch Temp
Fermentation
Day 1:
Day ...
Day ...

Brewing Notes:

02/08/2023 esheppy
Bought ingredients today. I actually hadn't looked at the recipe much before pouring out grains and the high amount of Munich malt sort of surprised me. When I got home I looked at the Bock recipe in Brewing Classic Styles, and it looks in line with the munich amount here. Should brew this weekend. This will be my first pressure fermentation.

02/12/2023 esheppy
Beer brewed. About 5.75 gallons into fermenter at 1.064 og. Yeast sprinkled on top. Pressurized fermenter by 8.45.

02/13/2023 esheppy
Seeing starts of fermentation,but it isn't active yet. Probably will be while I'm at work. Tilt says 1.061 at 62 degrees. Pressure on the spunding valve just below 10 psi.

02/13/2023 esheppy
When I got home, fermentation was going strong. The valve was at just over 15 psi. Tilt said 1.057 at 62 degrees. I set the dial a little lower and let out a little pressure.

02/14/2023 esheppy
Tilt at 1.048 at 65 degrees. Pressure looks to be at 16 psi again. Cool looking tan kraussen looks like the pressure is holding it down.

02/15/2023 esheppy
Tilt says 1.018 at 73. PSI at 14. Kraussen almost gone. Beer still very cloudy.

02/16/2023 esheppy
Tilt says 1.016 at 68. The pressure is at about 12. Beer really starting to clear up.

02/26/2023 esheppy
Kegged. Pressure transfer was a minor disaster due to the brew master not paying attention. I put the liquid transfer tube on the gas in, which obviously didn't work. I thought I'd give it a shot of CO2 to get things going, but because that was in the liquid, my nice clear lager became instantly hazy. Eventually I figured it out, and got the beer in the keg, but certainly not O2-free. FG right at 1.016. The sample tasted good and once the keg clears I'll really like the beer. Note to self ... Pay attention to gas vs liquid posts next time.

03/02/2023 esheppy
Added gelatin. May give this a try later this evening.

03/03/2023 esheppy
First pour off the keg was very cloudy. Still good, and I should quickly get past the trub on the bottom.

03/05/2023 esheppy
Pretty clear now. Lighter in color than I remember previous batches. Very red looking. Delicious.

03/18/2023 esheppy
Wonderful Bock beer. Clear. Dark red. Bready. Balanced. Yummy.

04/08/2023 esheppy
Still really enjoying this beer.

04/21/2023 esheppy
Clean. Beautiful. Malty. Nice and drinkable. Not sure how much is left. But I'll enjoy it while I can.

05/10/2023 esheppy
Still tasting great. Crystal clear. Lots of Munich malt flavor. Will probably be the next keg to kick. Need the space for Captain Serious.

05/14/2023 esheppy
Killed the keg a few days ago. Good timing because it made room for Captain Serious. Wonderful beer while it lasted, but I'm glad to have something new on tap.

Mardi Bock --- Batch 2 (279)

Style	Dunkles Bock	Batch Size	5.50 gal
Type	All Grain	Boil Size	6.57 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency	70.00	Boil Time	60 minutes

Recipe Characteristics

Recipe Gravity

1.064 SG

Estimated FG

1.015 SG

Recipe Bitterness

28.8 IBUs (Rager)

Alcohol by Volume

6.5 %

BU : GU

0.451

Recipe Color

14.7 SRM

Color

Measured OG:

1.069

Measured FG:

1.016

ADF:

Measured ABV:

7.1

Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt	Name	Type	#	%/IBU	Volume
7.62 gal	Denver, Colorado	Water	1	-	-
8.00 g	Calcium Chloride (Mash)	Water Agent	2	-	-
9 lbs	Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)	Grain	3	64.3 %	0.70 gal
4 lbs	Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)	Grain	4	28.6 %	0.31 gal
8.0 oz	Caramunich Malt (60.0 SRM)	Grain	5	3.6 %	0.04 gal
4.0 oz	Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM)	Grain	6	1.8 %	0.02 gal
4.0 oz	Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM)	Grain	7	1.8 %	0.02 gal
0.500 oz	Magnum [12.80 %] - First Wort 60.0 min	Hop	8	28.8 IBUs	-
1.00 Items	Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)	Fining	9	-	-
1.00 tsp	Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 mins)	Other	10	-	-
1.0 pkg	Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70) [50.28 ml]	Yeast	11	-	-

Mash Profile

Mash Steps
Name	Description	Step Temperature	Step Time
Saccharification	Add 30.39 qt of water at 160.1 F	152.0 F	45 min
Heat	Heat to 158.0 F over 10 min	158.0 F	15 min
Mash Out	Heat to 170.0 F over 7 min	170.0 F	10 min

If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort

Brewing Record

Brew Date:		Strike Temp:
Mash Temps:
Pre-boil OG	(1.057 SG)	Pre-boil Vol	(6.57 gal)
Actual Mash Efficiency		Pitch Temp
Fermentation
Day 1:
Day ...
Day ...

Brewing Notes:

01/23/2021 esheppy
Picked up ingredients Monday. Brewing today or tomorrow.

01/23/2021 esheppy
Brew day with Brew Model went pretty good. We measured low on pre-boil gravity and added .5 lbs to compensate. Then, ended up about that many gravity points high on the OG. Not sure what made the pre-boil gravity measurement low, especially with both of us checking. Anyway ... the wort is in the fermentor and the yeast is pitched.

01/24/2021 esheppy
Tilt says 1.066 at 56. Cooling set to 52. A little bubbling. Signs of fermentation just starting.

01/25/2021 esheppy
Tilt says 1.060 at 53. Raising controller to 53.

01/26/2021 esheppy
Tilt says 1.053 at 53F. Typical lager bubbling. Will probably leave at 53 today.

01/27/2021 esheppy
Tilt says 1.034 at 54. Raising controller to 54.

01/28/2021 esheppy
Early ... 1.024 @55F Still bubbling. I'm expecting fermentation will be done in the next couple of days. Set the anvil temp to 55. Later in day ... 1.019.

01/29/2021 esheppy
Mid-day ... 1.017 @59. Not much bubbling. Will turn off temperature control either tonight or tomorrow. Took a sample. Nice flavor. A little sweet. Hoping for another couple of gravity points. Color is a little lighter than the picture from last year.

01/30/2021 esheppy
1.017 @60. Unplugged cooling system.

02/02/2021 esheppy
Tilt has read 1.017 for 4 days now. 66 degrees today. I am ready to keg at any time. I actually have a keg free, but need to clean it. At this point ... the beer seems to be 6.9%ABV with an attenuation of 75%. Mardi Gras starts in 14 days. Will I be able to refrain from drinking before then? We'll see.

02/05/2021 esheppy
Kegged today. Awesome flavor. Beautiful color, but it looks a little lighter than the picture from before. Its clarity is even really good going into the keg. Mardi gras starts in 11 days. Should be ready in plenty of time.

02/07/2021 esheppy
Took a sample. Almost no carbonation. Turned up psi to 20. Great flavor. Really really good. Reminds me of my award winning maibock. ??

02/10/2021 esheppy
Took another sample. Carbonation about right, so I turned down psi some. Gorgeous and delicious beer.

02/27/2021 esheppy
Been drinking. Delicious. Lots of Munich malt flavor. Clarity is great now. Hope this lasts until at least Easter.

03/06/2021 esheppy
Gorgeous beer. Delicious.

03/15/2021 esheppy
Very clear. Beautiful red color. Nice bready Munich malt flavor. Enough hop bitterness to balance sweetness. Will this last until Easter? Not sure, but considering it is still 20 days away, probably not.

03/26/2021 esheppy
Yummy.

04/04/2021 esheppy
Well... This beer lasted to Easter. ?? yum. Of the beers I had today, this was my favorite. Nice clear dark red. Bready. Malty. Balanced. So Guuud.

04/06/2021 esheppy
The keg finally kicked today. Suck a great beer! I'm proud that I was able to make it last all the way through Lent.

Mardi Bock --- Batch 1 (228)

Style	Dunkles Bock	Batch Size	5.50 gal
Type	All Grain	Boil Size	7.71 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency	70.00	Boil Time	60 minutes

Recipe Characteristics

Recipe Gravity

1.065 SG

Estimated FG

1.016 SG

Recipe Bitterness

26.2 IBUs (Rager)

Alcohol by Volume

6.5 %

BU : GU

0.404

Recipe Color

13.9 SRM

Color

Measured OG:

1.068

Measured FG:

1.016

ADF:

Measured ABV:

6.9

Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt	Name	Type	#	%/IBU
10.00 g	Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins)	Water Agent	1	-
9 lbs	Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)	Grain	2	63.2 %
4 lbs 4.0 oz	Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)	Grain	3	29.8 %
8.0 oz	Caramunich Malt (60.0 SRM)	Grain	4	3.5 %
4.0 oz	Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM)	Grain	5	1.8 %
4.0 oz	Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM)	Grain	6	1.8 %
0.500 oz	Magnum [12.40 %] - First Wort 90.0 min	Hop	7	26.2 IBUs
1.00 Items	Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)	Fining	8	-
1.00 tsp	Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 mins)	Other	9	-
1.0 pkg	Mexican Lager (White Labs #WLP940) [35.49 ml]	Yeast	10	-

Mash Profile

Mash Steps
Name	Description	Step Temperature	Step Time
Mash In	Add 17.81 qt of water at 163.7 F	152.0 F	60 min

Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 4.97gal) of 168.0 F water

Recipe Notes
Make yeast starter before brew day. (I used yeast cake from PBR)
Water profile assumes BeerSmith Denver profile start
Final: Ca=111; Mg=9; Na=21; SO=51; Cl=165; HCO3=104;
Mash / boil as directed on recipe.
Chill as close to 50 degrees as possible. Ferment cold for one week.
After a week, let the fermentation finish off at room temperature.
Keg and carbonate.

Brewing Record

Brew Date:		Strike Temp:
Mash Temps:
Pre-boil OG	(1.053 SG)	Pre-boil Vol	(7.71 gal)
Actual Mash Efficiency		Pitch Temp
Fermentation
Day 1:
Day ...
Day ...

Brewing Notes:

02/02/2019 esheppy
Brew day went well. 1.068 og.

02/03/2019 esheppy
Already seeing slight signs of fermentation. Temperature is at 49 degrees. Gravity is taking 1.059 already.

02/04/2019 esheppy
Really going strong. 51 degrees. 1.043.

02/05/2019 esheppy
Note: yesterday was 1.055. This morning 1.046.

02/06/2019 esheppy
1.035. 54. Moved inside.

02/07/2019 esheppy
Early morning 1.030. 57.

02/08/2019 esheppy
1.026. 61.

02/10/2019 esheppy
Moving to secondary to make room to ferment a new beer today. 1.016 fg. Needs to clear up a bunch. Harvesting yeast.

02/10/2019 esheppy
Sample tested great.

02/17/2019 esheppy
Took another sample. Lots of Munich malt flavor. Clearing up nicely.

02/18/2019 esheppy
Putting into cold garage to cool for gelatin.

02/19/2019 esheppy
Added 1 tsp unflavored gelatin to 3/4 cup water heated to 160. Put that into carboy. Will let sit in cold garage until weekend.

02/23/2019 esheppy
Kegging today. Nice clarity, but I'm not sure gelatin did any more than a simple cold crash would have. Beautiful dark amber color. Lots of rich Munich malts flavor.

02/24/2019 esheppy
Had outside last night with a 30psi shot of gas. This morning, put leg in beer fridge and added another shot of gas.

03/05/2019 esheppy
First pint is delicious. ?? More balanced than most bocks.

03/05/2019 esheppy
First pint was not as crystal clear as I thought it would be. Second pint is already getting better. Still not sure the gelatin quite lived up to what I expected.

03/08/2019 esheppy
Really nice color. Really nice clarity. Really nice flavor.

03/22/2019 esheppy
Delicious bready Munich flavor.

03/30/2019 esheppy
Yummy beer. Carbonation is perfect. Color and clarity great.

05/05/2019 esheppy
I think this is almost gone. Crystal clear. Intense Munich malt. Such a great beer.

Brewing Notes