Vienna Lager

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Sandy Feet

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I have seen some things concerning this style on the forum. I know Josh does them, and I have seen Sunfire make some references too.
I am thinking of doing a really, really simple Vienna Lager at some point in time. I am basically thinking a 5-gallon all Vienna with the exception of 1/4 -1/2 pound of Chocolate. Thinking of 2oz Saaz at 60 minutes and 34/70 for yeast. Prior reading makes me think I need to mash this really low, like 148.
I do see some things online when you go above 90% Vienna that make me think I might have some attenuation issues. Anyone have any comments concerning that?
 
I will be brewing some kind of lager late spring, early summer, so I am interested in hearing reponses on this.
Good, post thanks @Sandy Feet
 
There a are a bunch of ways to make a Vienna lager. I have made Oktoberfest beers that turned out too light, so I entered them as a Vienna lager and won a couple of medals that way. Usually it's a blend of malts, Pils malt, Vienna malt and Munich malt. Typically you won't see chocolate or any crystal/caramel malts in a Vienna lager. But it's your beer, so do as you wish.

You could use 40% Vienna malt, 40% Pils malt and 20% Munich malt. Or 90% Vienna and make up the rest with whatever. Adding some PIls malt will allow you to get a little more gravity with out adding to much flavor or color. Vienna Lager is not a heavy handed beer (like most German beers). Think of it as a cross between a German Oktoberfest and a German Pils. As with most Germen beers they are well attenuated, so mash low 145-148 or so. Your attenuation is affected by not only the mash temp, but by your choice of malt and yeast. The higher kilned malts (Vienna and Munich) can make a wort that is slightly less fermentable, so switching to a more attenuative yeast like Fermentis 34/70 may counter that. WLP833 will be less attenuative and create a fuller beer.

Creating a recipe is a really fun process, lots of knobs to turn, so enjoy the process. If you add chocolate as you want, you may lose the subtly of the rest of the malts and even the hops.

Good luck and don't forget to enjoy the brewing.
 
Josh makes his with 100% Vienna with noble hops and 34/70 yeast. I've also brewed beers with high percetages of Vienna and had zero issues converting sugars or attenuating. I just made a pale ale that was 90% Vienna and 10% crystal malt. Totally fermentable.

I think your recipe sounds tasty. Wayne is right that most Vienna lager recipes call for a mix of pilsen/vienna/munich and don't feature crystal or caramunich malts. Mashing low is a good idea because you want it dry and crispy, not too thick or sweet. You could always brew your beer as is and just call it an amber lager without offending the lager-nerds.

I just brewed my "Redanian Lager" which is 70% pilsner, 25% munich, and 5% caraaroma. I added an ounce of carafa 1 for color, but probably didn't need it. Mashed between 148-152F, bittered with Magnum, and finished with Saaz. It's a tasty beer for sure.
 
HighVoltageMan! said:
That's sounds like a nice beer! I should give it a go.
Click to expand...
I'm enjoying it. I should've only used a 1/2 oz of roast malt, it's too dark to be amber. More of a red lager lol which is alright, given the name.
 
I actually saw the chocolate (in very small amounts) added in a couple of places just to give it some color. Adding a little pils might be a good idea, but I want to be very heavy on the Vienna. I did a 50 Pils/30 Munich/20 Vienna beer that I liked, but I want to learn a little something more about using Vienna in big amounts. I had a chance to get out on Sunday just for a couple of hours, and I had a Vienna Lager that I enjoyed a lot. It got me thinking.
Thanks y'all
 
Sandy Feet said:
I actually saw the chocolate (in very small amounts) added in a couple of places just to give it some color. Adding a little pils might be a good idea, but I want to be very heavy on the Vienna. I did a 50 Pils/30 Munich/20 Vienna beer that I liked, but I want to learn a little something more about using Vienna in big amounts. I had a chance to get out on Sunday just for a couple of hours, and I had a Vienna Lager that I enjoyed a lot. It got me thinking.
Thanks y'all
Click to expand...

Just made this with 90% Vienna - 5% Light Chocolate and 5% Honey malt. Opal Hops 24ish IBU.
Excellent! 1.050 to 1.010 with 34/70 which is my typical 80% attenuation that I get with this yeast.
(air dropped the photo to my macbook - not sure why it cropped out the background??? lol )
Subject.png
 
Sandy Feet said:
I have seen some things concerning this style on the forum. I know Josh does them, and I have seen Sunfire make some references too.
I am thinking of doing a really, really simple Vienna Lager at some point in time. I am basically thinking a 5-gallon all Vienna with the exception of 1/4 -1/2 pound of Chocolate. Thinking of 2oz Saaz at 60 minutes and 34/70 for yeast. Prior reading makes me think I need to mash this really low, like 148.
I do see some things online when you go above 90% Vienna that make me think I might have some attenuation issues. Anyone have any comments concerning that?
Click to expand...
You haven't been listening to the brulosophy podcast on Vienna lager have you.
I sware that's Marshall's go to adding 2%roasted barley instead of chock malt and tettnanger instead of sazz I'm sure he uses Imperial lager L13 Global.

Following this you do you man
 
The last time when I did a lot of Munich and Vienna, I did have attenuation issues. I mashed at 150 the last time which is why I want to go lower this time. 34/70 seems to do well around 55 to start. I might leave it around 62 for the D rest and after. I was cooling it down after the D Rest into the low 50s to see if anything would drop more quickly. That didn't work like I thought it would.
3-4 days at 55, and the remainder at somewhere 62-64 ish is what I am thinking.
 
You shouldn't have any attentuation problems with vienna up to 100% I wouldn't think. May want a touch of light munich in there just to add malt complexity, but doesn't have to be crazy, maybe 10-15%. Following! keep us posted.
 
It is still in the planning stages. I'm working 6 days a week and facing a few challenges at home right now. Beer recipes are a welcome distraction.
I actually found out this month that I can cook too. I'm slow as hell, but I can cook.
 
i've had good luck with this grain bill
- Vienna (70%)
- Munich Dark (20%)
- Red X (10%)

many times I use what I have instead of reordering
 
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I find it like a dark Munich taste wise. I love it as well.
 
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