Looks reasonable. An hour boil should be sufficient since Vienna has reasonably low SMM content. A half hour covered simmer and half hour open boil will do.
OTOH, I’ve one BdG with an 8 hour boil. Not that I’d do that regularly, but it certainly did add something to the beer. And since AFAIK BdG is a marketing construct, it can be whatever you say it is!
I just brewed a BdG myself last week! Looks similar. I used an already yeast and a lager yeast and incorperated some brown sugar to boost gravity and add a je ne sais quoi to it lol. I’m fermenting at the low end of the ale yeast and the upper end of the lager yeast, right on that sweet spot of 60 degrees for 3 weeks, then packaging and aging/lagering at 38* for another 3 weeks.
I boiled for 90 mins because I didn’t read this post first. My line of thinking was to make those malliard reactions happen to give it that beautiful copper color, which it did nicely! Didn’t know the trick about a covered simmer as per Martin, will have to try that sometime too.
Good luck, yours looks good! Can’t wait to see the finished product!
I’m happy with the way mine is drinking. If I were to brew this again, and I plan to get around to it eventually, I think I may add some carapils, sugar, and mash a bit lower. I wound up using WLP029 since my lhbs didnt have 072. The flavor is great but the attenuation was low. I was looking for a bit more ABV and a slightly drier beer, which I think could be acheived with the sugar and lower mash temp. Also the head retention is poor, which is why I’d include the carapils.
Isn’t adding both carapils and sugar at cross puposes? Carapils won’t necessarily increase foam. Look f or instance at Duvel…nothing but pils malt and sugar and its got foam that homebrewers would kill for.
The original Carapils® Malt is a unique, dextrine-style malt that consistently increases foam, improves head retention and enhances mouthfeel without adding flavor or color to your beer.
How would you troubleshoot foam issues with a beer like this? Nothing different about my usual processes and I normally dont have this issue.
No no non on onononononononononononono no. I totally totally disagree. This is the 21st century. Protein rest ruins good beer in the 21st century. Maybe 200 years ago with terribly undermodified malt, it might have been a good idea. Not today.
Sorry, I’ve been drinking again.
EDIT: Okay, okay, here’s more info regarding Carapils from a sober guy:
I’m with Dave. Nothing will wreck your foam like a protein rest. It will also dull your malt flavors and thin out the mouthfeel. It is only useful for breaking down all those nice body- and foam-positive and melanoidin-forming peptides and such into extra yeast nutrients if you’re making 60% adjunct industrial fizzy water. (And probably not even then with modern, high nitrogen barleys.) All malts available today have had the protein regime brought to perfection and only need to have the carbohydrates broken down.
And my experience is that Carapils/Carafoam not only doesn’t do what it says, it does the opposite. It does, however, add a subtle but detectable nutty flavor note in very delicate beers.
And don’t apologize for drinking beer. Or being passionate about it.
I’ve been using the Hockhurz mash as described by Kai Troester and been getting great foam (and attenuation):
The first rest (maltose rest) should be held at or around 63C (145F) and it’s length is used to control the fermentability of the wort. A good starting point for its duration is 30 min. Longer for more fermentable wort and shorter for less fermentable wort. If even higher fermentability is desired an intermediate rest at 65C (150F) can be added.
The dextrinization rest at 70-72C (158-162F) needs to be held until the mash is iodine negative but may be extended to 45-60 min. Many authors contribute head retention and mouthfeel benefits to extending this rest.
Finally the mash may be raised to mash out temp and subsequently lautered.
My “process” for great foam is
All malt
Single infusion
No sparge
Moderate boil vigor
Dont sweat trub transfer
Oxygenate
Pitch active yeast to proper temp wort
Drop clear before closed transfer
Patient carbonation
Keep everything clean and sanitary
I’ve not tried rye, but wheat does work, even at 5% IME. But most important – and this is process based – the mash program as outlined by BrewBama. I hold the ~160° rest for a minimum of 15-30 minutes, even for highly fermentable worts, and a mash-off at 170°F for at least 10 minutes, and I believe this step contributes to foam as well. There is still amylase activity and glycoprotein synthesis going on, right up until there isn’t.
Oh yeah, like Jim says, gentle boil. Improves flavor too.