Ahh… Spring Break. The much anticipated time-out from the school routine since the Christmas / New Year Break. Although there isn’t very much “Spring” about it so far, it does mean being able to get the brew gear involved in the usual spring break brew: Maibock.
Maibock has two versions available at the brewery: I and II. For this seasonal favorite, #1 was chosen. It is a Helles Bock which is a lager beer. In the past it has occupied some shelf space in the brew garage here at Fieldpointe HQ quietly doing its thing totally dependent on naturally provided temperatures. Sometimes is was on the warmer side and at other times it would be cooler. Either way, it has turned out to be a fun springtime favorite eagerly anticipated and enjoyed.
Last year’s version, Maibock II, had the privilege to do its thing on Mark’s Dorothy Door Steps. Being an equal opportunity establishment, Maibock I also gets to hang out in pretty much the exact same spot as Maibock II did on the steps. The location is the same but the variable of temperature may be a lot different. Time will tell. (And if Mark can keep his hands off of it.)
How does a brew day kick off by two guys who have a day and house to themselves? (Mark’s wife, Helen, had the smarts enough to get away from a Wisconsin “Winter” Spring Break and head to sunny CA.) As one would expect: a Bloody Mary bar! The usual fixings were present with a few new arrivals on the scene: pickled okra and beef broth. Incorporating the beef broth was intended to add some complexity and I guess change the name of the drink to a “Bull” or something like that. (I wasn’t paying all that much attention when Mark was giving the explanation so I’m not sure. Maybe he was giving me a line or two of bull.) Anyway, I eagerly participated by including the provided new ingredients into the concoction and was not disappointed in the least. It was so good I had to break code and have another to celebrate the day.
As you may or may not recall, Mark has been stepping up his game as an active player in the brew day. Last brew session, he tried his hand at making spent grain pizza. Surprisingly, it turned out well! Just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, he tried it again. This time the featured topping was anchovies. I previously mentioned that the opportunity to have tried this before had escaped me. Perhaps I had bought into the usual response that people who have tried it give – not very good. So I never persued the option. Well, Mark gave me the option and honestly, I enjoyed it. Yes, anchovies are a little on the salty side but otherwise it was good – especially with Homebrew! What is totally amazing is that he had to go solo on this because, as previously mentioned, his wife was not around to bail him out – or do his cleaning and dishes afterward. So Mark is 2 / 2 on the pizza. The first was sauerkraut with jalapeño and now anchovies. Wonder what his plan is for the next?
Don’t really know what fire got started in him, but Mark also embarked on yet another enhancement to the brew day – spent grain pretzels. As you know, the internet can be a dangerous thing in the hands of some people. But I have to say, he scored on this number as well. With home-made beer cheese, these were very good!
The presentation phase wasn’t the most creative. The best he could do was something that resembled a dog pile. You can be the judge because I am including picts of his pretzel masterpiece making!
Hope it and the pizza making thing hang around – although I understand if he doesn’t go for them at each brew event. Sometimes you just have to sit back, relax, enjoy a homebrew and watch other people do all the work. But, until the grilling season hits full force, this is a fantastic filler by giving him something useful to do.
Guess it is time to get to the brew. Ah, yes – Maibock I – a Helles Lager. Am kinda forced into going all grain on these beers lately. Think you can figure out why – and that’s OK – with the afore mentioned added benefits of doing so. Extract brewing works well with limited time availability but that isn’t a concern with most of our brew days. We like to follow Charlie Papazian’s mantra: “Relax, Don’t Worry, Have a Homebrew.”
The brew session went well – at least as far as I could tell. Nothing special to report concerning the brew in particular. However (and I almost forgot to include this), I attempted something brave and daring – which included the DDs. Yes, here it is – the anticipated Dorothy Door Report!
While Mark was making a mess upstairs in the kitchen, I needed to access the DDs – which were not open due to the spring / winter weather. Having not ever paid attention to how the mechanism works on the DDs, I needed to figure it out on the fly. Not being a seasoned veteran at this, I did not achieve “full open” status. Rather, I managed to open just one of the two doors. Which, it turned out, was plenty of room for me to slip out, feed the chipmunks and birds, and get back inside before any squirrels or raccoons made their way down into the Blauert Man Cave. In addition, I think I was able to close and secure the door properly on the return trip. I will have to ask Mark in a few days if he has noticed any vermin or hooligans hanging out in the Man Cave. So far, so good.
With that being covered (can’t believe I almost forgot – that would have been sadness & disappointment) here is this rendition of Spring Break Maibock I:
Grain
- 12 lbs – 2 Row Brewers’ Malt
- 1 lb – 40°L Caramel
- 1 lb – Wheat Malt
Hops
- 1 zo – Perle @ 60 minutes
- 1 oz – Hallertau Mittelfruh @ 30 minutes
Yeast
- Ferments Saflager W-34/70
Again, no actual measurements were taken so here are the anticipated readings per the brewing software at 75% efficiency:
- OG – 1.061
- FG – 1.015
- Color – 10.85 SRM
- Alcohol – 6.0% ABV
- Bitterness – 35.8 IBU
The next brew session will most likely be Easter Monday. See you then!
