Dark Helles recipe - comments very welcome

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Planning to brew a sort of dark Helles later in the week based on a recipe found by @Cheshire Cat

Brewers Friend recipe
20 litres
3800g Pilsner
200g Cara Aroma
200g Flaked oat
200g Munich light.
20g Tettnang

I don't have any more detail than that, so I'm aiming for about 1.050-55, 18-20 IBUs and at least 20 EBC.

Surely "20g Tetnang" (4% alpha) isn't going to be enough for bittering so I'm guessing it's an aroma addition in the last few mins?

Since I'll have the packet open I thought I might do 30g @60min for the bittering. If anyone's got time to run the numbers on that I'd be mighty grateful.

I'll use very neutral water profile (90% RO) and a pils-type fermentation.
Yeast will be WY2308 Munich Lager.

If it comes out anything like this one I had a couple of weeks ago in Austria then I'll be amazed very happy

 

[nickjdavis]

20g of Tettnang is low....only 10 IBU's or thereabouts at 60 minutes according to Beersmith....30g will give you around 15/16 IBU.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

20g of Tettnang is low....only 10 IBU's or thereabouts at 60 minutes according to Beersmith....30g will give you around 15/16 IBU.

Thanks Nick - I think I'll do 30g @60 then. Do you think 20g sounds OK as a hop stand - I'm aiming for fairly restrained hop character

 

[Agentgonzo]

dark Helles

So... A "dark pale" beer?
That lovely deep Auburn beer in the mountain sun looks delicious

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

So... A "dark pale" beer?
That lovely deep Auburn beer in the mountain sun looks delicious

I know! I’ve doubtless got the wrong name for it. The Alm brews it on site: I just asked for a beer, when I asked the bloke if it was a ‘dunkel’ he shook his head and said (I think) ‘nein: Hell’ …

 

[nickjdavis]

Thanks Nick - I think I'll do 30g @60 then. Do you think 20g sounds OK as a hop stand - I'm aiming for fairly restrained hop character

I would take your guide from the beer you tasted in Austria....did it have a bitter balance or was there a hop character to the beer? If the latter then yea...20g at the end of the boil might introduce some of what you want.

Depends if you want to brew a dark Helles...in which case the balance should be towards the malt or if you are trying to replicate the beer you had in Austria.

I only ask about the bitterness because that beer looks very much like what I'd expect a Vienna lager to look like....and given that Vienna lager is a style that originated in Austria....maybe youve stumbled on a rare place in Austria that is brewing a traditional Vienna style lager.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I would take your guide from the beer you tasted in Austria....did it have a bitter balance or was there a hop character to the beer? If the latter then yea...20g at the end of the boil might introduce some of what you want.

Depends if you want to brew a dark Helles...in which case the balance should be towards the malt or if you are trying to replicate the beer you had in Austria.

I only ask about the bitterness because that beer looks very much like what I'd expect a Vienna lager to look like....and given that Vienna lager is a style that originated in Austria....maybe youve stumbled on a rare place in Austria that is brewing a traditional Vienna style lager.

Ah! Yes I think you might be on the money there: thinking back there could well have been a bit of 'biscuit' to it.
Well it'll be very interesting to see how it turns out. In an ideal world I'd do a small batch and adjust as necessary but given the maturation time I think I'll just go with a full batch. Should be drinkable ;-)