Mayday Leap - Maibock

By Ian Cosier

BJCP 2021 Style 4C Helles Bock

This was my favourite brew of 2021. I conditioned it for 10 months as it was initially very hoppy. It was lovely after about 3 months, but if you wanted to drink earlier you might dial down the late hops by 20-30%.

Awards

Lager Than Life 2022 (Pillars Brewery, London 5/3/2022)

3rd - Best in Show 1st - Strong Lagers

Scottish National Home Brew Competition 2022 (Remote judging 02/2022)

2nd - Pale Lagers & Wheat Beer

Brew Con World Series IV (Hackney Brewery, London 5/11/2021)

2nd - German Ales and Lagers

Measures

• IBU 29
• ABV 6.2%
• OG 1.065
• FG 1.013
• EBC 13
• 44.8 litres at end of boil.

Ingredients

Water

1:4 Sulphate to Chloride ratio Aim for 75ppm Calcium after the boil.

Malt

• Weyermann Pilsner, 3 EBC, 7100g, 63.2%
• Weyermann Vienna, 6 EBC, 2340g, 20.8%
• Weyermann Munich I, 14 EBC, 1460g, 13%
• Aromatic malt, 100 EBC, 340g, 3%

Hops

• 86g Saaz 4.7% AA @ 60 min left of boil
• 23g Northern Brewer 6% AA @ 60 min left of boil
• 22g Saaz 4.7% AA @ 5 min left of boil
• 22g Saaz 4.7% AA @ Steep for 30 min at 80C

Yeast

Imperial Harvest Yeast #L17

Process

Mash

Mashed overnight starting at 68C I was just mashing for an hour or so I would probably do a step mash or 66 deg single step

Boil

90 minutes

Ferment

Fermented on yeast cake that was an 8 litre batch of Vienna lager brewed with the Harvest yeast. Performed a fast ferment profile:

• Ferment at 11C until 50% to terminal gravity (1039), then 12-14C until 75% to terminal gravity (1025), then 15-16.5C until 90% to terminal gravity (1017), then 18C until terminal gravity (1012)