Maibock "dead guy" clone recipe

I've read that Dead Guy is based on a maibock recipe, but I think it perhaps is better described as a homebrew ale recipe that could have passed for maibock in era when homebrewers didn't have access to a variety of high quality import malts. American 2 row and crystal malt are not maibock ingredients. Furthermore, Dead Guy is an ale. I don't know the yeast you are using. Assuming an ale yeast, you would treat it as such, fermenting at ale temp. Most beers benefit from some sort of cold storage (lagering), but if you don't have the space to do it, don't feel bad about skipping it for this one.

Edit: I'm not critical of your recipe for dead guy inspired ale; I'm critical of the description of dead guy as a maibock and I don't think that characterization should influence your approach

 

If your room temperature is 70 your actual fermentation temperature will be much higher. Likely too high for this yeast strain or most yeast strains that would be appropriate for this style. If you cant get your room temperature down into the mid 60s, Google "swamp cooler" and improvise.

 

That sounds like a swamp cooler. Before I got a fermentation chamber I used a large plastic bucket like what you would use to serve a keg on ice at a party. Fill it will water and add frozen plastic water bottles and then when they start to thaw out switch them with more frozen water bottles. It does the trick but requires some extra effort.

The first 48 hours are the most important when it comes to fermentation temp and off flavors so if you can plan those first two days when you can kind be around to swap out bottles every few hours or so as opposed to be going 10 hours it will help out a lot. I remember coming home on my lunch and swapping out bottles.

Always start cooler and let the wort rise as opposed to starting high and then cooling.

 

The recipe in Zymurgy had input from John Maier, the head Brewer at Rogue. So it will have similarities to Dead Guy. It was originally called a Maierbock, as It was John's take on an ale approximation of a Bock.

 

If you have a cooler that is large enough to hold your carboy, I would use that. It helps hold the temperature better and it doesn't "sweat" like a tote can.

For the recipe, I find Saaz to be a "mild" hop, .5oz @10 mins won't do very much. I would go with 1oz so I could taste the Saaz. Skip the secondary and leave it in the primary for 2-3 weeks.

 

10 minutes is probably a good time for a beer like this, you will get some flavor and aroma, but not a huge amount (especially with a hop like Saaz).

 

You'd be fine with 10lbs as long as your mash tun volume is not limiting