Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

5.2% ABV, A truly historic recipe that dates all the way back to 1841. We stay true to this style and try to recreate this original recipe. The result is a full flavored amber lager that has hints of bread crust, toffee and roasted almond. This is rounded out with a melange of continental hops providing a slight floral bouquet.

Heat 3.7 gallons (14 L) of brewing water to about 165°F (74°C) to achieve a target mash temperature around 152°F (67°C) when grains are added.

Heat Strike Water

Dough in the crushed grains (Pilsner, Vienna, Munich, CaraMunich, Melanoidin, and sugar if using) into the strike water. Stir thoroughly to eliminate dry pockets and maintain a uniform temperature. Target mash temperature: 150–154°F (65–68°C). Hold for 60 minutes to develop malt complexity and moderate fermentability.

Mash In

After 60 minutes, check conversion with an iodine test (no blue-black color indicates conversion). Optionally perform a mashout: raise temperature to 168–170°F (76–77°C) for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and make the mash more fluid for lautering.

Mash Rest and Conversion

Recirculate wort from the lauter tun until it runs clear, then sparge with enough water to collect about 6.0–6.5 gallons (22–25 L) of wort in the boil kettle. Target pre-boil gravity ~1.050–1.056 depending on system losses. Avoid over-sparging that would extract excessive tannins; keep sparge water temperature 168–170°F (76–77°C).

Bring collected wort to a vigorous boil and boil for 60 minutes total.

Add 0.75 oz Hallertau (or chosen continental bittering hop) at the start of the 60-minute boil. This will provide a restrained bitterness appropriate for a historic Vienna lager profile.

Bittering Hop Addition

With 15 minutes left in the boil, add 0.50 oz Tettnang (or Saaz/Hallertau substitute) and the Irish moss/Whirlfloc clarifier (1 tsp or 1 tablet) to aid protein coagulation and improve clarity.

Flavor Hop Addition

With 5 minutes left in the boil, add 0.25 oz Saaz (or Tettnang) for a delicate floral bouquet and gentle noble aroma.

Aroma Hop Addition

At flameout, you may optionally perform a 10–15 minute hop stand off-heat to extract delicate hop aroma, maintaining wort temperature around 170–180°F (77–82°C).

Cool wort quickly to yeast-pitching temperature. For lager yeast, chill to 48–52°F (9–11°C). If planning a diacetyl rest or using a warmer fermentation schedule, pitch at the lower end of that range.

Aerate or oxygenate the cooled wort thoroughly (e.g., 60–90 seconds with pure oxygen or vigorous shaking) to support healthy lager fermentation. Rehydrate or prepare the chosen lager yeast according to manufacturer instructions and pitch the proper amount (one packet is listed; for best results use a yeast starter or two packets depending on gravity).

Aerate and Pitch

Ferment at 48–52°F (9–11°C) until active fermentation is complete (usually 7–14 days). Monitor gravity; expect the beer to drop toward its terminal gravity (approx. FG 1.010–1.014 depending on fermentability).

Primary Fermentation

Once primary fermentation subsides (near terminal gravity), raise temperature to 60–65°F (15–18°C) for 48 hours to allow the yeast to reabsorb diacetyl and clean up fermentation by-products.

Diacetyl Rest

After diacetyl rest, gradually cool the beer to near-freezing temperatures (32–36°F / 0–2°C) over 2–3 days. Lager (cold condition) for 4–8 weeks to develop clarity, mellow malt profile, and the smooth lager character characteristic of the Vienna style.

Lagering / Cold Conditioning

If bottling: prepare priming sugar (about 4 oz for 5 gallons to target ~2.4–2.6 vols CO2 for a Vienna lager). Boil priming sugar in 1–2 cups water, cool, and gently mix with beer before bottling. Bottle and cap, then condition at room temperature for 2–3 weeks before cold storage.

If kegging: transfer to keg, carbonate to about 2.4–2.6 volumes CO2 via force carbonation at recommended pressure/temperature, or naturally carbonate with priming sugar in the keg (less common).

Cold-condition bottles or kegged beer for 1–2 weeks at near-freezing if possible before serving for improved flavor and clarity.

Pilsner malt (2-row pale base substituted)

Vienna malt

Munich malt (20L)

CaraMunich or Crystal 40L

Melanoidin malt (optional, for extra bread/toffee)

Liquid or dry brewer's sugar (optional, for fermentability/attenuation)

Hallertau (or other continental noble) - bittering

Tettnang (or Saaz/Hallertau) - flavor/aroma

Saaz (or Tettnang) - late aroma

Lager yeast (Saflager W-34/70 or Wyeast 2206 Bavarian Lager or White Labs WLP830)

Water - brewing (adjusted to moderate carbonate, soft-to-moderate profile)

Water salts (CaCl2 and/or gypsum) - optional

Irish moss or Whirlfloc tablet (clarifier)

Priming sugar (for bottling) or CO2 for keg

VAQUERO VIENNA LAGER

Make VAQUERO VIENNA LAGER Recipe in just 24h . 5.2% ABV, A truly historic recipe that dates all the way back to 1841. We stay true to this style and try to recreate this original recipe. The result is a full flavored amber lager that has hints of bread crust, toffee and roasted almond. This is rounded out with a melange of continental hops providing a slight floral bouquet.

VAQUERO VIENNA LAGER

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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