| This is a style that benefits from all grain methods more than many. Because of the inherently maltier finish of all grain brewing and the ability to better control color in a full volume boil, this recipe is one with which you can shine. It would be easiest to do a single temperature mash at 156 degrees F. To do so, substitute 11 lbs. of you favorite 2-row for the extract. Keep the specialty grains as indicated. If necessary because of mash volume, you may steep the specialties before beginning your boil rather than including them in the mash. At the end of your mash, "mash-out" by raising temperture to 165 F to cause the enzymes to become denatured and keep complex sugars from being broken into simpler chains.
If you are seeking adventure this beer will benefit from a decoction mash. If doing a decoction we will increase the Munich grain to make up nearly 50% of the total grain bill, and would use 5.5 lbs. Munich and 5.5 lbs of 2-row as a substitute for the extract. The decoction mash would begin relatively thin, using 1.5 quarts of water per pound of grain because of anticipated moisture loss during the decoct boil. Dough in would be done at about 130 - 135 F and then rest at 120 - 125 F for 30 minutes before removing about 40% of the thickest mash to another kettle and heating that to about 158 F. Hold the temperature there for 30 minutes and then raise it to boiling. Maintain a very low boil for 30 minutes and keep gently stirring at the bottom to avoid scorching the decoct. Return the boiled thick mash to the main kettle and thin mash. The temperature of the combined mashes should stabilize at about 150 F. Hold there for 30 minutes and again remove about 40% of the thickest mash to the other kettle where again you will raise the thick mash to 158 F and hold for another 30 minutes. Now again bring the thick mash to boiling as before and boil for 15 minutes. Return the boiled thick mash to the main kettle and the temperature should stabilize in the mid to upper 160's F. Hold there for 15 minutes before beginning your sparge. (Don't forget to maintain the temperature of the thin mashes while doing you decoctions.) As a sanity check... yes, this is a 3 hour double decoction mash.
A Helles Bock is the origin of the "Blond" Bock type. Since Bocks are otherwise darker colored and flavored, and since most beer drinkers might not be familiar with the Helles designation, microbreweries have re-dubbed it "Blond". As with many styles of beer, the lighter colored versions came to be only after malting science progressed to the point of giving the brewer lighter colored grains. In earlier brewing times, all grains were comparatively dark, and beers of a golden nature largely did not exist. Blond Bock beers exhibit the relatively strong alcohol content of Bocks and the abundantly malty flavors, but without the mild to medium roasty or chocolately qualities. Their hop characteristics are benign, even though they are not lightly hopped, because the richness of malt and grain flavors balances out the hop edge. What comes through is a complex and mild but richly flavored beer... with a bit of a punch.
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