Oktoberfest Style Ale

My part grain "Oktoberfest" has now been in bottles for about a month now. I did a side by side taste test with some Paulaner. I have to say I was impressed. Mine is darker colored than the brewery stuff, but the tastes of the two brews is almost identical. I'm sure I'm biased, but I felt that mine tasted a bit fresher (I guess it should, since who knows when the German stuff was bottled). This was the second batch I have brewed. My first was an amber ale. It doesn't have much of a head, although as it has aged that seems to have improved a little. It tastes a bit on the sweet side, so I think maybe the fermentation didn't last long enough.

I am surprised and pleased at how well I was able to do with my second batch. Maybe someday I will have a lagering setup so that I can brew mine in March just like the "real" Oktoberfests!

It's gratifying how well a homebrew can turn out. And puzzling how odd a "good idea" can taste!

Congrats from me also! Keep up the good work!

Oh, yeah, .... WHERE'S OURS!!!

Congrats on your conquest man!!!!

death to the infadels.... wait i mean, congrats on a beer well drank.

homebrewer_99 said:

Oh, yeah, .... WHERE'S OURS!!!

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Do we homebrewers not hear that all the time? It's crazy. I've become a bit more stingy, but it's amazing how that by the time you give a homebrew to the people you feel like you ought to give one to, you're down to a case or case and a half? Did I say it's amazing? I meant that it sucks!

Great job on the good batch, mm, you did better than I did. My first two batches were practically undrinkable. My third and fourth were pretty good, but had an off flavor. I bottled my fifth a couple of weeks ago and preliminary testing says it rocks!

You know what you've got to do now...figure out what you did to make it taste better.

billybrew said:

You know what you've got to do now...figure out what you did to make it taste better.

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...and share your recipe and notes...

Good job!

congrats! the guy's are right. becareful who you share with, they may leave you dry!
better yet, teach them how to brew then you'll have somebody elses homebrew to drink!!! :~)

homebrewer_99 said:

...and share your recipe and notes...

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...and a few bottles while you're at it

LupusUmbrus said:

...and a few bottles while you're at it

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...the begging continues....

One of the reasons I tell you guys where I am going to next is the "just in case" factor that we may meet up and share a brew or two.

I met up with Gaelone and his fiance earlier in the year when I was on a trip to NJ with my wife. I brought along 2 bottles of my Irish Ale just for the occasion. But you have to plan for these things.

I'm more than willing to share. That's what this is all about, partly anyway.

Cheers!!

My Caramel Vanilla is becoming a hot commodity. I'm going to need to eventually brew another batch because it's impossible to stop drinking.

Here's a question: Once you have a new batch ready to drink, do you tend to ignore your previous batch?

Never!

Cheesefood said:

Here's a question: Once you have a new batch ready to drink, do you tend to ignore your previous batch?

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ALWAYS!

Cheesefood said:

Here's a question: Once you have a new batch ready to drink, do you tend to ignore your previous batch?

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not i! i try to have contrast brews on tap (if that's what you meant). hoppy and malty...