Oktoberfest Recipe Critique (Extract)

So I've made made a recipe for an Oktoberfest and would like someone to tell me what you think if you would be so kind...

5 gallon batch
OG: 1.058
BG: 1.046 - 3.25 gallon boil (with 4 lb of extract during boil)

4 lb Pale LME - 60 min
3.75 lb Amber LME - 15 min
(EDIT: Substituted 3.75 lb Amber LME for 3.75 lb Pale LME)

Specialty Grains
0.25 lb Crystal 60
0.75 lb Munich Malt
0.75 lb Vienna Malt

1.0 oz Hallertau @ 4.0% for 60 min
1.0 oz Hallertau @ 4.0% for 15 min

Wyeast 2308

Keg/bottle with 2.5 volumes of CO2

I'll ferment at 48F for two weeks or so until I do a diacetyl rest at 60F for a couple days. Then I plan on lagering at 35F for about 6 weeks.

Then hopefully, I'll be able to keg, but if not, I'll just bottle it up!

Any comments would be awesome! Thanks!

The issue with trying to do a style like this with extract is that Vienna and Munich are traditionally a bigger part of the grist (and they need to be mashed). I'd probably go with a combination of 50/50 Pils and Munich extract (which is itself a combo of Pils and Munich). If you want to do a mini-mash I'd use as much Vienna as you can, then go with the Pils/Munich extract combo for the rest of the fermentables.

Not saying you'll have a bad beer with the current recipe, but it won't be especially close to the style because of the caramel flavors you’ll get from the crystal malt and amber extract.

The hops and fermentation look great, just make sure to pitch enough yeast.

Hope that points you in the right direction, good luck.

Thanks for the help! Looks like I'll have to go back to the store to pick up some more grains and extract. Maybe I'll be able to do a double batch.

I want to do the partial mash, and here's a update of the recipe. I noticed that since I'm mashing 5 total pounds of malt, I won't be able to add as much extract late in the boil, and so I'll have to boil 2 oz of hops for the entire 60 minutes. That makes sense, right? Here's the recipe:

4 lb Vienna Malt (partial mash)
1 lb Munich Malt (partial mash)

2.25 lb Pilsner LME
3.00 lb Munich LME (15 minute boil)

2 oz Hallertau @ 4.3% (60 minute boil)

Wyeast 2308

I've assumed a 50% partial mash efficiency for this. I don't really know what to expect as I've never done this before. Also, will I be able to mash 5 pounds of malt in a 5 gallon pot?

Will boiling all the hops for that long give me too much hop aroma in the beer? I'm really looking to make this Oktoberfest to style - I've been craving it since I ran out of my New Glarus Staghorn last October.

Thanks a lot for the help!

dnelson1025 said:

I've assumed a 50% partial mash efficiency for this. I don't really know what to expect as I've never done this before. Also, will I be able to mash 5 pounds of malt in a 5 gallon pot?

Click to expand...

"Can I Mash It?"
http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

No reason you shouldn't hit 70%+ efficiency, especially since your mash kettle will not present significant deadspace.

No reason you can't late-add all the extract.

2 oz low-alpha hops sounds just about right.

2308 will spoil you to other lager yeasts.

Great! Thanks for the help!

I do 5 gallon all grain batches in a 23 quart (5.75 gal) pot. Be creative