Vienna Maerzen Lager AG

Ok, its Oktoberfest time, and all those wonderful Maerzen lagers have me fired up. Here's a recipe below for one I'm going after. Recipe from NorthernBrewer. Comments, wisdom, and advice appreciated.

I realize the danged thing won't be done by "oktoberfest," but it'll be a nice lager to drink during late winter/early spring. . .

5 gallon batch:

5 lbs. 2 row pilsner
5 lbs. Munich
1 lbs. Dark Munich 40 EBC
0.5 lbs. Medium Crystal

Hops
2 oz. Hallertauer (60 min)

Yeast
Wyeast #2206 Bavarian Lager Yeast.

Planning on lagering for about 3 months at around 37 degrees (eventually).

Any advice on the hop bill??

I would ditch the medium crystal malt, don't really see a need for it. As for the hops I like to use a small middle addition in a 'fest beer. Perhaps take a half ounce out of the 60 minute addition and put it in at 30 to 20 minutes keeping the overall IBU of the beer in the mid 20s. This will give just a hint of hop flavor to balance with the malt without making the beer hoppy and out of style.

Cool. .. I've also thought about substituting Saaz for Hallertau. Any thoughts? I've even considered doing my very first decoction for this one. . still haven't decided on that though.

I don't think Saaz would "fit the style". Marzens should not have hop aroma, only a bittering to balance sweetness. I would also add a few oz of aromatic malt to the grain bill.

CaraVienne, CaraMunich, Carapils I'd add a 1/2# of each, drop the dark munich and throw in a dash of chocolate malt to give a little more color....

Exo said:

CaraVienne, CaraMunich, Carapils I'd add a 1/2# of each, drop the dark munich and throw in a dash of chocolate malt to give a little more color....

Click to expand...

I'd rather avoid color malts (like chocolate) and followed authentic tradition to do decoction to get better color and taste.

Biermann said:

Cool. .. I've also thought about substituting Saaz for Hallertau. Any thoughts? I've even considered doing my very first decoction for this one. . still haven't decided on that though.

Click to expand...

Saaz, great hop but I like something more mellow in an Oktoberfest. If you haven't tried them before give Spalt a try. It is my hop of choice for this style. As far as the decoction, go for it. The traditional and best way to mash an Oktoberfest IMO. I also agree with AdIn regarding chocolate malt. No place for it in this beer.

I, too, would avoid the color/crystal malts as much as possible if you're trying to go authentic. If you're going to go with a decoction you might consider some of the undermodified pilsner malt that Austin Homebrew has to be even more authentic.

I did mine this year with Hallertau Hersbrucker...I'll let you know how it turns out in a month or so!

For what its worth, here ia an oktoberfest/marzen recipe that I have.... I have not brewed it yet but plan to when I have the ability to do lagers.....

TBN Dr. Scott's Marzen

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 11.39
Anticipated OG: 1.056 Plato: 13.92
Anticipated SRM: 9.5
Anticipated IBU: 20.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
39.5 4.50 lbs. Pilsener Germany 1.038 2
18.7 2.13 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
15.4 1.75 lbs. Vienna Malt Germany 1.037 3
9.9 1.13 lbs. Munich Malt(light) America 1.033 10
5.5 0.63 lbs. Aromatic Malt Belgium 1.036 25
5.5 0.63 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
5.5 0.63 lbs. Crystal 60L America 1.034 60

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Tettnanger Whole 4.50 19.5 90 min.
0.25 oz. Saazer Whole 4.30 1.1 15 min.


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP820 Octoberfest - Marzen


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 11.39
Water Qts: 14.23 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 3.56 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.25 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 156 Time: 90
Mash-out Rest Temp : 168 Time: 10
Sparge Temp : 175 Time: 60


Total Mash Volume Gal: 4.47 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.

For a first go I'd drop the crystal malt and half the 2-row and up the munich. I've heard of examples being brewed with almost all munich malt. Don't forget, this beer is the maltiest of the malty, you don't want too much caramel sweetness coming through.
The hop profile looks good, I wouldn't use Saaz, might be too peppery.
That being said, I'd brew that recipe like you have it. Looks delicious.

Thanks for all the good advice, as usual. . . . I was thinking of trying my first decoction with this one, as I have a doppelbock in the wings, and I definitely want to do a decoction for that one. Let's call this one practice. . . .