Extract Kit Question

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Purebloom

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Hey -

For my next batch I was thinking of doing a German Oktoberfest or Traditional European Bock.... both of which are Brewer's Best kits.

I'm real new to this, so correct me if I am wrong, but aren't Oktoberfests and Bock's lagers? So, don't they need to be fermented in a cool area? The instructions appear to be nearly identical for all Brewer's Best kits... aside from different ingredients.... both say to store at 68-72. My IPA was the same way.

Has anyone tried either of these and enjoyed? I'm just starting out.... and looking to get some more experience with brewing kits first. Any and all advice is always appreciated!

Thanks.
 
hey neighbor!

I dont have a good answer for you, it seems to me they are lagers and would need to be at a cooler temp.

Just curious where your buying your kits from. I've started buying kits from midwestsuppies.com , and some things from northern brewer. Shipping isnt too bad to here and is pretty fast. The midwest kit I have is more detailed than a BB and seem to be specific to each beer and not a generic set of instructions.

I'll be brewing it in a few hours!!
 
Hey Tophe... thanks for the reply. Yeah, the instructions are a bit generic.. I'll have to look the midwestsupplies/northern brewer kits. Right now I'm buying at my local shop.... Siciliano's Market.... and they have great prices, and no shipping!

What are you brewing up? Good luck!
 
I did the Oktoberfest from Brewer's Best as my first beer and it is actually does come with Ale yeast, so yeah technically it isn't a "true" Oktoberfest, but its pretty tasty.
 
EmptyH said:
I did the Oktoberfest from Brewer's Best as my first beer and it is actually does come with Ale yeast, so yeah technically it isn't a "true" Oktoberfest, but its pretty tasty.
Click to expand...

correct- the Brewer's Best kits that are labeled as octoberfest & bocks come with ale yeasts. So, they are not true lagers, but maybe lager-style. That said, I've done the BB Octoberfest kit and it was really pretty good! I prefer ales over lagers anyway (except for Maibock) so I liked it very much. I did keep it on the cool side of the fermenting temperature range (low 60s I believe, but I could check if you really want to know) , and then kept it in "cool storage" (about 55 degrees) for a while before drinking.
 
I'm drinking that exact brew now, and later tonight when I get home. It is an ale in the sense. Uses Nottinghams yeast. Not bad, make sure you let it sit out for about 5 to 6 weeks before drinking. When this stuff is still green, it's really GREEN.
This website has the absolute BEST brewer's best prices around, PERIOD. I'll save you the trouble I went through and this place was by far the cheapest when the total price is tallied to include shipping.

www.leisure-time.com
 
The fermentation temperature is determined by what type of yeast you use. For example, I am making a Hefeweizen using Wyeat #3068. They say 64-75° F. Anywhere in that range and my yeast will be happy.

As for your situation I would say to look at the yeast and try to find the manufacturers recommended temperature and aim for that range.

They probably say 68-72 because most ale yeast are happy their. I suspect that you will want to aim for the lower end of that range however.
 
Here's why Oktoberfest is in September (from the Oktoberfest website) :D

Why is Oktoberfest called „Oktober"-fest when it actually begins in September?

The historical background: the first Oktoberfest was held in the year 1810 in honor of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festivities began on October 12, 1810 and ended on October 17th with a horse race. In the following years, the celebrations were repeated and, later, the festival was prolonged and moved forward into September.

By moving the festivities up, it allowed for better weather conditions. Because the September nights were warmer, the visitors were able to enjoy the gardens outside the tents and the stroll over “die Wiesen” or the fields much longer without feeling chilly. Historically, the last Oktoberfest weekend was in October and this tradition continues into present times.
 
Ol' Grog said:
Not bad, make sure you let it sit out for about 5 to 6 weeks before drinking. When this stuff is still green, it's really GREEN.


www.leisure-time.com
Click to expand...

Unfortunately this was my first beer and my natural inpatients got the best of me. It only made it about 3 1/2 weeks. It was good but I can see where it would have benefited from more time. Maybe once I build up a store of homebrew I will make it again and let it age longer.
 
Jester369 said:
Here's why Oktoberfest is in September (from the Oktoberfest website) :D

Why is Oktoberfest called „Oktober"-fest when it actually begins in September?

The historical background: the first Oktoberfest was held in the year 1810 in honor of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festivities began on October 12, 1810 and ended on October 17th with a horse race. In the following years, the celebrations were repeated and, later, the festival was prolonged and moved forward into September.

By moving the festivities up, it allowed for better weather conditions. Because the September nights were warmer, the visitors were able to enjoy the gardens outside the tents and the stroll over “die Wiesen” or the fields much longer without feeling chilly. Historically, the last Oktoberfest weekend was in October and this tradition continues into present times.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Jester. I really already knew that...I was only trying to be funny since I've been drinking...

I lived in Augsburg (about 40 miles from Munich) for 4 years. I just came back from another 5 years living outside Bamberg. I've been there at least a dozen times....:D

I've also been to Nawlings for Madri Gras 8 times...my wife's sister lives down there...:D
 
Pick up some lager yeast and use that instead of the Ale yeast included and you will probably end up with a pretty good beer in style.
I'm guessing there are two reasons it doesn't come with lager yeast. One, ales are easier for newbie brewers. Two, the availability of dry lager yeast.
I guess there is a dry lager yeast but it appears all the BB kits come with Danstar Nottingham yeast.

Craig
 
I kind of lied about midwest's instructions not being a generic form, but they are a good supplier.
 

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