Festbier BierMuncher's OktoberFAST Ale (AG)

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BierMuncher

...My Junk is Ugly...
HBT Supporter
Joined
Jan 17, 2007
Messages
12,440
Reaction score
952
Location
St. Louis, MO
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
Safale - 04
Yeast Starter
NOPE
Batch Size (Gallons)
11.25
Original Gravity
1.051
Final Gravity
1.017
Boiling Time (Minutes)
90
IBU
20
Color
12.7
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
7 at 68 degrees
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
21 at 68 degrees
Additional Fermentation
Keg conditioned
Oktoberfest Recipe
Octoberfest Recipe

Let’s face it. Anyone who knows my brewing habits know that patience is not one of my stronger qualities. Brew something in March and wait until October to drink it? Not likely. I just finally got around to tasting a commercial (Sam Adams) Oktoberfest last week. Unfortunately I shared with some friends and family and they loved it. Now I’m on the hook to produce something in time for Halloween. That gives me a little over 6 weeks to come up with a fast…tastes like…Oktoberfest beer using an ale yeast.

Lots of malt. Lots of sweet. Little to no hops aroma. Right at 5% ABV.

If I can mash this at around 156-158 and use a lower attenuating ale yeast, I can probably get this beer to finish around 1.017-18 from a 1.051 starting point. After one full week in the primary, I’ll still have 4 weeks to secondary and then a week to chill/carb in the keg.

Wish me luck.

OctoberFAST_HopsRatio.jpg


Batch Size: 11.25 gal
Boil Size: 13.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 12.7 SRM
OktoberFAST_Color.jpg
Estimated IBU: 20.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 67.0 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
8.50 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM
5.00 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)
4.00 lb Munich Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM)
2.00 lb Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM)
2.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM)
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)
2.00 oz Tettnang [3.20%] (60 min)
1.00 oz Tettnang [3.20%] (45 min)
1.00 oz Tettnang [3.20%] (30 min)

Will likely use a dry Safale-04 since it won't ferment as dry and I'm tryin to preserve some malt profile.
 
mew said:
How'd it turn out?
Here are a few reviews from a recent beer swap:

BrewBrain said:
My review of the OktoberFast:

Aroma: Very light toasted grains

Appearance: The beer pours a crystal clear light orangish amber color with a moderate white head atop that dissipated to a ring around my glass. A constant bubble show is on display. It is a very attractive beer.

Flavor: The flavor is weighted towards the malts up front, with light biscuit or lightly toasted bread flavors mingling with the rich malty sweetness. The hops arrive late to balance the sweetness, finishing things off with just a touch of refreshing bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Pretty darn creamy and very smooth. Perfect carbonation

Overall: mmmmm, beeeeerrrr. This is the best Octoberfest/Marzen I have tasted. Often, in my opinion, the biscuity flavors are overdone. This one is perfect. I liked it a lot. Well done!

SuperiorBrew[B said:
OktoberFast[/B]

This one and the BC were neck and neck for my favorite. This could have had any micros label on it, it was super smelling, looking and tasting.

Cheesefood said:
So far I've had the Oktoberfest, and man oh man was it ever tasty! It was almost like a liquid Heath Bar. Tons of caramel and toffee. One of the best beers I've ever received from a swap.

EDIT: Please post the recipe
 
Two good looking Better Bottles sitting next to me, filled with these brew. Hydro sample tastes good, but don't they all?
I did overshoot my OG a little and ended up at 1.059. My LHBS was also out of Safale, so I went with Nottinghams. We'll see if I can get it to stop in your range.
 
jacobyhale said:
...
I did overshoot my OG a little and ended up at 1.059. My LHBS was also out of Safale, so I went with Nottinghams. We'll see if I can get it to stop in your range.

Nothing wrong with a bit bigger oktoberfest. :D

I ended up tossing in some potassium sorbate to suspend the fermentation when it hit about 1.014. It's an option with your notty, but with that much munich and vienna, probably not necessary.

It should be plenty malty even with the nottingham yeast.
 
It should be plenty malty even with the nottingham yeast.
Good to know, I was a little bit worried about that. I definitely was drawn to this recipe after seeing the great reviews from the swap, and the fact that it's got a more malty profile. Would you change anything from your recipe when you did this again? You think 2 weeks in secondary was long enough? I really want to get this badboy into a keg as quickly as possible, without compromsing flavor or clarity.
 
jacobyhale said:
...Would you change anything from your recipe when you did this again? You think 2 weeks in secondary was long enough? I really want to get this badboy into a keg as quickly as possible, without compromsing flavor or clarity.
Honestly I would probably have let it attenuate a bit more.

It wil certainly be drinkable/enjoyable after 2-3 weeksin secondary and then another week in the keg...

but as is so often the case...the last pint will be the best.
 
Biermuncher,
I want to give this recipe a shot this weekend, but I'm unable to get
the aromatic , and the safale-04.
What should I "up" on grains to make up for the aromatic?
Also, what are you thoughts about using WLP Irish ale ?
I've used this with several reds so far, and they finished out around .012.

THanks.
Karb.
 
Biermuncher,
I want to give this recipe a shot this weekend, but I'm unable to get
the aromatic , and the safale-04.
What should I "up" on grains to make up for the aromatic?
Also, what are you thoughts about using WLP Irish ale ?
I've used this with several reds so far, and they finished out around .012.

THanks.
Karb.

I like honey malt as a substitute and it is pretty common.

The Irish ale yeast is just fine for this beer. Even if it finishes a little dryer, that's okay given the large amount of "extra" malts.
 
BM, where did you find Munich malt that was 20L? Everything I see is usually around 5-8.
 
I've got 10 gallons of this fermenting in the basement right now, I don't have my temp control set up really well yet so I've had them in water with t-shirts, according to the stick on thermometers they never got above 68 degrees so should be OK, but I wanted them around 59-62 to really keep the esters down as the malt is supposed to be the flavor dominator here, still think it'll turn out great though!
 
I've got 10 gallons of this fermenting in the basement right now, I don't have my temp control set up really well yet so I've had them in water with t-shirts, according to the stick on thermometers they never got above 68 degrees so should be OK, but I wanted them around 59-62 to really keep the esters down as the malt is supposed to be the flavor dominator here, still think it'll turn out great though!

68 degrees should be fine. I ferment at 70 and narry an ester in sight.
 
Can anyone convert this down to a 5-gal extract version for us pleebs??:mug:

Shooting from the hip, step one should be cutting everything in half (please correct me if my head's up my a**).

For a 5 gal PM batch (full boil), I figure:

Steep:
1 lb. Aromatic/Honey Malt
1 lb. C20
0.5 lb. C40
0.5 lb. Cara-Pils/Dextrine Malt

Mash:
2 lbs. Munich (20 SRM)
2 lbs. Vienna (3.5 SRM)

Boil:
4 lbs. Light DME
1/2 Posted Hop Schedule

I was thinking of giving this a shot within the next few weeks, so please speak up if I'm off base here!

Cheers! :mug:
 
I ran the recipe through BS and did their conversion function and this is what it came up with for an Extract Recipe:


Oktoberfest (BierMuncher)
Oktoberfest/Marzen

Type: Extract
Date: 7/5/2008
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 3.25 gal
Boil Time: 90 min Equipment: Brew Pot (4 Gallon)

Ingredients

3.86 lb Pilsner Liquid Extract (3.5 SRM) Extract 41.16 %
1.40 lb Amber Liquid Extract (12.5 SRM) Extract 14.95 %
1.33 lb Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 14.23 %
1.15 lb Caravienne Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 12.25 %
1.09 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 11.61 %
0.54 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5.80 %
1.27 oz Tettnang [3.20 %] (60 min) Hops 11.0 IBU
0.63 oz Tettnang [3.20 %] (45 min) Hops 5.0 IBU
0.63 oz Tettnang [3.20 %] (30 min) Hops 4.2 IBU
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale


Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.050 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.83 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 20.2 IBU Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 12.5 SRM Color: Color

Steep grains as desired (30-60 minutes)
Recipe by BierMuncher

Im by far an expert but..
I would sub. most or all of the LME with DME and I guess the malts are steeped. Also probably don't need the 90min boil since our grain will be steeped beforehand.
 
Hey BM, I've had my eye on this recipe since last fall, and have been dying to brew it up. I think I'm gonna do it weekend after next, but I'm curious for your thoughts on hops. I've only got a 1/2 ounce of Tettnang, but I've got a couple things that could work... I've got another 1/2 ounce of Willamette, and an ounce of Argentinian Cascade, which says on it that it's similar to Spalt and Tett. I've also got Galena, Cluster, Challenger, Golding, Sorachi Ace, Magnum, Simcoe, Pac Gem, Perle, Chinook, and probably the only one that is helpful, loads and loads of Hersbrucker. (Seriously. I'm drowning in Hersbrucker.)

What do you think about Arg.Casc. for 60, a bit of Hersbrucker for the 45, and my little pittance of Tett for the 30?

Different suggestions?

Perhaps I'm overthinking this, and should just use 20 IBUs of high-AA (I'm thinking Magnum) at 60 and be done with it?

Please, good sir, your feedback. :)
 
Hey BM, I've had my eye on this recipe since last fall, and have been dying to brew it up. I think I'm gonna do it weekend after next, but I'm curious for your thoughts on hops. I've only got a 1/2 ounce of Tettnang, but I've got a couple things that could work... I've got another 1/2 ounce of Willamette, and an ounce of Argentinian Cascade, which says on it that it's similar to Spalt and Tett. I've also got Galena, Cluster, Challenger, Golding, Sorachi Ace, Magnum, Simcoe, Pac Gem, Perle, Chinook, and probably the only one that is helpful, loads and loads of Hersbrucker. (Seriously. I'm drowning in Hersbrucker.)

What do you think about Arg.Casc. for 60, a bit of Hersbrucker for the 45, and my little pittance of Tett for the 30?

Different suggestions?

Perhaps I'm overthinking this, and should just use 20 IBUs of high-AA (I'm thinking Magnum) at 60 and be done with it?

Please, good sir, your feedback. :)
I actually locked in on your Willamette when I saw it.

I think it would be a great sub if you have enough.
 
It's the 5.5% variety, so I set Willamette as 60", but sadly I only have a 1/2 ounce of it.
For the 45" I shoved in 1/2 oz Hersbrucker because I have many open packages of it, and it's pretty ... um ... well, bland. Grassy, and just kinda muted.
Then I put the 1/2 oz of Tett that I have at 30". Still only 11 IBUs.

Alternately, if I use 1/2 oz Magnum for my 60 minute, then the Willamette at 45 and the Tett at 30, that puts me right at 21 IBUs. Hmm. That's a thought.

Can't wait to brew this. I really don't want to wait two weeks, maybe I'll make next weekend a double or triple brew day. Rich's idea of Carrot juice has me intrigued. :D
 
Mashing in on a 10 gallon batch of this now! Changed the caramel 40 to caramel 60 to compensate for my lighter munich malt. Other than that I wouldn't change a thing as this was fantastic last time I made it! Looking forward to sipping this again this fall! Thanks for another great recipe BierMuncher!
 
Mashing in on a 10 gallon batch of this now! Changed the caramel 40 to caramel 60 to compensate for my lighter munich malt. Other than that I wouldn't change a thing as this was fantastic last time I made it! Looking forward to sipping this again this fall! Thanks for another great recipe BierMuncher!

Give it a good long time (3-4 weeks) in the primary. With a healthy dose of munich and crystal...even the slightest hint of diacetyl will create too much of a buttery/butterscotch flavor.

Should not be a problem with a full fermentation on a good yeast bed.
 
Give it a good long time (3-4 weeks) in the primary. With a healthy dose of munich and crystal...even the slightest hint of diacetyl will create too much of a buttery/butterscotch flavor.

Should not be a problem with a full fermentation on a good yeast bed.


I always give at least 2 weeks in the primary... Planning 3 for this one though... Since I'm getting a nice backlog of brews stored up these days! :) And I'm hoping to have this all bottle conditioned right around the first of October...
 
This got me thinking. Since an Oktoberfest does not have esters AND pitching onto a yeast cake produces a fast ferment with little esters would this not be a great way to produce a "non-lagered non-ester"beer, suitable to an Oktoberfest style?? Just wondering, what do y'all think. Charlie
 
This got me thinking. Since an Oktoberfest does not have esters AND pitching onto a yeast cake produces a fast ferment with little esters would this not be a great way to produce a "non-lagered non-ester"beer, suitable to an Oktoberfest style?? Just wondering, what do y'all think. Charlie

That's kinda the point of the whole OctoberFAST concept.

:D
 
Uh oh. I did something dumb. I was shopping drunk... and bought 10 gal worth of ingredients.... pre mixed. I meant to only buy 5. Guess this goes on hold for a bit. Maybe I can get another brewer to join forces with me next weekend and split the loot... or maybe I'll feel ambitious and try another 10 gal. I made it through the last one alive after all (but a bit worse for the wear).

BM, You'll tell me this recipe's *totally* worth having 10 gal on hand for, right? ;) ;) ;)

Guess I get to make my Apricot Wheat today after all! Now where'd that grain mill go....?
 
...BM, You'll tell me this recipe's *totally* worth having 10 gal on hand for, right? ;) ;) ;)

I think so. It's a good all around cold weather beer. Fits the bill well as a cool weather Amber, an Irish Red and of course the caramelly goodness that is an Octoberfest.

Fromt eh first cool nights of September through the long dreary weather of MArch...it's a good sipper.
 
Done and done. As soon as I can free up one more fermenter (or buy another), then I think it's time. I've got my Dusseldorf Alt in a starter right now. Guess I'll have to wedge that lil guy into the fridge for a couple days, then pull it out and step it up a little further.
 
For the extract recipe posted earlier, what are thoughts on replacing either the amber LME or the pale LME with munich LME? I have some munich from AHS that lists it as 20% munich malt, 80% 2-row. Is this a possible substitution for one of these, or should I stick with the pale/amber? BeerSmith doesnt have munich extract as an ingredient (atleast that I can find) so it wouldnt put it in the recipe by itself on the conversion. Im hoping the munich LME will provide some more maltiness that the extract recipe is going to lose from missing out on the grains.
 
BM,

Did you mash for 60, or 90min?
The grain bill is in the Tun now, and
realized no time was mentioned other than
a 90 boil.

Thanks for the great recipe!!
 
I split the difference on mine, and mashed for 75". At long as your starches are converted (iodine test), it should be fine at either time interval.

I really hope they came out ok. I think they both stayed at about 79F for the first 24 hours of fermentation... ice bath only barely helped... A/C unit was pumping out as much as it could, but it was just too damn hot outside... :-/ I'm scared they're both gonna have fusels all over the place.
 
UPS guy showed up yesterday with all my grain for this one, cant wait for the Saturday brew. I plan on letting this one sit in primary for 3 weeks as per BM and then I'm gonna use the yeast cake for my 9-9-9 barley wine. :mug:
 
So I brewed this on Sat. first time brewing with out drinking!?!? Think I may just have to continue this process, I didnt mess anything up or forget any hop additions:D My question to those of you that have brewed this is how quick was your primary fermentation? Ive got it sitting in the fridge at 68F and primary was cruising up until this morning, the krausen appears to already have fallen and it looks like the yeast is settling out. Is this normal? I'm just gonna let it sit in there like that for atleast another two weeks, im just a little nervous that my FG might be a lil high.
 
Shooting from the hip, step one should be cutting everything in half (please correct me if my head's up my a**).

For a 5 gal PM batch (full boil), I figure:

Steep:
1 lb. Aromatic/Honey Malt
1 lb. C20
0.5 lb. C40
0.5 lb. Cara-Pils/Dextrine Malt

Mash:
2 lbs. Munich (20 SRM)
2 lbs. Vienna (3.5 SRM)

Boil:
4 lbs. Light DME
1/2 Posted Hop Schedule

I was thinking of giving this a shot within the next few weeks, so please speak up if I'm off base here!

Cheers! :mug:


I'm not a super-experienced brewer but I ran this through the tastybrew.com calculator and it came out dead-on with the style. It looks good to me in fact, I think I'm going to do this instead of the arrogant bastard clone. It will be first true "seasonal" beer. I should be brewing again in the next few weeks and will post the results.

Cheers!:D
 
When you prime (for keg or for bottling, whichever) just boil a larger am't of water and add in 8oz of maltodextrine. Let cool as usual, rack into keg/bottling bucket, and proceed as usual.
 
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