Did I miss the Oktoberfest boat?

[JohnK93]

Hi All,
I had scheduled to brew an Oktoberfest earlier in the year, but in the process of switching to all-grain, setting up a fermentation chest, and working on my American Pale Ale, I never got to it. We're having our second annual Oktoberfest this year and I wanted to serve some of my own brew. Do I still have time to make a passable Oktoberfest before September/October? I've been looking through the recipes, and fermentation times seem like I could have something within the 2-3 month timeframe.

Next year, I'll follow through with my plans!

-John

 

[Zamial]

the recipe most folks in your boat use is called "oktoberfast" search and you will find.

 

[ShaineT]

If you are kegging and started soon you can still have a nice Oktoberfest by the end of 3rd week in October. If make a well calculated yeast starter and use the diacetyl rest fermentation schedule then 12 to 16 days in primary rack and lager 6 weeks in secondary, rack to keg & carbed in a week.

 

[Haputanlas]

Also check out edwort's beecave brewery Oktoberfest. It uses a Kolsch yeast and is ready fairly quickly too.

 

[JohnK93]

Thanks for the quick replies!

I don't keg (yet), so I'll need a few extra weeks for bottling. I started checking out the Oktoberfast recipes from BierMuncher and EdWort. I was hoping to brew a true lager, but maybe it's better to go with an ale and save the lagering for next year.

I'll just have to set aside some of my honey kolsches for this year.

 

[ShaineT]

Also check out edwort's beecave brewery Oktoberfest. It uses a Kolsch yeast and is ready fairly quickly too.

This is a great idea. One could ferment at 65F (60 ambient) and probably go straight into cold conditioning when the beer hits 1.016 or so. Still would be a nice beer for Fall.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Second the OktoberFAST. I made one up and it is delicious. A little lagering/cold aging doesn't hurt it either if you have the time.

 

[Yooper]

You have time to make a lager. Make a huge yeast starter, ferment at 50 degrees for 7 days, do the diacetyl rest, and then lager for 4 weeks. Then bottle. It should work out great!

 

[Bulls Beers]

You have time to make a lager. Make a huge yeast starter, ferment at 50 degrees for 7 days, do the diacetyl rest, and then lager for 4 weeks. Then bottle. It should work out great!

+1. I brewed an Oktoberfest yesterday.. I'll have it ready for the end of September. 5 to 7 days for fermentation, with a large starter of course. Rack to a keg and lager for the rest of the time. Maybe 6 weeks plus. Plenty of time for my lagers.

 

[beersk]

I don't think it's too late for an Oktoberfestbier. I brewed one yesterday as well. Plan to have it ready to drink by the end of September/early October, so that's 8ish weeks for a 1.057 OG beer. Should be good. I'm using the Mangrove Jack's Bohemian lager yeast, just hope I don't get the 90 hour lag time like bwarbiany did.

 

[broadbill]

nobody says you can only drink Oktoberfests in October.

I find it to be a nice, malt-forward style for year round consumption, especially in the winter.

 

[beersk]

nobody says you can only drink Oktoberfests in October.

I find it to be a nice, malt-forward style for year round consumption, especially in the winter.

Definitely agree with that!

 

[m3n00b]

I brewed an ale version on Saturday....hopefully it'll be decent.

 

[ShaineT]

I don't think it's too late for an Oktoberfestbier. I brewed one yesterday as well. Plan to have it ready to drink by the end of September/early October, so that's 8ish weeks for a 1.057 OG beer. Should be good. I'm using the Mangrove Jack's Bohemian lager yeast, just hope I don't get the 90 hour lag time like bwarbiany did.

Mine just went into lagering yesterday 7/28, I need it to be ready for tasting at the club meeting 9/19. Trying to decide when to rack to serving kegs and carb, 9/5 or so?

 

[Yooper]

Mine just went into lagering yesterday 7/28, I need it to be ready for tasting at the club meeting 9/19. Trying to decide when to rack to serving kegs and carb, 9/5 or so?

You can't carb while it's in the current keg, and have to do it later? I'd just carb it up while lagering, so it'd be perfectly carbed when I wanted to serve it.

 

[the_trout]

nobody says you can only drink Oktoberfests in October.

I find it to be a nice, malt-forward style for year round consumption, especially in the winter.

+1 to that! I love me some oktoberfest all year long.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

You have time... 8 weeks is plenty, which gets you out to early October. I brewed mine last Monday and it'll be fully ready for my O-fest party on Oct 5...

I'm hoping to even turn around a Schwarzbier and a session IPA in there too...

 

[m3n00b]

You have time... 8 weeks is plenty, which gets you out to early October. I brewed mine last Monday and it'll be fully ready for my O-fest party on Oct 5...

I'm hoping to even turn around a Schwarzbier and a session IPA in there too...

Ofest party on my bday! Sounds good.

 

[dgez]

I'm brewing an o'fest this weekend. I got a late start this year. I like to have my o'fests ready by the time college football starts so I'm going to fast track it. 3 weeks at 50 then a 3 week power lager at near freezing. That'll put me in mid September

 

[ShaineT]

You can't carb while it's in the current keg, and have to do it later? I'd just carb it up while lagering, so it'd be perfectly carbed when I wanted to serve it.

You're right I should do that. I wanted to rack from the secondary kegs to a serving keg and I've not been very skilled at keg to keg transfers when the beer is already carbed up.

 

[progmac]

i hope not, because i haven't started mine yet either

 

[JohnK93]

Thanks for all the replies! I'm still debating between settling for an ale or going for a lager. I'd rather have a good ale ready for my octoberfest than a "just barely ready" lager, but we haven't set the date for our party yet so I don't know exactly how much time I have. I was looking at Ed's Bee Cave recipe mentioned, but I've brewed with the Kolsch yeast a few times this year and would like to try the Bohemian lager...it sounds so exotic! If I get to it, it'll be on Saturday so I have a couple of days before I have to decide and get the starter going.

Thanks everyone,
John

 

[ShaineT]

There are some nice amber altbier recipes out there that are great for an October/November beer.

 

[JimRausch]

nobody says you can only drink Oktoberfests in October.

I find it to be a nice, malt-forward style for year round consumption, especially in the winter.

I'm weird because I BREW my Oktoberfestbiers in late October/early November. Because I use environmental temps/ low-tech methods to control my fermentation and lagering temps. Means that my festbiers are ready to drink in February and March when traditionalists are brewing theirs. Works for me (until my wife gets a new chest freezer and agrees to let me convert our 25-year never-dying freezer)

 

[JohnK93]

I went to the LHBS and picked up the ingredients to brew a lager based on Yooper's Marzen/Oktoberfest recipe, although I am going to try the Bohemian Lager yeast. If it's good enough by our Oktoberfest party, I'll serve it, otherwise I'll just buy some beers (which I'll do anyway) and enjoy the Oktoberfest into November and December.

This will be my first true lager (the other was a kolsch), my biggest starter yet, and will also be my first attempt at a step mash, so we'll see how it goes!

Thanks again,
John

 

[Toga]

Yooper's Octoberfest recipe is tasty. I brewed a batch back in February. It was really tasty right out of primary. A little better in June after lagering a bit. I am glad I did a bit larger batch and filled a keg to lager till October and bottled the rest. I have one of the bottles left and am really looking forward to the keg.

 

[ShaineT]

I went to the LHBS and picked up the ingredients to brew a lager based on Yooper's Marzen/Oktoberfest recipe, although I am going to try the Bohemian Lager yeast. If it's good enough by our Oktoberfest party, I'll serve it, otherwise I'll just buy some beers (which I'll do anyway) and enjoy the Oktoberfest into November and December.

This will be my first true lager (the other was a kolsch), my biggest starter yet, and will also be my first attempt at a step mash, so we'll see how it goes!

Thanks again,
John

Step mashing is a fun time. Best of luck with your Oktoberfest