To the Op: If the guys you want to serve it to "aren't used to craft beer", why do you think an Octoberfest will be something they like?
People that like Coors light and similar brews don't want to think about what the beer tastes like, they just want to drink it.
Anyway....
I never thought of a low ABV Octoberfest, I think I'm going to try it.
Here's a recipe, 3.8%:
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/embracing-sunset-lager/
- 7.0 lb (3.0 kg) Munich malt (7° L)
- 8 oz (225 g) Belgain aromatic malt
- 1.25 oz (35 g) Santiam, Tettnanger or Mt. Hood pellet hops (60 min)
- 0.6 oz (16 g) Crystal, Tettnanger or Mt. Hood whole hops or pellets (5 min)
- 0.25 tsp (1.25 ml) powdered Irish moss
- 0.75 cup (180 ml) corn sugar for priming bottles or 0.33 cups (80 ml) corn sugar for kegging
- Oktoberfest style lager yeast or other Munich/Bavarian style lager yeasts
SPECIFICATIONS
- Original Gravity: 1.040
- Final Gravity: 1.011
- ABV: 3.8%
- IBU: 28
- SRM: 11
The Recipe calls for a step mash, but I may skip that and see what happens.