Slightly out of the box Oktoberfest recipe...Opinions?

[dpatrickv]

Found a couple different recipes online and did a little tweaking of my own...Any suggestions?

Smokey Oktober

O.G. 1.055
IBU: 35.35
Boil: 60-Minutes
Mash: 155 for 60-Minutes
Yeast: Wyeast Octoberfest 2633
Primary: 60F for 8-10 days
Secondary: 45F for 2-3 months

8lb Munich Dark
1lb Breiss Cherrywood Smoked malt
1lb crystal 60L
.5lb Melanoidin
1lb Maple Syrup

.5oz Perle @ 60
1oz Tettnanger @ 30
.5oz Perle @ 15


I will also be using maple syrup to prime the bottles and let them sit for another month to two months.

Not sure how this will turn out but it sounds mighty tasty. The only thing Im iffy about is the fermentation schedule.

 

[dcp27]

60F is too warm for a lager primary, id drop it 10F, otherwise it won't be as clean as a lager should be.

personally I'd ditch the crystal, should be plenty of malty-sweetness without it

 

[TyTanium]

personally I'd ditch the crystal, should be plenty of malty-sweetness without it

Ditto. Crystal is out of place in an O-fest. Even an "out of the box" one.

Love the melanoidin though.

 

[dpatrickv]

Good points....I'll remove the 60L. What would you guys suggest to bump up the gravity? Removing the 60L drops it under 5%. I don't really care much for the alcohol but I'd like to keep it in the 5.5-6% range.

 

[mlg5039]

Just replace it with more munich. And i second the lower ferm temps, along with proper 6-8weeks lagering sub 40 degrees.

 

[TyTanium]

Agreed. Or replace with Vienna or Pilsner. I've never brewed with dark Munich as a base malt, but I'm wondering if it'd be too much. Not sure.

 

[TimTrone]

Ditto. Crystal is out of place in an O-fest. Even an "out of the box" one.

Love the melanoidin though.

Huh? Crystal might be out of place, but caramunich isn't, and caramunich is just German crystal

 

[rockfish42]

Sounds like a rauchbier with the beechwood smoked malt replaced with cherry, should be good.

 

[TyTanium]

Huh? Crystal might be out of place, but caramunich isn't, and caramunich is just German crystal

Yes, good point. Crystal character showing in the finished beer like caramel aroma/flavor are out of place. Cara-malts used sparingly great. Good clarification.