I would like to make an Octoberfest beer this winter for next fall

I want it to be an extract kit partial grain. Any suggestions.

 

Do you have lagering capabilities? If you do, NB's o-fest kit is really good. If there's a yeast choice, I'd go with Wy2633. If you're looking at an ale yeast, I don't have any kits I could recommend, but I could think of some very clean ale yeasts that would make a reasonably good "mocktoberfest".

 

6 lbLiquid Malt Extract - Munich
1 lbDry Malt Extract - Amber

1 lbGerman - CaraMunich II

Amount
2 ozGerman Perle
1 ozHallertau Hersbrucker

 

Why make it now? That is just a long time to be looking at filled bottles.

 

Probably because if he lagers current temps make that a lot easier to do than if he waits 'till spring. I was thinking of doing some Mocktorfests soons myself. When lagering, isn't a longer time in secondary required anyway? And, what would be the harm in letting it sit in secondary for a month or two extra? And, for that matter, don't pretty much all non-hop based beers get better with time in the bottle? So, even if I was to bottle it around July 4, wouldn't it be simply great by Labor Day?

 

I do my octoberfest beers in march, ferment then do a secondary, then i rack into the aging tank I keep at 38 degrees till september when I do a final rack into a keg. Have been messing around with that technique for 15 years, does not matter if it is extract or allgrain the technique is the same.

 

If you were looking at an ale instead of lagering, I would suggest NB Lederhosen. I recently brewed this kit and it has a fast turn around with great potential. I'm a big fan of Oktoberfest beers and this one works well!