Festbier BierMuncher's OktoberFAST Ale (AG)

[RandalG]

Just poured this one for my after work. Love this recipe!

Mine didn't turn out as red as yours. I followed the recipe but cut the batch in half. Do you think that's why there's a difference?

 

[drunkatuw]

Mine didn't turn out as red as yours. I followed the recipe but cut the batch in half. Do you think that's why there's a difference?

I just poured one of these made with s-04 (the second keg used kolsch yeast) and mine looks almost identical to yours, not red at all.

 

[boomr]

Not the best picture, taken with phone, but here's my partial extract version of BM's OctoberFAST, thanks for the recipe:

 

[BierMuncher]

Not the best picture, taken with phone, but here's my partial extract version of BM's OctoberFAST, thanks for the recipe:

Looks very tasty. Perfect beer for a wintry day.

 

[mhermetz]

So this is a bit of a noob question I'm sure. I just finished reading the entire thread and I noticed something mentioned I don't think I ever read in Palmers how to brew. Maybe it just something you learn over time...in which case I want to learn it now!

Why the emphasis on acheiving a FG above 1.015? Is this to emphasize the malty flavour of this beer?

I also ask because I just brewed your Munich Helles and I was under the impression I should have had a more malty beer than say one of my Pilsners. It's FG was 1.009 using Notty fermented at 68 degrees for 3 weeks. I notice that it has a maltier profile but the fruity esters are definitly more dominate than the malt. It almost tastes exactly like my previous Pils.

I'm trying to figure out where I went wrong to make sure when I brew this OktoberFAST it won't end up with those same Fruity Esters that dominate the Maltiness. I must have a Malty beer!

I think it could either be the yeast I used or I should have ended up with a high FG....or combination of the two?

 

[BierMuncher]

So this is a bit of a noob question I'm sure. I just finished reading the entire thread and I noticed something mentioned I don't think I ever read in Palmers how to brew. Maybe it just something you learn over time...in which case I want to learn it now!

Why the emphasis on acheiving a FG above 1.015? Is this to emphasize the malty flavour of this beer?

I also ask because I just brewed your Munich Helles and I was under the impression I should have had a more malty beer than say one of my Pilsners. It's FG was 1.009 using Notty fermented at 68 degrees for 3 weeks. I notice that it has a maltier profile but the fruity esters are definitly more dominate than the malt. It almost tastes exactly like my previous Pils.

I'm trying to figure out where I went wrong to make sure when I brew this OktoberFAST it won't end up with those same Fruity Esters that dominate the Maltiness. I must have a Malty beer!

I think it could either be the yeast I used or I should have ended up with a high FG....or combination of the two?

I stay away from Nottingham yeast. Not that it's a bad yeast...but it seems to be on attenuation steroids. Everything seems to dry out too much. Plus, you mentioned fruity esters. Seems to me there is a correlation between fruity esters and fermentation "intensity". Normally that intensity is caused by higher ferment temperatures, but maybe it's as simple as how aggressive the fermentation is (due to using Notty). Again...just thinking out loud here.

Hitting a higher FG will give you a richer, maltier profile. There are several things (outside the grain bill) that can help with that:
1) A higher mash temp. (155 ish)
2) A shorter mash rest. (40-45 minutes)
3) The yeast. (i.e., safale-04)

Go with the suggested yeast and start your fermentation in the low-mid 60 range. Keep it there for 10 days and then ramp up the ambient to 68ish for the next 5-7 days.

 

[mhermetz]

Thanks BM.

From my notes I've calculated that my Attenuation was 85%... a little high for that style no? I can follow your instructions I'm just trying to understand the science behind it all now. From what I've gathered the higher mash temp will create more unfermentable sugars which would add to the malt character correct? Same could be said for the mash rest... As for the yeast I assume s-04 is a lower attenuation yeast?

 

[eljib]

hey all,
i just finished off the keg of this recipe that i made with windsor. it was excellent beer and the alternate yeast seemed to work out just right. thanks for your advice.

 

[BigdogMark]

We have put away three 10g batches of this brew and enjoyed every one of them. I am still nursing the last keg, which was a bit of an experiment. On brew day we realized we didn't have the SA-04 yeast, so we sub'd in a Nottingham repitch. We expected the brew to be a bit drier and it is, but still with a good malty character because we mash at a higher temperature. We are thinking about brewing this with a bit lower mash temperature and the SA-04 for a bit lighter brew for the summer. Is that the best route to go?

 

[FullDraw]

Killed our keg the other night. I'm in remorse. It barely made it a month. Even with competition in the fridge. Enjoyed by all and high on the list to do again. We fell back on the black pearl porter....killed that too. Thanks!

 

[wscott823]

As for the yeast I assume s-04 is a lower attenuation yeast?

My experience with S-04 has always been higher attenuation (80-85%). If I'm looking for a higher finishing gravity I go with the US-05 strain. If you keep the fermentation down in the low 60s it should keep the ester production under control too.

Just my $.02

 

[Baja_Brewer]

Just mashed this bad boy in. I got the grains awhile ago but went on a unintentionally brewing hiatus. First batch back! Hit 155*F on the mash (grain was colder than anticipated) and I'm getting to use my new Banjo KAB6!!!

 

[springer]

into this with four 10 gallon brews all turned out great. The fifth one on tap right now not so much . Mashed at 157° S-04 went from 1.058 to 1.008 instead of 1.015 ish that I always get with this brew. Not balanced at all . I would add lactose but the wife is lactose intolerant . Its really not bad just dry with no malty backbone . This style is my wifes absolute favorite beer guess I will be brewing some more soon

 

[HIbrew]

Just tasted a batch of this. Really nice octoberfestish beer. Mine had slightly more hop flavor and bitterness than is really appropriate, but then I tasted it at 3 weeks, so it has got some aging to do and I expect the hops to fall off a bit. But all in all, as a fresh beer, it tastes great, even if mine doesn't hit the style yet.

 

[cyclonetx]

I just bottled about 30 pints this morning and I am wondering how long I need to let it age before it is ready? My finishing gravity was a bit high (1.018) for some reason. Gave the beer out of the secondary a taste and didn't get a big malt taste like I was expecting. Color appeared to be right on. Another issue, this is going to have to age at room temperature which is around 78 degrees. Is this going to be a big problem? The fermentation was done in a chiller that was set at 65 degrees.

 

[kjones]

the recipe says 8.5# of pilsner and also has 2 row in parenthesis, which one should i buy?

 

[ekjohns]

i was gonna do this this weekend but was wondering about the US-04. I can get it and will use it but people mentioned about pitching on a yeast cake to get it to ferm fast. Should i pitch 1, 1 1/2, or 2 packets. Is 2 overkill? This is gonna be for a 5.5 gal batch. Also what is the overall best mash temp for using US-04 and letting it ferment out (no stopping it)

 

[UnderThePorchBrewing]

I also have a yeast question. I plan on brewing this next week. my 4th BM brew. (love your recipes). I have S-04 but for me the taste profile is ok but not my favorite. I have washed WLP cream ale blend which I do like the taste of. Would the cream ale be ok since it also give a lager like taste addition as well as the ale?

 

[Enhoffer-Knopfe]

I just brewed an Octoberfast 06/13/2010 (OG 1.059) w/Safale 04. Do you see any potential drawbacks in brewing a Tits-Up IIPA and pitching on the yeast cake on 06/27/2010?

 

[BierMuncher]

I just brewed an Octoberfast 06/13/2010 (OG 1.059) w/Safale 04. Do you see any potential drawbacks in brewing a Tits-Up IIPA and pitching on the yeast cake on 06/27/2010?

Aside from a massive blow-off...none. Just rig a big tube baby. :rockin:

 

[SwampassJ]

Really considering trying this in a 10lb batch in July. I'm going to do one in my swamp cooler with ale yeast and try another in a freezer if I can find a good deal on one with lager yeast to compare the subtlety.

 

[ekjohns]

Multiple choice question and answer (yes like in high school).

I was planning on brewing this tomorrow and pitching on a yeast cake of US-04 that currently has the New castle clone on it brewed one week ago. I will not have time to brew tomorrow but will next week and was wondering what is the best option.

A. Leave the new castle in primary for 2 weeks instead of the 1 week (insructions for new castle clone says primary 1 week).

B. Get a huge slurry of yeast and stick it in the fridge in a sanitize 1L

C. Transfer the new castle to secondary and leave the yeast cake in the carboy with air lock on for a week then pitch on it.

I would like to do whats best for both the New castle clone and the OktoberFAST. Thanks!

 

[ekjohns]

Ok well i found some time on sunday to brew this so i pitched on a yeast cake of US-04 at 70 F. Missed my mash temp by a few degrees (154-156) and the final temp after 1 hr mash was 152 so kind of low. Hit the OG on the button. I have never pitched on a yeast cake and tossed it in the carboy at 7 pm. I assumed it would take a few hours to start so at 11 pm i went to drop some ice in to keep the primary temp down and the airlock was going crazy and my temp jumped to 74 F. Got it cooling after that downt o 72 in 15 min and down to 70 in an hour or two. Hopefully no Fusels and bubble gum. keeping my fingers crossed

 

[SevenFields]

I would like to do an extract version of this recipe. I just read through all 18 pages and found two listed, but no one mentions if they are good or not.
What does someone think of these two???

#1
3.33 lb Bavarian Pilsner
1.2 lb Pale Liquid
1.2 lb Amber Liquid
1.15 lb Belgian Caravienne
1 lb Crystal Malt 20°L
.5 lb Crystal Malt 40°L
1.25 oz Crystal (3.3%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
.25 oz Tettnanger (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 45 min
.25 oz Tettnanger (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 30 min
1.0 ea Fermentis S-04 Safale S-04


#2
.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

 

[TRainH2o]

Anyone tried this recipe with a Kolsch yeast? I was thinking about doing BM's Helles Belles and then using the yeast for the OktoberFast.

 

[IndyRob]

I'm mashing this recipe tomorrow morning. I get to try out my newly fabricated "heatstick" as well. I substituted the safale 04 for the -05 on accident because I was distracted gabbing about the style of this brew with my LHBS guy so I'll just mash a little higher. Can't wait to try it out!

 

[ekjohns]

Just transfered from primary to secondary. Not a whole lot of malt flavor or biscuit coming through. I did miss my mash temp and mashed at 154 instead of 156-158 which may be the problem. OG was 1.053 and the beer finished at 1.014 pitched on a yeast cake of S-04. No yeast flavors due to pitching on such a big cake but overall best beer i have tasted after 1 week. Might try again later in july with a higher mash temp and maybe a little more of the caramel malt (thoughts?).

 

[CrookedTail]

This is a 5 gallon partial mash version based on the recipe in the OP. It's not exact, but close. The grain bill is pretty large for a PM. Either mash it all in a 3 gallon (or larger) cooler, or mash the Munich, Vienna and Aromatic malts, and steep the rest separately.

Grains/Extract
2lbs Extra Light DME
1.5lbs Munich 20L
1.5lbs Vienna
1lb Aromatic
1lb Caramel 20L
.5lb Caramel 40L
.5lb Carapils

Hops
1oz Tettnanger (60 min)
.5oz Tettnanger (45 min)
.5oz Tettnanger (30 min)

Yeast
S-04

According to hopville's calculations:
OG: 1.052
FG: 1.016
SRM: 12
IBU: 22.9 (assuming the hops are 4.5 AAU)

 

[IndyRob]

I didn't get to make this like I said I would earlier but I started it tonight. It took forever to finally convert in my mash tun for some reason but I finally got it in the boiler and heating up.

ETA: I hit 1.051 on the gravity. I scaled up the grain bill a little because my efficiency isn't all that great. This beer has a beautiful color, to me.

 

[bad coffee]

1L starter going,
Grains measured and waiting for the mill tomorrow am. I did sub out Cara Red for CaraPils. I'm too lazy to get up and go to the LHBS tomorrow am.

More later!

B