Festbier BierMuncher's OktoberFAST Ale (AG)

[tre9er]

Has anybody let this sit for 3 weeks or more in the primary? I just brewed last night and then found out this morning I'm out of town for the next three weeks. Was hoping to go 1 week primary, 3 secondary.

The longest I've ever left anything in the primary was 17 days. It'll be at a constant 65 degrees btw.

Thanks!

Nothing wrong with long primaries.

 

[philber]

Not the forum for this question I'm sure....but....what is this "overnight mash" you speak of? How do, did you execute?

Check out this thread, it is an interesting concept...I was going to do a dry run with some used grains this week to see how my cooler/mash tun holds. tre9er does it in the cooler, other guys use the oven. Kool concept for saving brew day time.

 

[tre9er]

Check out this thread, it is an interesting concept...I was going to do a dry run with some used grains this week to see how my cooler/mash tun holds. tre9er does it in the cooler, other guys use the oven. Kool concept for saving brew day time.

Yes, please visit that thread to keep this one clean.

 

[RallyintheValley]

Nothing wrong with long primaries.

Thanks for the response. Sounds good to me. Never gone that long so figured I'd ask!

 

[MirImage]

I am boiling this one right now. I am using WLP 080 Cream Ale Blend yeast instead though.

 

[timmah84]

Hmm, BierMuncher's or EdWort's for a first time Oktoberfest beer? Any opinions?

 

[BierMuncher]

Hmm, BierMuncher's or EdWort's for a first time Oktoberfest beer? Any opinions?

Well.... Let me think about that for just a moment....

Uhhhh.....

 

[timmah84]

Ha, I was leaning towards yours anyways.

 

[Sheldon]

We got unusually high efficiency and ended up with 1.062 OG. Its now at 1.022 after one week in primary (used S-04). The taste is mighty good and not sweet. I think I will let it sit on the yeast another week before maybe transferring to a secondary (only because the brew master recommended in the original recipe).

Sheldon

 

[tre9er]

Finally got some ferm going on this with the SF Steam Lager yeast, down to 54 at first, raised to 57 now. It's creeping along but I planned to give this all the way until and of September before kegging. Hoping for a very clean, malty beer. My neighbor is a long-time brewer but he didn't do a Marzen this year. Also a huge lager guy, so I'm hoping to impress him with this one

 

[Turfmanbrad]

I brewed this Wednesday night and today (Saturday) my gravity is 1.011 with no krausen and limited airlock bubbling! Has anyone seen it ferment this quickly? I did my best to keep it cool but could only get it to 70 during fermentation and now it's at 68. The sample didn't taste as fruity as I expected.

 

[tre9er]

I brewed this Wednesday night and today (Saturday) my gravity is 1.011 with no krausen and limited airlock bubbling! Has anyone seen it ferment this quickly? I did my best to keep it cool but could only get it to 70 during fermentation and now it's at 68. The sample didn't taste as fruity as I expected.

If it tastes good and is near FG, let her free rise up a tad and finish out, then bulk age it cold to drop clear.

 

[Turfmanbrad]

Rise up to 70 or more you mean? In my 22 batches, I've never cold crashed. If I stick it in a bucket of ice, how long does it take?

 

[tre9er]

Rise up to 70 or more you mean? In my 22 batches, I've never cold crashed. If I stick it in a bucket of ice, how long does it take?

I throw in fridge for two days or so

Also, not necessary, just makes for clearer beer.

 

[Dhack61]

Hmm, BierMuncher's or EdWort's for a first time Oktoberfest beer? Any opinions?

I've made them both. I give the nod to BierMuncher. I wasn't a big fan of the Kolsch yeast in Ed's though his Plisner Kolsch is great. Octoberfast gives a Big Malty taste when served around 50 degrees. I've got 10 Gallons in the primary with WLP830 lager yeast. Since its target is mid December, I've got time & I'm looking for that malty flavor with a bit less of the esters that come from the 05.

 

[kvess]

The safeale04 is always a quick fermentor.

 

[Ryush806]

So I'm brewing this tomorrow morning and have a quick question. The hops I got were 4.8% alpha instead of the 3.2 listed in the recipe. This throws the IBUs up to 30.6. I normally wouldn't worry about this since I'm a hop head but this style should focus on the malt. Can I scale back all three additions by the same percentage? Or should I leave the later ones high and only move the early addition to keep more hop flavor?

 

[Dhack61]

So I'm brewing this tomorrow morning and have a quick question. The hops I got were 4.8% alpha instead of the 3.2 listed in the recipe. This throws the IBUs up to 30.6. I normally wouldn't worry about this since I'm a hop head but this style should focus on the malt. Can I scale back all three additions by the same percentage? Or should I leave the later ones high and only move the early addition to keep more hop flavor?

IMO...I would scale them back. But that's just me and I am not a HopHead. You might want to take the remaining balance of the hops and toss them in at Flame-out around 180 degrees and let them steep for 15 minutes before chilling. It should give a nice noble hop aroma with almost no bitterness added. I do it every now and then just so I don't have that extra stray 3/4 oz of hops laying around.

 

[boxofjibboo]

I adding this comment so I can easily find this thread again

 

[tre9er]

So I'm brewing this tomorrow morning and have a quick question. The hops I got were 4.8% alpha instead of the 3.2 listed in the recipe. This throws the IBUs up to 30.6. I normally wouldn't worry about this since I'm a hop head but this style should focus on the malt. Can I scale back all three additions by the same percentage? Or should I leave the later ones high and only move the early addition to keep more hop flavor?

Just scale back the bittering hops until you hit the IBU's you want.

 

[TRainH2o]

I just wanted to thank Biermuncher for this recipe and to show off my brew. I have lagered before, but this recipe with S-04 and a 62˚F fermentation temp, has me wondering why I would EVER want to for an O'fest. I will be making this again with pumpkin in the secondary.

 

[JeepDiver]

Having a few glasses of this while watching my Golden Eagles get hammered by Nebraska. Good early season football brew

 

[ohai]

Picked up the grain bill today, brewing tomorrow. Will be the initial run of my new keggle setup (no more coolers for this guy, yay!). If all goes well, should be dispensing this out of an old Heineken keg the middle of next month.

 

[sparky701]

Brewed 5 gallons of this up last night and came out a little hi on og 1.064. Had to scale back the hop additions because of 4.9 alpha. Cooled it down to 62 and it starting to bubble this morning. Looking forward to this one.

 

[Krazlikesbeer]

I made this beer Iast month. I have it in two carboys in my basement waiting for our Oktoberfest party. I changed up the recipe a little and did two lbs of crystal. When I transferred to the glass I wanted to just dunk my head into the fermenters and pull a Strang brew. The aroma was off the charts. I did get a small taste and it was amazing. Thanks for sharing. I will let you know what people say about it after our party.

 

[HopSong]

+1

 

[JonGrafto]

Brewed this up this morning. Small issues. LHBS only gave me half of my hops. So I used the tettnang hops in the 30 and 45 min hop additions and threw some northern brewer in at 60 that I had laying around for buttering. Ibu's are at 20.

Anyone see any issue with doing this ??

 

[Turfmanbrad]

I've never been a fan of buttering ibu's.
$0.02

 

[JonGrafto]

I've never been a fan of buttering ibu's.
$0.02

Ha. Darn autocorrect. Bittering.
I ran my numbers at it looks like I was at 84% efficiency and not the 70% I had assumed. Still trying to dial in my setup but I guess a few points high will just make a little stronger beer.

 

[Sheldon]

Its sitting in secondary growing some mold right now. Looks like there is an infection. I will wait another few days until kegging time and taste, then determine if its ruined. It looks really good though.