Festbier BierMuncher's OktoberFAST Ale (AG)

[judsonp]

Brewed a partial-mash conversion of this about a month ago. Made a few substitutions for LHBS availability, and I used Kolsch yeast that I had saved from a previous batch of Kolsch.

I don't think I'm a big fan of what I ended up with, though it's drinkable. Friends seem to think it's just fine (at the "okay" level). I think it has a bit of weird acidity at the beginning and a bitter, metallic finish. But then, I noticed some of the same flavors when I last had a Sam Adams Oktoberfest. Thoughts on this?

I will note that once you've had about 1 1/3 pints and the other 2/3 has warmed up considerably (to "cool" rather than "cold"), it's much better.

 

[D_Nyholm]

Brewed a partial-mash conversion of this about a month ago. Made a few substitutions for LHBS availability, and I used Kolsch yeast that I had saved from a previous batch of Kolsch.

I don't think I'm a big fan of what I ended up with, though it's drinkable. Friends seem to think it's just fine (at the "okay" level). I think it has a bit of weird acidity at the beginning and a bitter, metallic finish. But then, I noticed some of the same flavors when I last had a Sam Adams Oktoberfest. Thoughts on this?

I will note that once you've had about 1 1/3 pints and the other 2/3 has warmed up considerably (to "cool" rather than "cold"), it's much better.

I notice that if a beer gets overcarbed. Could that be the case?

 

[TrickyDick]

give it more time and I bet it improves.

TD

 

[judsonp]

I notice that if a beer gets overcarbed. Could that be the case?

It could. At this point I'll take any suggestions, since I can't identify the flavor or relate it to anything else. It's very fresh out of force carbing. While I'm pretty sure I did my force carb math well and have had good success with this process in the past, it should stabilize out in a couple of days, so I'll see.

give it more time and I bet it improves.

I should've, but didn't mention that it's only a couple of days out from being kegged and carbed. Every beer has been better by the end of the keg than at the beginning.

 

[butterpants]

I read through almost all of the posts and cant find a verdict on the final extract recipe posted on one of the first few pages

Ingredients

3.86 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

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.050 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.83 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 20.2 IBU Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 12.5 SRM Color: Color

I am going shopping today. Just wondering if this is what I need to brew.
Thanks!

Anyone care to chime in who has gone the extract route? Anyone convert the liquid to dry?

 

[artyusmc]

Read all 37 pages and will be brewing tomorrow.

Because my tettnang hops are 4.5 my IBU comes out to 29.8, is this too much?

Can someone taste a difference of 9 IBUs? my guess would be yes in this recipe
Any comments would be appreciated

 

[ericrdb]

Read all 37 pages and will be brewing tomorrow.

Because my tettnang hops are 4.5 my IBU comes out to 29.8, is this too much?

Can someone taste a difference of 9 IBUs? my guess would be yes in this recipe
Any comments would be appreciated

Yep, it matters. An additional 9 IBU would swing the flavor profile over to slightly hoppy. Not exactly what this style is shooting for.

Try not using some your hops. Brewing a 5gal batch? Go with .75 oz instead of the full 1 oz at 60 min to keep the IBUs lower.

Pro tip: use software when scaling or calculating recipes. This free web based one works well enough for me: http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/calculator

Cheers!

 

[artyusmc]

Its10.5 batch at 70 percent I use beer itch and will take off 1 oz at the first addition brings me to 21 IBU s .
Prost

 

[artyusmc]

That's beer smith

 

[BOYDBrew]

BM,

Thanks for such an awesome brew recipe!
I brewed this yesterday and man does she look/smell gooooooooood.

 

[lincolnubrewer]

Brewed this yesterday and it's fermenting this morning. Waiting for a sample taste this weekend coming up.

 

[wakers3]

Brewed this yesterday and it's fermenting this morning. Waiting for a sample taste this weekend coming up.

Same here, just one week later than you.

 

[sfgoat]

Not sure if it's still green but I gave this a month in primary at 64 degrees and three weeks in the bottles and it tastes off. I'm not quite sure how to describe it besides maybe cidery? Any suggestions?

 

[stbnj]

Not sure if it's still green but I gave this a month in primary at 64 degrees and three weeks in the bottles and it tastes off. I'm not quite sure how to describe it besides maybe cidery? Any suggestions?

Did you use s04? I have gotten a cidery taste sometimes from s04 that gets too warm. Having said that I am now tasting some that has been in the bottle 10 days and its pretty awesome. I ended up using s05 as I am very comfortable with using that yeast in my house in summer at room temps.

 

[Setesh]

Mine is 18 days old and in the keg now aging a bit. Can't wait to try it. I finished at 1.020 with S-04. 158 mash rest, fermented at 64, ramped up to 75 after 2 weeks. Hydrometer samples tasted very promising! I've got a slightly modified Revvy rye in the keezer right now finishing up fermenting. Once that is out I'll stick this on the gas and start chilling it. I'll be glad to get my keezer back! NEVER let your pipeline run dry is all I'm sayin

 

[sfgoat]

Did you use s04? I have gotten a cidery taste sometimes from s04 that gets too warm. Having said that I am now tasting some that has been in the bottle 10 days and its pretty awesome. I ended up using s05 as I am very comfortable with using that yeast in my house in summer at room temps.

I did use s04 and I forgot there was a day when the ac went out. That sucks. I thought the hydro sample tasted good though.

 

[invivoSaccharomyces]

Brewed a PM version about a month ago, and just had my first taste. It's still young and slightly under-carbed, but I've got friends in this weekend and I needed to know whether I should fridge some for them to try. Pretty good! Not that sweet, though, so my mash temperature may have been low. Also still very yeasty, despite having cold-crashed for two days on gelatin before bottling, but that's probably because it was only in the fridge two days.

Can't wait for it to age another couple weeks - it should be a perfect sharing beer!

 

[RandalG]

Brewed this today and a Punkin Ale tomorrow. I should be good to go by Halloween.

 

[sfgoat]

Well I was a little worried when my first bottle tasted very cidery but with a little more time and s few days in the fridge all is right with the world.

 

[invivoSaccharomyces]

What a difference a few days makes! Carbonation levels are perfect, and this has turned out to be a damn fine beer. No off flavors, the sweetness is present without being overwhelming, a lightly caramelly-toasty flavor, great aroma, and crystal clear.

I had a few commercial oktoberfests over the weekend from local breweries, and this one tops them all!

 

[dave8274]

Brewed this a month ago with a friend. I bottled mine last week, he racked his to secondary. I saw his last night, and it is still very cloudy. Is that unusual after a month? Seems like most of the posts here say that at least the finished product is clear.

 

[bd2xu]

Brewed this a month ago with a friend. I bottled mine last week, he racked his to secondary. I saw his last night, and it is still very cloudy. Is that unusual after a month? Seems like most of the posts here say that at least the finished product is clear.

Can depend on a few things, all grain or extract? What yeast did you use? How long ago did he rack his?

Overall in my experience when I bottle, my beer is very clear after carbing and then 2-4 weeks in the fridge. There aren't any adjuncts in this that would normally make a beer cloudy so it should be pretty clear.

 

[dave8274]

Can depend on a few things, all grain or extract? What yeast did you use? How long ago did he rack his?

Overall in my experience when I bottle, my beer is very clear after carbing and then 2-4 weeks in the fridge. There aren't any adjuncts in this that would normally make a beer cloudy so it should be pretty clear.

We did all grain, exactly as the recipe said with S-04. He racked his a week ago, after 3 weeks in primary, the same day I bottled mine. My bottles are also cloudy, but after a week in bottles that's to be expected.

 

[grathan]

Biab? calcium level? boil kettle ph? FG?, cooling method, sediment stirred up when racking. These are suspects for cloudy beer.

 

[BierMuncher]

A lengthy chill will cure most chill haze issues.

 

[gwapogorilla]

BM, I brewed this bout 7 weeks ago, although I did change your recipe just bit as my mill efficiency is high and I wanted to try a different yeast.
Finally week 3 arrived after bottling...so carbing is complete. I drank of glass of this side by side with a Sam Adams Oktoberfest. Man...it's close! The SA finished dry and crisp...it is a lager. Your recipe was just a bit sweeter(I mashed at 154*) while the hops are there then gone as quick as you notice them.
Excellent recipe BM....well done.:rockin:

 

[bd2xu]

I brewed this on 9/23, checked it last night and it's already at 1.015 and looked like it was still active. I used Wyeast 2565 Kolsch with a 2 L starter and have kept it in the mid 60's for first 3 days then let rise up to 72. Tasted GREAT, very bready and malty just a good Oktoberfest should! I will take another reading on Friday or Saturday and keg it, and let it chill/carb until our Oktoberfest party on 10/25! Also bringing a keg of Kolsch and a keg of Dunkelwiezen. Here's the recipe I used:

Brewing Steps: OktoberFAST Ale
Type: All Grain Date: 09/23/2013
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 7.5 gal
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: My Brutus 10 - 5 Gallon batch
Final Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 68.00

Mash Ingredients
4 lbs 4.0 oz Pilsner (2 Row) Ger
2 lbs 8.0 oz Vienna Malt
2 lbs Munich Malt
1 lbs Aromatic Malt
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L
8.0 oz Carapils (Briess)
0.50 oz Tettnang [4.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.50 oz Tettnang [4.60 %] - Boil 45.0 min
0.50 oz Tettnang [6.10 %] - Boil 30.0 min
Wyeast 2565 Kolsch
OG: 1.052


Was weird I bought 2 packs of Tettnang and one was 4.6% alpha and the other 6.1 so I adjusted.

Thanks for the great recipe!

 

[butterpants]

I brewed this on 9/23, checked it last night and it's already at 1.015 and looked like it was still active. I used Wyeast 2565 Kolsch with a 2 L starter and have kept it in the mid 60's for first 3 days then let rise up to 72. Tasted GREAT, very bready and malty just a good Oktoberfest should! I will take another reading on Friday or Saturday and keg it, and let it chill/carb until our Oktoberfest party on 10/25! Also bringing a keg of Kolsch and a keg of Dunkelwiezen. Here's the recipe I used:

Brewing Steps: OktoberFAST Ale
Type: All Grain Date: 09/23/2013
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 7.5 gal
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: My Brutus 10 - 5 Gallon batch
Final Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 68.00

Mash Ingredients
4 lbs 4.0 oz Pilsner (2 Row) Ger
2 lbs 8.0 oz Vienna Malt
2 lbs Munich Malt
1 lbs Aromatic Malt
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L
8.0 oz Carapils (Briess)
0.50 oz Tettnang [4.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.50 oz Tettnang [4.60 %] - Boil 45.0 min
0.50 oz Tettnang [6.10 %] - Boil 30.0 min
Wyeast 2565 Kolsch
OG: 1.052

Was weird I bought 2 packs of Tettnang and one was 4.6% alpha and the other 6.1 so I adjusted.

Thanks for the great recipe!

Creepy as I am also currently brewing this Octoberfest and have a Dunkelweizen and Kolsch just about ready to keg....

 

[bd2xu]

Creepy as I am also currently brewing this Octoberfest and have a Dunkelweizen and Kolsch just about ready to keg....

Great minds think alike: light, medium and dark, all ales...

Creepy is your name, Butterpants...

 

[butterpants]

I used to poop my pants a lot