Help with first recipe -- Partial Mash Oktoberfest/Marzen

[Brewmaster_CPA]

So this is my first attempt at formulating a recipe on my own! I'm hoping some of you experts can take a look and critique this partial mash recipe. Any help would be great!

Yeast Note: I do not have the capacity to do a lager at this time so I was thinking a Kolsch yeast or Wyeast 1007 German Ale. Suggestions are appreciated.

Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
TYPE: Partial Mash

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 3.75 gal
Post Boil Volume: 3.50 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.054 SG
Estimated Color: 12.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 72.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5 lbs 8.0 oz Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 1 52.4 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 2 9.5 %
8.0 oz Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 3 4.8 %
4.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 2.4 %
4.0 oz White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 5 2.4 %
0.50 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 8.2 IBUs
0.50 oz Perle [8.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 13.6 IBUs
0.50 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8 7.7 IBUs
3 lbs Munich (8.0 SRM) Extract 9 28.6 %


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 10 lbs 8.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 11.25 qt of water at 172.9 F 154.0 F 60 min

 

[Brewmaster_CPA]

Anybody?

 

[avm221]

What about using Califorina larger yeast, it ferments in ale tempatures.

 

[Omahawk]

Kolsch or German Ale at a low temp around 60ish F will make a decent approximation. Either one works for me.

 

[Hanso]

I did a similar "mock-toberfest" with ale yeast and used 1007. I fermented in the upper 50s to 60 degrees thinking colder means it will be closer to lager, but I ended up with some subtle fruity tones that were inappropriate for the style. I'd recommend just shooting for the middle of the ale temp range for 1007, and maybe once most of the gravity has dropped, then go into mock lager mode at that point to age/smooth it. The fruit was not bad, and it did die down as the beer aged a bit. Just one small bit of advice on fermentation, take it or leave it.

More importantly, caramel doesn't belong here, I'd just sub more base malt - Vienna (or Munich if you're looking for a little more sweetness.)

Also, what are you going for with the wheat? That seems like the next thing to cut from the grain bill as inappropriate for the style, although I doubt it would make much of a difference. In general I'd look to simplify the grain bill. Often complex grain bills don't work out the way the brewer intended.

Lastly the hops seem fine, although again you probably could be simplifying and have just a single variety at 60 mins. Any of those will work but I tend toward using just perle at 60 and backing down the IBU to maybe 24. I tend to like malt forward octoberfest beers and 29 puts you much closer to the bitter range for the style.

Mash schedule and decoction vs no decoction is a whole other consideration.... I did a decoction and thought it turned out well, but don't have anything to compare to... Generally you want lower mash temps or longer mash times, to help make the wort highly ferment able and give the beer a nice dry finish.

Cheers!

 

[Brewmaster_CPA]

Thanks! And good catch on the hops. That was a mistake. The correct hop schedule is:

.75oz Perle (60 mins)
.5 oz Hallertau (10 mins)
.5 oz Tettnang (0 mins)

Approximately 23-24 IBUs.

 

[Hanso]

Makes sense. Although I also would not expect any aroma hops in an Oct... That said some of the most popular octoberfests in the recipe forum are not strictly to style.

Have fun with it, seems like you are pretty much there. It will have good balance and has the right ratios and right ingredients.