I must brew a Sam Adams Octoberfest clone ASAP! Recipe Help!

[madbird1977]

Okay I searched but I'm mainly an extrAct partial mash brewer. Onl y been in the game 8 mths. I brewed an octy kit from a lhbs as a lager....good but not gooood.... I want SA octy awesome. Any recipe / advice is welcomed.

 

[Chuckabrewski]

October fest is overrated i had a few the otherday and wasnt impressed.

 

[madbird1977]

Well I really liked it and will clone it. Determined.

 

[Germelli1]

I don't have a clone recipe, just my own Oktoberfest recipe...but you are 5 months too late if you want an actual clone ready by fall

 

[madbird1977]

Don't need it now just want to brew it ASAP.

 

[Brew_4iT]

Are you going to lager or do an ale?

 

[madbird1977]

I did a lager and it was not that great. So perfer an ale but can do a lager and can ferment at the lower temps.

 

[bigbeergeek]

October fest is overrated i had a few the otherday and wasnt impressed.

To each their own. I don't like Sam Adams's 'Fest, but I think the Oktoberfest style is fantastic. Rich, malty, crisp -- so much flavor for a lager. Whether or not your personally like the style, the style is not "overrated." It's renown is well deserved -- it's a great style.

 

[DarkUncle]

I did a lager and it was not that great. So perfer an ale but can do a lager and can ferment at the lower temps.

A true Oktoberfest can only be a lager I do believe. You can try and replicate it somewhat as an ale but i don't think you will be able to create an Oktoberfest ale that will taste nearly like a SA.

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

I did a lager and it was not that great. So perfer an ale but can do a lager and can ferment at the lower temps.

you wont be able to clone this beer without being able to do lagers well. The lager yeast is a big part of what makes this beer taste the way it does.

 

[GreenDragon]

You could try EdWort's it's not a lager, but I'm not sure if there is a mini-mash version of it or not:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f63/bee-cave-brewery-oktoberfest-ale-38880/

 

[Jsmith82]

You could try EdWort's it's not a lager, but I'm not sure if there is a mini-mash version of it or not:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f63/bee-cave-brewery-oktoberfest-ale-38880/

This is what I went with since I too decided to rush an Oktoberfest, used Danstar Nottingham yeast.

Fun grain bill to put together, the mash smelled so good I wanted to have a bowl of it, oatmeal style.. haha.

 

[GreenDragon]

Yeah pretty huge grain bill. The waiting has been the worst part. 3+ months of staring at it Is it October yet?

 

[PseudoChef]

Is it October yet?

Oktoberfest actually starts on September 17th

 

[smokewater]

Try this one

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f63/biermunchers-oktoberfast-ale-ag-39021/

 

[Tim_Kreitz]

It takes three to five months to produce a proper Oktoberfest, and you can't produce an acceptably close ale without extensive aging. My suggestion would be to slow down and do it right, otherwise you won't get anything that tastes even remotely like a Sam Adams clone.

Also, you'll need at least a half mash with lots of Munich malt. You're not gonna get an Oktoberfest by steeping crystal malt and dumping LME into it. Just sayin'.

Best of luck.

 

[FlatcapBrew]

+1 to Beirmunchers OktoberFast ale... tastier than sams and easy to make, he has an extract recipe in that thread also.

I have made it a few times and the keg has kicked in a single day each time

 

[bigbeergeek]

you wont be able to clone this beer without being able to do lagers well. The lager yeast is a big part of what makes this beer taste the way it does.

Sure, but a quick search of this site reveals that a LOT of brewers are forced to make the same decision: there are many many "Oktoberfest Ales" brewed by those who lack the ability to lager or have run out of time. Of course the resulting beer is not an Oktoberfest -- perhaps more of a Mock-toberfest -- but it's good drinking and close enough to please crowds of non-beer geeks.

 

[Iceman6409]

I am also desperate for a Sam Adams all grain clone recipe. I can and will lager. Can anyone point me to a recipe?

 

[h22lude]

Deleted...posted twice

 

[h22lude]

AHS has a bunch of Oktoberfest clones but not Sammie.

Yes a traditional Oktoberfest/Marzen is a lager and is brewed in March. You can definitely make a good tasting ale version though. It will taste different using ale yeast but that doesn't mean it wont be a good beer.

 

[passedpawn]

I've made Jamil's Ocfest a few times. I also have had the SA ocfest. I think they are very very similar. I got Jamil's recipe from his book Brewing Classic Styles, which should be on every brewer's shelf. But here it is online (I don't know if it's exactly the same, just found it on a search)
https://sites.google.com/site/mishabrews/brew-archive/2006_brews/-41-jamil-s-oktoberfest-marzen

The last one I did with W34/70 dry lager, it's really good. I also replaced those hops with magnum (bittering) and hallertau. Good luck. Don't overdo this beer, I've drank a lot of ocfest in Germany and it is NOT a bock. Don't try to push this beer to high ABV... it is a session beer.

 

[grathan]

I've made Jamil's Ocfest a few times. I also have had the SA ocfest. I think they are very very similar. I got Jamil's recipe from his book Brewing Classic Styles, which should be on every brewer's shelf. But here it is online (I don't know if it's exactly the same, just found it on a search)
https://sites.google.com/site/mishabrews/brew-archive/2006_brews/-41-jamil-s-oktoberfest-marzen

The last one I did with W34/70 dry lager, it's really good. I also replaced those hops with magnum (bittering) and hallertau. Good luck. Don't overdo this beer, I've drank a lot of ocfest in Germany and it is NOT a bock. Don't try to push this beer to high ABV... it is a session beer.

Since this is the closest this forum has come to a confirmed SA Oktoberfest clone so far I would point out that this recipe is indeed wrong compared to the book, you would pretty much have to double all of the ingredients here.

 

[passedpawn]

Since this is the closest this forum has come to a confirmed SA Oktoberfest clone so far I would point out that this recipe is indeed wrong compared to the book, you would pretty much have to double all of the ingredients here.

It's been a while (!), but I doubt I checked that link when I posted it. Thanks. Here's the real recipe from BCS.

 

[maierhof]

It's been a while (!), but I doubt I checked that link when I posted it. Thanks. Here's the real recipe from BCS.

Ok - I just had my first ever taste of the SamAdams Octoberfest lager. OMG - THIS is what I want to brew next - but it is my first lager ever after 1.5 years of brewing ales. I have had the full all grain control panel setup now for over 4 months and have just been toying around with temps and process so it is now time to do it.

Um - I am totally confused? - do you spend all that money on 4 packages each of Lager Yeast? Or said another way: 8 paks of Yeast at 5.95 a pop then 4 more dry yeast at 4.95? for a grand total of around $45 just on yeast?? Or is that a list for us to use - just choose one - depending on our tastes... Please reply...

--edit--
Also - not really sure if we got the IBUs right for translation - I use BrewersFriend and didn't come near that IBU level that I see in your pic. I came up with 8.47 for the 60 min and 1.71 for the 20 min using Hallertau Hersbrucker using your amounts in the pic.
--Edit-- doh - had the wrong boil size vs batch size - please disregard this section -

 

[passedpawn]

Ok - I just had my first ever taste of the SamAdams Octoberfest lager. OMG - THIS is what I want to brew next - but it is my first lager ever after 1.5 years of brewing ales. I have had the full all grain control panel setup now for over 4 months and have just been toying around with temps and process so it is now time to do it.

Um - I am totally confused? - do you spend all that money on 4 packages each of Lager Yeast? Or said another way: 8 paks of Yeast at 5.95 a pop then 4 more dry yeast at 4.95? for a grand total of around $45 just on yeast?? Or is that a list for us to use - just choose one - depending on our tastes... Please reply...

--edit--
Also - not really sure if we got the IBUs right for translation - I use BrewersFriend and didn't come near that IBU level that I see in your pic. I came up with 8.47 for the 60 min and 1.71 for the 20 min using Hallertau Hersbrucker using your amounts in the pic.
--Edit-- doh - had the wrong boil size vs batch size - please disregard this section -

For the yeast, make a starter with the lager yeast and you can grow as much as you like. Cheaper than 4 pouches. I have never use 4 in one carboy.

Those IBUs above are misleading. The book says 24 and 2.7 IBUs. The numbers above aren't correct.

 

[surffisher2a]

For the yeast, make a starter with the lager yeast and you can grow as much as you like. Cheaper than 4 pouches. I have never use 4 in one carboy.

Those IBUs above are misleading. The book says 24 and 2.7 IBUs. The numbers above aren't correct.

I have never used more than one type of yeast in a beer. Actually just brewed my first lager (an oktoberfest) about a month ago.

so how do you utilize 3 different strains of yeast? Are you pitching different yeasts at different times in the fermentation? Just dumping all strains in at once? If dumping all at once, wouldn't the dominate strain just take over?

My lagering schedule was ferment at 52F for 10 days then raise to 64F for 2 days and back down to 52F for another 2 weeks and then move to secondary (keg) and lager @ 34F for 3 or 4 weeks.

From reading this thread it seems some people are lagering for months. Is there something else I should be doing?

PS -- I used white labs oktoberfest yeast with a 1 gallon starter.

 

[dlester]

Try WLP830 German Lager Yeast without being tied to Lagering temps. You can ferment at 65° with little off flavors and is widely used professionally as a house yeast for ales.

Be sure to use plenty of yeast. I use 1 vial with a 1000 ML starter per 5-6 gallons.


Cheers,

 

[passedpawn]

I have never used more than one type of yeast in a beer. Actually just brewed my first lager (an oktoberfest) about a month ago.

so how do you utilize 3 different strains of yeast? Are you pitching different yeasts at different times in the fermentation? Just dumping all strains in at once? If dumping all at once, wouldn't the dominate strain just take over?

My lagering schedule was ferment at 52F for 10 days then raise to 64F for 2 days and back down to 52F for another 2 weeks and then move to secondary (keg) and lager @ 34F for 3 or 4 weeks.

From reading this thread it seems some people are lagering for months. Is there something else I should be doing?

PS -- I used white labs oktoberfest yeast with a 1 gallon starter.

Use one kind of yeast.

Jamil usually recommends several yeasts that will work. The guy who created beersmith recipes for all of Jamil's recipes just showed all the yeasts. Choose only one of them.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[frazier]

so how do you utilize 3 different strains of yeast?

You don't. In Jamil's book (where that recipe comes from), he gives three options for yeast in each recipe. You choose one, not use them all.

FWIW, I made a close approximation of that recipe last May, lagered it all summer, bottled at the end of August. I haven't tried the SA O'fest, But the beer came out great, a lot like the commercials make it sound. I guess I'll have to try one!

Cheers,

ETA: The passed pawn was too fast.