Let's clone Sierra Nevada's 2019 Oktoberfest

[deadwolfbones]

This year Sierra Nevada is brewing their Oktoberfest in collaboration with Bitburger, and Terence at SN reached out to the BeerAdvocate forum and helpfully provided the grain bill and some other info. You can see those posts here and here.

Here's my best guess for a 5.5 gal batch, using 75% efficiency:

Grist:

6.75 lb Munich (presumably Type I, Weyermann or BestMalz)
3.1 lb Pilsner (Weyermann or BestMalz)
1.2 lb C60 (Briess, per Terence)

Hops:

Magnum @ 60min [10.5 IBU]
Loral @ 30min [7.5 IBU]
"Bitburger blend" (I've pencilled in Hallertau Mittelfruh) @ WP [~2 IBU]

Process:

-Mash at 154F for ?? (guessing 60) with a dash of CaCl2 to get 13.9 Plato = 1.057 OG
-Boil 75 minutes
-Chill to 50F, pitch yeast (W-34/70 or WLP830?) and ferment at 52F. Diacetyl rest when 75-80% fermented, then age in keg/bottle for a few months.


If anyone has any insight/tips/ideas, feel free to contribute! Would be cool for several of us to brew a take on this and see how close it is to the real thing.

 

[SpeedYellow]

Thanks for posting this! I'll be watching and will brew it too, except that I'll drop the Munich by two-thirds. That grain bill looks awful.

 

[Devon Brooks]

Thanks for posting this! I'll be watching and will brew it too, except that I'll drop the Munich by two-thirds. That grain bill looks awful.

Since I'm very new to All Grain, what jumps out to you as "awful?" It roughly adheres to the 2 lbs per gallon average I typically see. Is it because the munich would be super malty and too heavy for an octoberfest? TIA

 

[SpeedYellow]

Since I'm very new to All Grain, what jumps out to you as "awful?" It roughly adheres to the 2 lbs per gallon average I typically see. Is it because the munich would be super malty and too heavy for an octoberfest? TIA

I simply dislike beers with 30%+ Munich malt. Just tastes cloying to me. So 60% is a non-starter. Some folks may love it though.

Also seems like too much C60 crystal malt too, especially when combined with 60% Munich!

 

[Die_Beerery]

That grain bill looks awful.

Correct, its the most American "German" marzen I have seen. Personally I love bitburger, and know the head brewer. I can't wait to speak to him and ask him what in the ever living F they were thinking with this.

 

[shelly_belly]

I don't like WLP830 German Lager. It's not clean tasting to me. It throws off a strong "Becks" beer taste. My favorite for marzens is WLP802 Czech Budejovice. My second choice would be WLP833 German Bock. I haven't tried the dry yet.

 

[BruceH]

Any updates on this? The Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest is out. Just picked up a 6 pack. Will sample this afternoon/evening.

 

[Dog House Brew]

Correct, its the most American "German" marzen I have seen. Personally I love bitburger, and know the head brewer. I can't wait to speak to him and ask him what in the ever living F they were thinking with this.

I bought it last week. I’ve never seen one so dark for one. I’ve never had one that was so sweet. Hard to drink because of that heavy sweetness. I’m not sure what a true O’Fest is supposed to be. I’ve always bought Ayinger.

 

[Robert65]

I’m not sure what a true O’Fest is supposed to be.

The point of an Oktoberfest beer is that you can pound liter after liter after liter all day and all night until they have all your money. American brewers just don't get it.

 

[brewbama]

The point of an Oktoberfest beer is that you can pound liter after liter after liter all day and all night until they have all your money. American brewers just don't get it.

...and those that do end up on the hill out back of the fest tent passed out as well as broke. Smells like puke back there. I saw it all three times I’ve been to the Wiesn.

 

[BruceH]

So I had one. I don't claim to have a educated beer palate but I know what I like and I do like a good Oktoberfest beer. The malt flavors are fine to me but the hop flavors just don't work with the malt, at least with the one I just drank.

 

[Dog House Brew]

...and those that do end up on the hill out back of the fest tent passed out as well as broke. Smells like puke back there. I saw it all three times I’ve been to the Wiesn.

That is awesome!!

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Finally had this beer a few weeks ago (the commercial one, not the clone). Terrible. Just terrible.
I drank it with two German friends, one of whom is a huge Bitburger fan, a it's his "hometown beer".
THey were both like "WTF is this?"
Total C-60 bomb.

 

[Lefou]

Vienna. Munich. Chocolate (for a bit of color, maybe) and a bit of aromatic.
No Crystal. Noble hops to balance the malt.
Sam Adams O'fest has crystal and is more English than German for my tastes. In my opinion, a good example of amber German O'fest would be Paulaner Marzen. I love that stuff.

 

[Die_Beerery]

Vienna. Munich. Chocolate (for a bit of color, maybe) and a bit of aromatic.
No Crystal. Noble hops to balance the malt.
Sam Adams O'fest has crystal and is more English than German for my tastes. In my opinion, a good example of amber German O'fest would be Paulaner Marzen. I love that stuff.

Nope try again. Tons of crystal in this one. Though your recipe would probably be better.

You think a good example of a German Oktoberfest beer is the brewery which basically invented the style. Yea...[emoji38]

 

[Lefou]

Just a humble opinion, Herr Schwanz.
I'll just slink off to a dark corner of the HBT peanut gallery - with your permission, of course.

 

[Die_Beerery]

Just a humble opinion

And that’s perfectly fine. It’s just wrong. [emoji41]


Grist:
61% Munich
28% Pilsner
11% C-60

Hops:
Bitter: Magnum
Mid: Loral
Whirlpool: Bitburger blend

 

[cactusgarrett]

It’s just wrong.

Do you have anything pointing to the "right" recipe SN used?

 

[Robert65]

Do you have anything pointing to the "right" recipe SN used?

Go back and read where this thread started. It is the actual SN recipe, though it does make a disgusting beer.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Go back and read where this thread started. It is the actual SN recipe, though it does make a disgusting beer.

Gotcha, thanks. I took DeadWolfBones' post as his "best guess" - I didn't see input from a SN brewer.

 

[Die_Beerery]

Do you have anything pointing to the "right" recipe SN used?

It’s in the post you quoted.

 

[monkeymath]

I’m not sure what a true O’Fest is supposed to be.

Neither am I. Born and raised in Munich, never had a drop of what is brewed as "Oktoberfest" in the US. I'm curious, though.

 

[Die_Beerery]

Neither am I. Born and raised in Munich, never had a drop of what is brewed as "Oktoberfest" in the US. I'm curious, though.

Then steer VERY clear of the abominations they call us Oktoberfest. Hot garbage.

 

[Lefou]

Neither am I. Born and raised in Munich, never had a drop of what is brewed as "Oktoberfest" in the US. I'm curious, though.

I like that reply. Do yourself a favor and try to avoid those American styles.
Again, IN MY OPINION, it's blasphemy to include any sort of crystal grains in an O'fest beer, regardless of color. I'm the sort who looks for those German imports come fall and will sometimes buy it by the case. Don't make the mistake of buying craft American versions. It's often disappointing and frustrating to find an overbearing level of caramel grains in those beers, especially when you think you're getting a deal after the holiday with 28 bottles per case.
I'm no "pro" by any means but steadfastly avoid crystal like the plague in the beers I drink.

 

[Die_Beerery]

@Lefou , do you like Ayinger, or W’s fest offerings?

 

[Lefou]

Personally, I prefer Wiesn and Weihenstephaner's Festbier runs a close second.
I've never seen any distributor within 25 miles of where I live in Central NJ carrying Ayinger in any form. The barbarians around here don't know what it is. I've pointedly asked after certain beers and if they aren't cheap and don't sell in volume, they aren't stocked.
Off-hand, though, I'd literally consider committing a crime to get the Ayinger Lager Hell, but that's just between you, me, and the wall ....

 

[Die_Beerery]

Big wiesn fan as well. That beer is just Munich and pils, however W uses Caramalt ( carahell), and ayinger uses a metric ton of caramunich II, also a caramalt.

So what I think you mean is you love caramalt from low oxygen brewhouses (the German ones) cause it doesn’t oxidate and taste American. [emoji41]