Oktober fest ale

[radiodome21]

I don't do lagers because I can't. Taking advantage of the 21 day trial of beersmith I made up my own Oktoberfest but as an ale using dry yeast. I got the recipe off of here but substituted the yeast. It came in as a high gravity beer and I am wondering if I needed 2 packets of the dry yeast. I only bought 1 and don't really anticipate buying another. What will happen? What say you, beer community?

 

[TangoHotel]

I don't do lagers because I can't. Taking advantage of the 21 day trial of beersmith I made up my own Oktoberfest but as an ale using dry yeast. I got the recipe off of here but substituted the yeast. It came in as a high gravity beer and I am wondering if I needed 2 packets of the dry yeast. I only bought 1 and don't really anticipate buying another. What will happen? What say you, beer community?

How high is the gravity? If it's higher than 1.060 people here recommend a starter or pitching a second yeast packet. Also, aeration of the wort with oxygen is a must for the yeast in higher gravity brews. Underpitched beers tend to have off flavors. The yeast need to work extra hard to replicate in order to consume the amount of sugars that they are swimming in. More yeast, less stress.

I suspect that this was my major issue with my Oktoberfest ale last year. Mine was at 1.055 and finished around 1.020. It was all extract and it had some weird funkiness to it. I also fermented warm, which really didn't help. It fermented at 72*F. There were some very unwanted fruity esters. Had I added more hops in the boil it would be a decent amber ale, but an oktoberfest it was not.

In contrast, my Oktoberfest this year was done properly and it is dead on an oktoberfest, but I used lager yeast and temps.

Good luck on the beer. Hope it turns out.

 

[beersk]

People do it all the time. Use US-05 for dry, if you decide to use liquid, go with WY1007 German Ale yeast. And give it some time cold after primary fermentation, whether that means after the bottles carb up and leave them in the fridge for several weeks or let carbonate in the keg for several weeks before you start drinking it. That'll give the yeast a chance to drop out and make a clear beer, like Oktoberfest should be.