Oktoberfest style beer help

[Jako]

looking to brew a Oktoberfest style beer in a week or so. i am looking for any tips or suggestions what has worked for you all in the past? share some pictures i would love to see how the beers turned out color wise!

i plan to come up with my own grain bill but should i avoid any malt or specialty grains that really don't work out well? i have no idea what stain of yeast i should use also i like to try different things but i also want a good beer to style.

i have some Nottingham and California Lager yeast i can harvest in a few days but i don't think they will do well.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

this is my recipe, I used 34/70 yeast, it's very good but if I had to change it I would use more vienna and less munich just for personal taste



German - Pilsner (33.3%)
German - Vienna (33.3%)
German - Munich Light (33.3%)

Perle, 90 min, IBU: 20.13
Hallertau Mittelfruh, 15 min, IBU: 12.81

 

[Jako]

this is my recipe, I used 34/70 yeast, it's very good but if I had to change it I would use more vienna and less munich just for personal taste

View attachment 587860

German - Pilsner (33.3%)
German - Vienna (33.3%)
German - Munich Light (33.3%)

Perle, 90 min, IBU: 20.13
Hallertau Mittelfruh, 15 min, IBU: 12.81

loos like a solid build, i would agree i like vienna a lot. any reason you did a 90 min boil? was it to drive off DMS? i have never used Perle hops before.

also your picture is not working. could be my worked computer.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I always boil 90, Im just set up that way after fly sparging a little too much but it's not necessary really in most cases, yes I think it's your work pc, you can use anything for bittering, the bittering hop is not tasted in most cases, you can even use magnum and save money, I like it because it's a german beer and that recipe is all german

 

[Steveruch]

CA lager yeast will work.

 

[Jako]

yeah it was my work computer, beer looks great. so i was just reading BCJP on Altbier, it says top fermenting lager beer. would this be a ale yeast at colder temps?

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

yes and a good one is bry97 dry, it's very clean and can handle 60F

 

[Jako]

i just had a interesting idea. i really want to use Imperial pub for the primary, then rack to a secondary and use Bry97. or blend the two and have the first few days at ale temps then add move it and lager for a week or so?

 

[Hopalong]

When you have a chance check out Weyermann Malt website and take a look at their recipes. Purchase their malt when using a recipe from them.
I use Weyermann dark and light Pils floor malt and sauer malz for Oktoberfest. Their floor malt is slightly under modified and low in protein.

It's better to stick with fresh yeast out of a package for consistency instead of harvesting yeast because yeast have a habit of becoming senile and it isn't worth adding a weak link.

Before adding hops bring the wort to boiling and skim off hot break until it stops rising or drastically reduces then add bittering hops and skim off second break. Boil the hops for an hour. Less hops are needed because the wort is cleaner, and less goop is transferred into the primary fermenter.

Secondary fermentation is required when a Beta (conversion) rest is used. 140 to 145F. The rest is omitted in recipes because fully modified malt lacks Beta amylase.
​

Only one type of yeast is needed during primary and secondary fermentation, except for maybe in high octane beer and Belgian beer. Yeast fuel is glucose and yeast rips through all of the glucose during primary fermentation. After glucose is burned up yeast turns its attention to complex sugar, maltose and maltotriose. Maltose and maltotriose form during conversion.
During secondary fermentation yeast absorbs maltose through the cell wall and an enzyme within yeast converts maltose back into glucose. Glucose is expelled back through the cell wall and yeast use it for fuel. During secondary fermentation the beer comes closer to expected FG. After two weeks the beer is transferred to kegs and during the aging/lagering cycle yeast does the same thing with maltotriose and natural carbonation occurs. The beer hits expected FG. Priming sugar and CO2 injection aren't needed.
When a recipe recommends using fully modified malt, single temperature infusion, only primary fermentation and adding priming sugar or CO2 the beer produced is similar in quality to Prohibition style beer.

 

[Aristoi]

I am brewing one tomorrow, this is my first one and cant wait

5lbs Pilsner 45%
3lbs Munich 25%
2.25lbs Vienna 20%
1/2lb Melanoiden 5%
1/2lb Caramunich 5%

1.5oz Hallertau Mittlefrueh 60min
0.5oz Hallertau Mittlefrueh 20min

34/70 yeast

OG 1.060
IBU 23
ABV 6%

I am torn on swapping the Munich to Vienna but they are very similar % and probably wont matter.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

There are many yeasts that will work but you should really use a yeast intended for O'fest. The right yeast really does make a difference. My favorites are Wyeast Bavarian 2206 and Munich 2308.

 

[Jako]

When you have a chance check out Weyermann Malt website and take a look at their recipes. Purchase their malt when using a recipe from them.
I use Weyermann dark and light Pils floor malt and sauer malz for Oktoberfest. Their floor malt is slightly under modified and low in protein.

It's better to stick with fresh yeast out of a package for consistency instead of harvesting yeast because yeast have a habit of becoming senile and it isn't worth adding a weak link.

Before adding hops bring the wort to boiling and skim off hot break until it stops rising or drastically reduces then add bittering hops and skim off second break. Boil the hops for an hour. Less hops are needed because the wort is cleaner, and less goop is transferred into the primary fermenter.

Secondary fermentation is required when a Beta (conversion) rest is used. 140 to 145F. The rest is omitted in recipes because fully modified malt lacks Beta amylase.
​

Only one type of yeast is needed during primary and secondary fermentation, except for maybe in high octane beer and Belgian beer. Yeast fuel is glucose and yeast rips through all of the glucose during primary fermentation. After glucose is burned up yeast turns its attention to complex sugar, maltose and maltotriose. Maltose and maltotriose form during conversion.
During secondary fermentation yeast absorbs maltose through the cell wall and an enzyme within yeast converts maltose back into glucose. Glucose is expelled back through the cell wall and yeast use it for fuel. During secondary fermentation the beer comes closer to expected FG. After two weeks the beer is transferred to kegs and during the aging/lagering cycle yeast does the same thing with maltotriose and natural carbonation occurs. The beer hits expected FG. Priming sugar and CO2 injection aren't needed.
When a recipe recommends using fully modified malt, single temperature infusion, only primary fermentation and adding priming sugar or CO2 the beer produced is similar in quality to Prohibition style beer.

This is incredible information thank you for sharing. Just making sure I understand completely. You are suggesting using unmodified malt and make a more time period correct beer using older methods?

 

[Jako]

I am brewing one tomorrow, this is my first one and cant wait

5lbs Pilsner 45%
3lbs Munich 25%
2.25lbs Vienna 20%
1/2lb Melanoiden 5%
1/2lb Caramunich 5%

1.5oz Hallertau Mittlefrueh 60min
0.5oz Hallertau Mittlefrueh 20min

34/70 yeast

OG 1.060
IBU 23
ABV 6%

I am torn on swapping the Munich to Vienna but they are very similar % and probably wont matter.

Looks like a solid beer. How did your brew day go?

I picked up my yeast today imperal dieter. I will have to make a thread on this strain I can't find much. I brew next week.

 

[Jako]

There are many yeasts that will work but you should really use a yeast intended for O'fest. The right yeast really does make a difference. My favorites are Wyeast Bavarian 2206 and Munich 2308.

Thank you for the suggestions wish I had seen this while I was out!

 

[Aristoi]

Looks like a solid beer. How did your brew day go?

I picked up my yeast today imperal dieter. I will have to make a thread on this strain I can't find much. I brew next week.

Life got in the way and I missed my window to mash in between the kids games and had to punt brew day to this coming weekend. Made a slight tweak to recipe to bump IBUs to 27 so bitterness to gravity is just under 0.5.

 

[Morrey]

this is my recipe, I used 34/70 yeast, it's very good but if I had to change it I would use more vienna and less munich just for personal taste

View attachment 587860

German - Pilsner (33.3%)
German - Vienna (33.3%)
German - Munich Light (33.3%)

Perle, 90 min, IBU: 20.13
Hallertau Mittelfruh, 15 min, IBU: 12.81

I may give this a shot on Saturday with 34/70 I have on hand. Do you dial in 50F for this one?

You mention bumping the quantity of Vienna and reducing the amount of Munich....how would 40% Pils/40% Vienna/20% Munich work??

When I build this recipe, what OG are you aiming for?

Thanks!

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

ok you need to scale this I'm betting, I brewed an 18 gallon batch last time and your % will work fine, it will also lighten the beer color though

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/597377/ozarks-festbier