Oktoberfest

[betarhoalphadelta]

Just BTW, if you don't have the time, energy, or equipment to do a multi-step starter >1 gal, dry yeast in a lager works very well. I've used SafLager W-34/70 MANY times and it really does well*.

Granted, it's costly. For a 10-gallon batch (11 into fermenter) I basically buy 4 packs of yeast, sometimes 5 if the OG will be a little higher. That's >$20 per batch on yeast. That ends up costing the same and sometimes more than the total grain bill! So I try to always do two back-to-back lagers, harvesting the slurry for re-pitch on the next batch. That at least halves the per-batch yeast cost, which helps.

But it works.

*Note: I've tried S-23 and Mangrove Jack's M84 IIRC, it was their Bavarian lager strain, and neither really impressed me. SafLager W-34/70 has never failed me though.

 

[jakwi]

this is really good to know. thanks

 

[jakwi]

Well in the end it turned out pretty well. I learned a lot along the way.

One mistake I made was that my hops as purchased were roughly half the expected AA%. This resulted in a much lower IBU, approx. 10 versus my expected 20. So this took a malty recipe, and made it really malty!

Since I like Malty beers this is ok, but probably at the extreme edge of what I find acceptable.
OG 1.064
FG 1.018
21 day ferment, (probably to long, as it had basically finished)
5 day diacetyl rest followed by the diacetyl test ( seemed good by my untrained nose/Tastbuds)
7 day lager/Geletin clearing. Gelitin worked magic inside of a week. Crystal clear with a nice head

Brew to keg was 4 to 5 weeks. This probably could have been shortened, but I didn't want to rush it.

So I learned

1. that I really prefer beers that are more neutral.
2. that lagers require an absurd amount of yeast, and that I will likely need to make two consecutive starters.
3. how to perform a diacetyl rest
4. to pay attention to the expected AA in hops, vs what is available at the LHBS and to adjust my recipe on the fly if necessary.

Next time I think I'll try bwarbiany's recipe. Thanks again for all of the help.