oktoberfest

[Mr.Wyatt]

quick question...what is the best oktoberfest recipe you guys have?

 

[Jag75]

Check out Marzen in the search box . Massive discussions on this that will be helpful for you.

 

[dmtaylor]

This turned out really well for me, won a silver or gold medal (I forget which) several years ago. Note: this is for 2.5 gallons. If you want 5, double it. Also note: Somehow I managed to get 92% efficiency on this batch. You probably won't. So increase Vienna malt accordingly.

 

[Mr.Wyatt]

Thanks dmtaylor I have been searching for awhile. If I start this this weekend how long until its finished?

 

[dmtaylor]

You can package it and begin tasting it in as little as 2 weeks; HOWEVER, it won't really start tasting fantastic until at least 4-8 weeks.

 

[Iseneye]

Oktoberfest beers are different than Marzen nowadways. Oktoberfests are now more like a Helles (although not traditionally). Which one are you after?

 

[dmtaylor]

Oktoberfest beers are different than Marzen nowadways. Oktoberfests are now more like a Helles (although not traditionally). Which one are you after?

Good point. The yellow version is a totally different style. I just assumed he meant the copper color version.

 

[Mr.Wyatt]

I'm guessing the copper version. . Which if the 2 is the more traditional version? That is what I'm after

 

[dmtaylor]

I'm guessing the copper version. . Which if the 2 is the more traditional version? That is what I'm after

Depends who you ask. The original from hundreds of years ago was the copper color. Only in the 20th century did it turn yellow, but is all they serve in Munich today.

 

[TheMadKing]

Depends who you ask. The original from hundreds of years ago was the copper color. Only in the 20th century did it turn yellow, but is all they serve in Munich today.

According to Historical German Beers for the Homebrewer, the original Marzen recipe was a 100% vienna malt (he equated traditional german "amber" malt with vienna based on the diastatic power and contemporary descriptions) with an OG around 1.065. They used an extensive decoction mash schedule and a 1.5 hour boil though, so the color may indeed have been a bit darker, but I don't think it would match the deep amber we expect in a modern Marzen. I'm going to attempt to brew one using the traditional decoction techniques (3.5 hour mash... sheesh) and see how it goes.

The only reason Marzen became "traditional" was because they ran out of the festbier that day because it was so hot. Prior to that, a stronger slightly maltier version of a helles was served and was just called a summerbier