Session Oktoberfest

[JCRochabrew]

Hi All

I want to do a Oktoberfest with less ABV- 3 to 4% - to serve to guys that are not used to craft beer.

Is there a "Session Oktoberfest" recipe? or it is a "sin" do to the fact that is going to be our of the style parameters?

 

[applescrap]

I think that beer you are thinking of has a name. Brew what you like and how you like. The style guidelines are great, and important for competitions, but aren't set in stone. They can help guide the beer to different styles but from there the brewer has the ultimate control and choice not the guidelines. Some will argue about what to call a beer out of guidelines but imagine if every beer ever made was called by its official style guideline name. While it would help choose types many would have long winded names. Brew what you like, reinheitsgebooty or however it's spelled I think is one of the stupidest things I know of. And putting rules on the creation of art or beer is weird. Some people really respect that and follow German purity laws, even weirder. I guess to each their own. Its up to you to choose.

 

[applescrap]

Hi All

I want to do a Oktoberfest with less ABV- 3 to 4% - to serve to guys that are not used to craft beer.

Is there a "Session Oktoberfest" recipe? or it is a "sin" do to the fact that is going to be our of the style parameters?

I am going to take this a step further. Just the fact you felt the need to even ask this says so much about what is wrong with homebrewing and some people on this very forum.

 

[JCRochabrew]

I am going to take this a step further. Just the fact you felt the need to even ask this says so much about what is wrong with homebrewing and some people on this very forum.

Hi

I will like to clarify that. I didn´t feel the need to ask. I want to know if there is a recipe and to share my idea, as much ordinary or normal it can be.
In fact, what I realy enjoy since I started making beer at home is there is a LOT of support online, A HUGE base of information!!
Homebrewers love to share info and I love it!!!

and thanks for your reply.

 

[brewbama]

If I wanted to lower the OG of an Oktoberfest I’d take a tried and true recipe and lower the grain bill to get the desired OG.

Style guidelines are there to help judges reconcile what they perceive vs a set standard. It has nothing to do with your personal taste or goal.

Don’t let the guidelines stop you from brewing the beer you want to brew.

 

[MaxStout]

Here are a few Oktoberfest/Marzen recipes to look over. Find one you might like and scale it down.

Edit: and a few more.

 

[applescrap]

Hi

I will like to clarify that. I didn´t feel the need to ask. I want to know if there is a recipe and to share my idea, as much ordinary or normal it can be.
In fact, what I realy enjoy since I started making beer at home is there is a LOT of support online, A HUGE base of information!!
Homebrewers love to share info and I love it!!!

and thanks for your reply.

Haha, ok, admittedly I have a little more water under the bridge. Agree there is lots of great support here at hbt. Amazing really. While I dont have the exact recipe, there are English milds too! They are supposedly really good session beers. After you brew your session marzen maybe try one of these as well.

 

[BrewingAroundtheRrealm]

Home brewing is about brewing beer that you enjoy drinking. Not about brewing beer that fits in to a category. There is nothing wrong with taking a given recipe and scaling it down to fit the ABV that you want. If you want to make a lite Marzen/Oktoberfest, go for it. It's not a style but there is no reason it can't be a good beer.

A few things to think about:

If you reduce the recipe and keep the percentages roughly the same you should be fine.
Watch your SRM. A larger reduction in base malt than in specialty grains is going to be better.
Reducing the grain bill with the same volume of water is going to reduce body. You may want to add in some dextrin malt to compensate.

Give it a try and let us know how it turns out.

 

[Steveruch]

Hi All

I want to do a Oktoberfest with less ABV- 3 to 4% - to serve to guys that are not used to craft beer.

Is there a "Session Oktoberfest" recipe? or it is a "sin" do to the fact that is going to be our of the style parameters?

All-grain or extract?

 

[madscientist451]

To the Op: If the guys you want to serve it to "aren't used to craft beer", why do you think an Octoberfest will be something they like?
People that like Coors light and similar brews don't want to think about what the beer tastes like, they just want to drink it.
Anyway....
I never thought of a low ABV Octoberfest, I think I'm going to try it.
Here's a recipe, 3.8%:

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/embracing-sunset-lager/

• 7.0 lb (3.0 kg) Munich malt (7° L)
• 8 oz (225 g) Belgain aromatic malt
• 1.25 oz (35 g) Santiam, Tettnanger or Mt. Hood pellet hops (60 min)
• 0.6 oz (16 g) Crystal, Tettnanger or Mt. Hood whole hops or pellets (5 min)
• 0.25 tsp (1.25 ml) powdered Irish moss
• 0.75 cup (180 ml) corn sugar for priming bottles or 0.33 cups (80 ml) corn sugar for kegging
• Oktoberfest style lager yeast or other Munich/Bavarian style lager yeasts

SPECIFICATIONS

• Original Gravity: 1.040
• Final Gravity: 1.011
• ABV: 3.8%
• IBU: 28
• SRM: 11

The Recipe calls for a step mash, but I may skip that and see what happens.

 

[JCRochabrew]

A

All-grain or extract?

ll grain

 

[JCRochabrew]

To the Op: If the guys you want to serve it to "aren't used to craft beer", why do you think an Octoberfest will be something they like?
People that like Coors light and similar brews don't want to think about what the beer tastes like, they just want to drink it.
Anyway....
I never thought of a low ABV Octoberfest, I think I'm going to try it.
Here's a recipe, 3.8%:

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/embracing-sunset-lager/

• 7.0 lb (3.0 kg) Munich malt (7° L)
• 8 oz (225 g) Belgain aromatic malt
• 1.25 oz (35 g) Santiam, Tettnanger or Mt. Hood pellet hops (60 min)
• 0.6 oz (16 g) Crystal, Tettnanger or Mt. Hood whole hops or pellets (5 min)
• 0.25 tsp (1.25 ml) powdered Irish moss
• 0.75 cup (180 ml) corn sugar for priming bottles or 0.33 cups (80 ml) corn sugar for kegging
• Oktoberfest style lager yeast or other Munich/Bavarian style lager yeasts

SPECIFICATIONS

• Original Gravity: 1.040
• Final Gravity: 1.011
• ABV: 3.8%
• IBU: 28
• SRM: 11

The Recipe calls for a step mash, but I may skip that and see what happens.

Thanks.
I want to use the Oktoberfest as an argument. So doing a "lite" Okctoberfest that tastes diferent of the normal beers.
Thanks

 

[JCRochabrew]

Thanks all.

I will post the results.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Yeah, follow what everyone said about scaling back an existing recipe. However, it's not necessarily a 1:1 scale, as doing this with most session beers leaves them thin with no backbone. This is why making a good session beer is often more difficult than it's "regular" version.

However, i'm not necessarily following the logic of giving a session version of a craft beer to someone who isn't used to craft beer. Making a session version of a given beer style will still have it taste like the original style - unless you explicitly are going for thinner/less flavor. If someone isn't used to drinking IPAs, giving them a session IPA won't necessarily bridge that craft-macro gap.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

My 2 cents. Fest beers typically come in ABV 5% which is session (or just above) many guest of mine “non-craft” drinkers have enjoyed homebrew, and “craft”. Some don’t want to pay for it, or perhaps were Bud light drinkers and their first craft beer was an IPA, we could be understanding that they might find that shocking and perhaps awful. Some just want something so light they can drink it all day and still walk.

Brew what you like that won’t be over the top, a marzen is not hop forward, and they might be surprised that a beer with color isn’t bitter. Every time I have had a party that I brewed for I would also have some commercial beer on hand for my guests that might not like homebrew. Every time so far, I have lots of leftover commercial beer.

 

[JCRochabrew]

Yeah, follow what everyone said about scaling back an existing recipe. However, it's not necessarily a 1:1 scale, as doing this with most session beers leaves them thin with no backbone. This is why making a good session beer is often more difficult than it's "regular" version.

However, i'm not necessarily following the logic of giving a session version of a craft beer to someone who isn't used to craft beer. Making a session version of a given beer style will still have it taste like the original style - unless you explicitly are going for thinner/less flavor. If someone isn't used to drinking IPAs, giving them a session IPA won't necessarily bridge that craft-macro gap.

Hi
You got a point there. I don´t want a thin beer, but a lighter one with same taste

 

[Steveruch]

1/3 munich malt, 1/3 vienna malt, 1/3 pilsner malt to get 1.040 on your system. Mash mid 150s and mittlefruh hops to 20 IBUs. Ferment with your favorite lager yeast.

 

[Steveruch]

Hi
You got a point there. I don´t want a thin beer, but a lighter one with same taste

The people you plan to serve it to may prefer a thinner beer.

 

[brewbama]

Session beers don’t have to be thin. You can use other techniques to give the beer body without increasing the ABV out of the sessionable range. Mash temp, dextrinous malts, yeast selection are some examples.

Mash at 154-156*F can help body by producing a dextrinous wort.

Adding Cara-Pils to a recipe helps body.

Though an Oktoberfest should be a lager bier, lager yeasts often consume Maltotriose which is one reason they produce dryer beers. Choose a clean Ale yeast that doesn’t use maltotriose leaving behind the body. Careful though, Ale yeast also are known for esters that may be inappropriate so choose wisely.

 

[wepeeler]

Session beers don’t have to be thin. You can use other techniques to give the beer body without increasing the ABV out of the sessionable range. Mash temp, dextrinous malts, yeast selection are some examples.

Mash at 154-156*F can help body by producing a dextrinous wort.

Adding Cara-Pils to a recipe helps body.

Though an Oktoberfest should be a lager bier, lager yeasts often consume Maltotriose which is one reason they produce dryer beers. Choose a clean Ale yeast that doesn’t use maltotriose leaving behind the body. Careful though, Ale yeast also are known for esters that may be inappropriate so choose wisely.

I just used Nottingham in my Mocktoberfest, fermented at 71 (it was warm in the basement), and it turned out great. I get very little ester flavors. Nice malt backbone, and the hops are just evident enough for balance.

 

[brewbeerry]

I just brewed a session Oktoberfest homebrew at work yesterday while brewing a 15 bbl batch. I'll let you know how it comes out. I've been trying to perfect process for creating non-thin super session beers. There is very little info on creating beers like this. I have been looking into non enzamtic mashing overnight but haven't tried that yet. My last homebrew was a light lager that I mashed 168F for 10 mins. OG was 1.023 and FG was 1.012 so around 1.4% abv. It's still a bit too sweet so probably needed a little more hops to balance it but it's promising. Good body and much better than commercial non alcoholic beers.


Here is the session Oktoberfest recipe specs:
OG: 1.025

Mashed 15 mins at 167F (62% efficiency)
Full volume mash with 8.5 gals water
Boiled hard for 40 mins (7.5 gals down to 6 in fermenter)

3 g gypsum
5 g CaCl
6 ml lactic

2.5 lbs Munich 2
2 lbs Vienna
1 lb Carapils
.75 lbs Pilsner
.5 lbs caramunich 3
.3 oz Magnum 40 mins
.8 oz Mittelfruh 15 mins
S-189 yeast

 

[brewbeerry]

And the final gravity ended up at 1.015 making it a grand 1.3%. Taking it out of cooler today for diacetyl rest. Already quite clear so should have it carbed and ready in 1-2 weeks

 

[Miraculix]

And the final gravity ended up at 1.015 making it a grand 1.3%. Taking it out of cooler today for diacetyl rest. Already quite clear so should have it carbed and ready in 1-2 weeks

Wow, that is even too session for me. 1.3%, that's nothing! I brew regularly within the 2.5% range, but never went as low as you did. I'm curious how it tastes.

 

[Steveruch]

Session beers don’t have to be thin. You can use other techniques to give the beer body without increasing the ABV out of the sessionable range. Mash temp, dextrinous malts, yeast selection are some examples.

Mash at 154-156*F can help body by producing a dextrinous wort.

Adding Cara-Pils to a recipe helps body.

Though an Oktoberfest should be a lager bier, lager yeasts often consume Maltotriose which is one reason they produce dryer beers. Choose a clean Ale yeast that doesn’t use maltotriose leaving behind the body. Careful though, Ale yeast also are known for esters that may be inappropriate so choose wisely.

I made a really good pilsner at 72f with Pacman yeast from Wyeast.

 

[brewbeerry]

I'll let you know when try it carbed up but the hydrometer sample today was pretty good. It didn't seem as crisp as should be and had a bit of sweet wort taste to it from higher final gravity. However the lager I did before this one had similar taste and ended up being really nice once it was carbed and sat cold for 2 weeks. It wasn't thin and was super drinkable. Especially after yard work! Will be interested to see how the malt profile of the session Oktoberfest comes through.

 

[brewbeerry]

The beer is almost fully carbed and mostly clear already. The aroma is sweet malt and slight caramel. Lighter body but not thin. The flavor starts with some caramel and finishes with light toasted bread character. May be a bit better finishing around 1.012 for little more crispness. Definitely missing some malt flavor, even lighter more traditional oktoberfests have little more going on. I'm sure it will mellow nicely after sitting a week or two. Its not quite what the normal Oktoberfest is but will enjoy drinking this. May try editing recipe to finish around 2.5% abv to see if malt comes through more in flavor.

 

[jack13]

The beer is almost fully carbed and mostly clear already. The aroma is sweet malt and slight caramel. Lighter body but not thin. The flavor starts with some caramel and finishes with light toasted bread character. May be a bit better finishing around 1.012 for little more crispness. Definitely missing some malt flavor, even lighter more traditional oktoberfests have little more going on. I'm sure it will mellow nicely after sitting a week or two. Its not quite what the normal Oktoberfest is but will enjoy drinking this. May try editing recipe to finish around 2.5% abv to see if malt comes through more in flavor.

Have you ever attempted a (mostly) N/A by boiling off the alcohol on a 'normal' ABV finished beer? If so I'm wondering how it compared with the method you describe above.

 

[JCRochabrew]

Hi

Did my Oktoberfest recipe:

5,5 kgs Pale Malt, 5 kgs Maris Otter, 3 kgs Munich malt and 2 Kgs Carahell malt. Mash at 65 C; tried to get to 67 C, but only got it to 65 C, during 90 min

Got 82 Litres, boil for 60 min. At the beginning of the Boil add 100 g Saaz, then 70 g Perle at 12 min to the end and 30 g Perle at the end

Put the wort in 3 fermenters x 22 Litre each and a 5 litre carboy, total +/- 70 to 72 litres.

Left the fermenters and carboy in the freezer to drop the temperature, due to the fact that could not drop below 35 C with my Chiller.

The day after the wort was at 8 C and add the yeast- 2 fermenters with Saflager 34/70 each, 1 fermenter with US 05 and the 5L carboy with cider yeast(for a experience)

Got a OG of 1,049

Let it ferment at 12 C for 14 days and raised the temperature to 21 C for 2 days, then drop the freezer to 3 C.

After a month took the US 05 fermenter, keg it and did carbonation with CO2, rolling the keg gently for 4 minutes with 30 psi.

Before I read the FG it went to 1,0087.

Tasted the beer yesterday – tastes great !!but it is not clear

The 2 fermenters left- add gelatin to clear the beer and will keg on Monday

Result - not a Session Oktoberfest but a very nice beer.
Rgds

 

[brewbeerry]

Have you ever attempted a (mostly) N/A by boiling off the alcohol on a 'normal' ABV finished beer? If so I'm wondering how it compared with the method you describe above.

I have tried it and like most people who have attempted it the amount of alcohol boiled off isn't much. I did a 180F "boil" on a finished Pilsner for 30 mins with a hop addition for flavor/aroma. It definitely didn't boil off too much alcohol. Still getting slight buzz after 2 pints. It was more like wort compared to how I'm doing it now, very sweet.

There are several threads on boiling off alcohol in finished beers and they almost all agree that not much alcohol is boiled off.

I have found that I need a lot more bittering hops for the low alcohol process I'm doing now. The last batch I did last week was around 1 for the ratio of bu:gu (1.031 gravity and supposedly 32 ibus).