The Brew House Oktoberfest

[Antler]

Well I finally got my hands on a couple Oktoberfest kits from The Brew House. The only brewing store around me only gets one shipment of these every September. I want to use a nice high quality liquid yeast for this brew, but I don't have the ability to lager. Anyone experiment with this beer and have some insight?

 

[Beerens]

It is going to be really hard, dare I say impossible, to make an oktoberfest with out being able to control your fermentation temperature and then lager. Good luck Brother.

 

[Antler]

Well there's no layering needed with the yeast supplied with the kit, I just thought a liquid yeast would be better...

 

[Antler]

I was thinking about a little temporary setup. First of all I'll say I work away from home. I spend 22 days away working and get 12 days home. I saw a setup someone uses where they have a swamp bucket, and place the fermenter inside and fill it with cold water, and cycle ice packs through it to keep it at desired temperature. MY IDEA: Take a swamp bucket and drill some holes a few inches below where the top of the fermenter would be. Place it in my bathtub, with the fermenter inside. Run a hose from shower head to swamp bucket, and leave a slow stream of water running through it. Water doesn't cost anything here, there's an abundance of it. It could stay in the tub for the 22 days I'm way. Would be a little finicky getting the temp right but once i figure that out it should be smooth going. Any input on this?

 

[android]

i doubt if you would be able to get lager temps doing it that way. i would just try to use a neutral ale yeast (like WY1056/WLP001 or US-05/nottingham, something like that) and ferment it in the bathtub method, that way you will get little contribution from yeast flavors.

 

[Antler]

I guess I'll just have to use the dry yeast provided in the kit. Layering may have to wait until the new home comes...

 

[Antler]

Another brain fart. What if buy a swamp bucket, and make a permanent immersion chiller inside it, big enough for my fermenter to fit inside the coils. Keep a cool support of water through it.

 

[Antler]

I saw people using a cheap temp controller and aquarium heater in a large swamp bucket, with the fermenter inside. Would this be ok for sub zero temps? My parents have a small cellar they used to use but don't anymore. It's insulated, but not heated. Outside temps can reach -10 here easily over the winter. Would it be ok to use the swamp bucket method with the aquarium heater?

 

[NewfZX7]

How did make out with the Oktoberfest after all? I'm about start a kit now using American Ale yeast that I have harvested. I read somewhere online this yeast will help towards a more clean, crisp beer. Not going to be exactly true to the style but probably closer than using the Coopers in the kit.

 

[Antler]

I haven't tried it yet. I'm only home for 11 days and I did an American ale for my buddy and my first AG for myself, a red ale. I still have the oktoberfests but will wait until I get home again to get them going. I'd love to lager but with my limited space and Kegging equipment still in the closet I can't have a lagering freezer yet. Let me know how it works out for you with the American ale yeast! I'm racking that Irish red into a secondary now as we speak and was thinking about harvest the British ale II yeast to try one of the oktoberfests!