What’s Your Oktoberfest Grain Bill?

[Kickass]

I’m looking for a good starting place to brew an Oktoberfest from. My thought was 50% Munich, 25% Vienna, 25% Pils.

What grain bills have you liked and disliked for this style?

 

[Steveruch]

That'll work. I like to go 1/3 each.

 

[Genuine]

Here's mine and it's been my go-to for the last few years:

https://share.brewfather.app/2SbFLVJyQt31kh
I did a higher chloride PPM last year and I found that it REALLY brought out the maltiness of it compared to using a softer profile for it.

Reminded me that I need to brew mine this weekend.

 

[MrPowers]

53/40/4.5/2.5% Barke Munich/Barke Pils/Carahell/Caramunich II to about 1.055.

 

[giftedeye2]

88/8/4% Munich/Vienna/Cara Munich is what I am about to try.

 

[MrPowers]

88/8/4% Munich/Vienna/Cara Munich is what I am about to try.

That’s probably going to be closer to a dunkel flavor wise.

 

[giftedeye2]

That’s probably going to be closer to a dunkel flavor wise.

To heavy on the Munich?

 

[MrPowers]

To heavy on the Munich?

Ya. I’d probably back that down to 60% or so, since you’re filling the balance of the grainbill with Vienna. If you were using pils, I’d say you could get away with 65% or so.

 

[Alex4mula]

That’s probably going to be closer to a dunkel flavor wise.

Nah. Not even close. I brew a recipe like that from AHB. Comes out nice amber. Unless you call a Dunkel a médium amber. Not what I have seen.

 

[giftedeye2]

Nah. Not even close. I brew a recipe like that from AHB. Comes out nice amber. Unless you call a Dunkel a médium amber. Not what I have seen.

Can I ask you how much water you used for the mash?

 

[Kickass]

Thanks, all.

@Genuine the special b looks like an interesting thumbprint to set yours apart. I realize it’s a very small amount, do you feel it adds enough favorable character to keep it in your recipe? How have you settled on using special b, and at that amount?

 

[Genuine]

Thanks, all.

@Genuine the special b looks like an interesting thumbprint to set yours apart. I realize it’s a very small amount, do you feel it adds enough favorable character to keep it in your recipe? How have you settled on using special b, and at that amount?

The special B came around because it was a mistake entirely. I meant to grab from the Caramunich Bin at my LHBS and started pouring SPecial B in with the rest of the grains. Once I noticed what I did, I tried to "pick out" each special B kernel and soon realized that was a lost cause. I saw on the scale I put in 3-4oz. So I grabbed the Caramunich for the rest of the amount I needed and figured that this batch of Octoberfest was going to be ruined.

I wasn't overly excited for the brew day since up to that point I haven't used special B before and thought it was going to mess it up. When the beer was ready to be had, I poured my first pint and the special b was every so slightly there but it did make that Oktoberfest a bit more complex and it was a hit! I made the same recipe the following year, however omitting the special B and it didn't have that special character that the previous years had. Special B isn't anything I'd use in large amounts but the "sprinkling" of it ended up being the best mistake I've made.

 

[lmbc6]

45/45/10% Munich, Pilsner, Caramunich II

 

[giftedeye2]

The special B came around because it was a mistake entirely. I meant to grab from the Caramunich Bin at my LHBS and started pouring SPecial B in with the rest of the grains. Once I noticed what I did, I tried to "pick out" each special B kernel and soon realized that was a lost cause. I saw on the scale I put in 3-4oz. So I grabbed the Caramunich for the rest of the amount I needed and figured that this batch of Octoberfest was going to be ruined.

I wasn't overly excited for the brew day since up to that point I haven't used special B before and thought it was going to mess it up. When the beer was ready to be had, I poured my first pint and the special b was every so slightly there but it did make that Oktoberfest a bit more complex and it was a hit! I made the same recipe the following year, however omitting the special B and it didn't have that special character that the previous years had. Special B isn't anything I'd use in large amounts but the "sprinkling" of it ended up being the best mistake I've made.

Happy accidents - I might try this next time!

 

[catalanotte]

I might try the Special B next time, tell us how it comes out @Genuine . I have been making small changes to increase the maltiness by shifting more of the Pilsner to Munich and upping the color and amount of CaraMunich. Last batch was 27% Pilsner, 34% Vienna, 31% Munich, and 8% CaraMunich III. It is still in the fermentor, but the aroma in the kettle was awesome.

 

[Jag75]

I use Pilsner , Munich and crystal 40

 

[Oude Brouwer]

30% BestMalz Munich (pale)
30% BestMalz Viennna
30% BestMalz Pilsner
5% Weyermann Melanoidin
5% Briess Caravienne

Mashing using Hochkurtz decoction technique

 

[Maxkling]

... and crystal 40

:-0

 

[Jag75]

:-0

It may be surprising but it turned out really good .

 

[Maxkling]

It may be surprising but it turned out really good .

All joking aside I’ve seen it in quite a few recipes. Is there any reason you avoided caramunich as the caramel malt?

 

[Jag75]

All joking aside I’ve seen it in quite a few recipes. Is there any reason you avoided caramunich as the caramel malt?

Nope , I've used caramunich which I really like . I just went with it . My grain bill is 5.5# pilsner 5.5# Munich and 1# crystal 40 2 row.

I'll give caramunich a go next time instead of the crystal.

 

[GBRbrew]

41% pils 31% Munich 20% Vienna 8% carmel/crystal 60l, just brewed this last weekend,

 

[burtom]

37% Munich, 29% Pilsner, 24% Vienna, 10% Caramunich. On tap now and I like it1

 

[Alex4mula]

Can I ask you how much water you used for the mash?

I mash at 1.6 ratio so it was a little over 5 gals if I remember correctly.

 

[camonick]

Munich 2 (8 SRM)-- 52.1%
Vienna (3.5 SRM)-- 27.4%
Pilsner (2 SRM)-- 13.7%
Caramunich 3 (55 SRM) 6.8%

 

[alooper86]

Pilsner - 40%
Munich - 30%
Vienna - 20%
C60 - 10%

This recipe is basically what Jamil uses for his Munich Madness beer. I brewed this last year and it was very good. I will be brewing again this year with only minor adjustments.

 

[Maxkling]

Pilsner - 40%
Munich - 30%
Vienna - 20%
C60 - 10%

This recipe is basically what Jamil uses for his Munich Madness beer. I brewed this last year and it was very good. I will be brewing again this year with only minor adjustments.

He uses CaraMunich not Crystal 60, but as we’ve seen in many posts people get great results with using crystal malts.

 

[Conehead]

Pils - 53.8%
Munich I - 21.1%
Vienna - 15.4%
CaraMunich III - 7.7%

 

[TheMadKing]

I like to reverse the proportions of Vienna and pils compared to most here, with 30%Vienna, 30% Munich, 25% Pils, 10% melanoidin, and 5% Caramunich I and like 1oz or less of carafa for color if you want that.

Another couple tips, I bitter right to the upper edge of the style, and I use a hockhurz mash schedule and shoot for maximum fermentibility.

You want a finished beer that smells like it's going to be sweet, tastes initially that it's going to be very rich and malty, and then finishes relatively dry and crisp. 90% of US märzens are too sweet and have too much body (Sam Adam's is one of the worst out there) IMO. This beer is much more about the balance than the specific malts in it.

 

[BrewMan13]

I've got one lagering now that is:

56.1% Weyermann Munich II
36.6% Vienna
7.3% aromatic

First time doing this, so final product yet to be tasted, but gravity sample was spot on for what I was going for.
After judging German beers at a competition last fall, I knew I didn't want any crystal/caramel malt of any kind. The beers were all too sweet and not "German" enough tasting.