Festbier World's Best Oktoberfest

[TheGeek]

Yup, been under 50F since brewed, its almost time to drink it. Honestly this is the longest I've ever waited to drink a brew, and being my first lager attempt, I'm really hoping it turns out nicely.

 

[Dhack61]

I brewed this today just as a single infusion at 155F. I pitched WLP802 Czech Budejovice Lager Yeast cake from a Victory Prima Pils clone that I just racked to a lagering keg. I had other things I needed to do so I didn't do the decoctions. I will revisit this beer when I'm ready to do a decoction and it will be great to experience the difference between the two. My OG was 1.053. Mashed for nearly two hours. 90 min boil.

Was Wondering how this turned out with the Czech yeast?. Really would like to hear?.

 

[shelly_belly]

Was Wondering how this turned out with the Czech yeast?. Really would like to hear?.

Man, this beer was fantastic. I'll definitely be brewing this again. I won't waste my time on 5 gallons though, from now on it's going to be at least 10 gallons. My OG was 1.053 and FG was 1.012. This beer was dry, very crisp and very malty. No diacetyl. My best beer of 2011.

Hats off to KingBrianI. Thank you!

 

[Dhack61]

Man, this beer was fantastic. I'll definitely be brewing this again. I won't waste my time on 5 gallons though, from now on it's going to be at least 10 gallons. My OG was 1.053 and FG was 1.012. This beer was dry, very crisp and very malty. No diacetyl. My best beer of 2011.

Hats off to KingBrianI. Thank you!

Thanks for the Info. I've gotta Czech Pilz with WY2278 that I'm gonna rack tomorrow and was looking for a good 10 gallon recipe to try out my new 80qt kettle. Thanks Again

 

[CrackShotHolmes]

Man, this beer was fantastic. I'll definitely be brewing this again. I won't waste my time on 5 gallons though, from now on it's going to be at least 10 gallons. My OG was 1.053 and FG was 1.012. This beer was dry, very crisp and very malty. No diacetyl. My best beer of 2011.

Hats off to KingBrianI. Thank you!

Was this the double decoction or the single infusion you mentioned on the previous page?

I know i am a bit late, but i really want to brew an Oktoberfest and I have been comparing this one to Yooper's and I think I want to brew this one. I have done DD in the past and it sure takes some serious time. I am hoping this is your single infusion that you are commenting about, then I'll brew it this weekend.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Just saw this thread and figured I would post an old review I did of this beer that the King sent me back in 2009.

Reviewed August 3rd, 2009:

Aroma: 10/12

Caramel and bread with a sweet malt​

Appearance: 1/3

Almost no head with a bit of haze, but the color is nice. (Obviously looking at the pics, the recipe can produce a very appealing beer, but my bottle wasn't quite as impressive)​

Flavor: 17/20

Sweet malt, crisp finish, subtle hops, molasses high notes shine through​

Mouthfeel: 3/5

Full up front, ends crisp, a bit more carbonation would brighten it up (I would guess this affected the appearance as well)​

Overall: 7/10

Very good with nice depth and true to style. We felt a bit more carbonation would have been better. World's Best is a bold name, but this is a solid damn beer. I rarely score a beer this high.​

Totals: 38/40

 

[shelly_belly]

Was this the double decoction or the single infusion you mentioned on the previous page?

I know i am a bit late, but i really want to brew an Oktoberfest and I have been comparing this one to Yooper's and I think I want to brew this one. I have done DD in the past and it sure takes some serious time. I am hoping this is your single infusion that you are commenting about, then I'll brew it this weekend.

It was a single infusion. I have yet to do any kind of decoction.

 

[Irishwrench]

Looks awesome. I researched the decoction process on youtube, real happy I did. I thought from the post that I was just drawing wort from mash tun and heating that to temps (newb). After seeing the video I think I have a better grasp on the process of removing the actual grains and getting them to a boil while constantly stirring. Going to have to wait to next weekend. Thanks for the recipe. Can't wait to try it, even better taste it!

 

[CrackShotHolmes]

Well, I just brewed the OP's recipe with one minor change. I went with a single decoction instead of a double.

I rested the mash at 133F 20 minutes, withdrew my decoction, boiled for 10 minutes, then added decoction back to main mash and rested at 150F for 60 minutes. I then batched sparged 190F and rested at 168F for 10 minutes.

OG was a tick high at 1.064, but the color and taste is excellent so far. I pitched a 4L starter at 55F that i stepped up twice throughout the week(first time using a starter...*fingers crossed*)

Start to finish I was at it about 6 hours, so I am glad I just did a single decoction to save a little bit of time. I didn't want to exclude the decoction altogether, so I compromised.

I'll let you know how it turns out in about 6 months

 

[KingBrianI]

Well, I just brewed the OP's recipe with one minor change. I went with a single decoction instead of a double.

I rested the mash at 133F 20 minutes, withdrew my decoction, boiled for 10 minutes, then added decoction back to main mash and rested at 150F for 60 minutes. I then batched sparged 190F and rested at 168F for 10 minutes.

OG was a tick high at 1.064, but the color and taste is excellent so far. I pitched a 4L starter at 55F that i stepped up twice throughout the week(first time using a starter...*fingers crossed*)

Start to finish I was at it about 6 hours, so I am glad I just did a single decoction to save a little bit of time. I didn't want to exclude the decoction altogether, so I compromised.

I'll let you know how it turns out in about 6 months

The wait will be worth it, you'll see!

 

[Jakeintoledo]

pardon my french, but DAYAM is that a good looking beer. wow.

 

[passedpawn]

Just saw this thread and figured I would post an old review I did of this beer that the King sent me back in 2009.

Reviewed August 3rd, 2009:

Aroma: 10/12

Caramel and bread with a sweet malt​

Appearance: 1/3

Almost no head with a bit of haze, but the color is nice. (Obviously looking at the pics, the recipe can produce a very appealing beer, but my bottle wasn't quite as impressive)​

Flavor: 17/20

Sweet malt, crisp finish, subtle hops, molasses high notes shine through​

Mouthfeel: 3/5

Full up front, ends crisp, a bit more carbonation would brighten it up (I would guess this affected the appearance as well)​

Overall: 7/10

Very good with nice depth and true to style. We felt a bit more carbonation would have been better. World's Best is a bold name, but this is a solid damn beer. I rarely score a beer this high.​

Totals: 38/40

38/50. What are we if the math isn't correct?

 

[opteek]

Gonna be brewing this tomorrow. This is my first all-grain lager and also first time doing a decoction mash. Lot of great info in this thread so I'm confident it'll be great!

 

[CrackShotHolmes]

The wait will be worth it, you'll see!

I just couldn't wait any longer. Especially, with all the Oktoberfest and Harvest Style beers already on the shelves.

This beer is great! Flat out, great! I will brew this again and again and again.

Great recipe, thanks for sharing.

 

[KingBrianI]

I just couldn't wait any longer. Especially, with all the Oktoberfest and Harvest Style beers already on the shelves.

This beer is great! Flat out, great! I will brew this again and again and again.

Great recipe, thanks for sharing.

Glad you like it!

 

[theveganbrewer]

I'm about to go on vacation so I decide to rev up the ol' Bohemian lager yeast. Day before the trip I realize it's a triple decoction recipe. Although I was not looking forward to ~6+ hours of mashing/brewing, it ended up being a lot of fun and very interesting. I just got through reading "Tasting Beer" and was interested in traditional mash techniques so this worked out well. Hit 1.059 so I did something right.

I've brewed at my house about 10 times and have never had a single person come up and ask about what I was doing until today, when I was making this recipe. Had 6 people stop by asking what the "wonderful aromas" were coming from.

 

[opteek]

I've had this kegged for about a week now and have to say that this is one of the finest beers I have brewed. And also my first lager success! I've got a temp controller hooked up and working on my fridge now so I will be making this again very soon. The first batch got upto 60F during the first day and a half in primary so I'm sure I can make it even cleaner the second time. Thank you!

 

[theveganbrewer]

Well I tapped her today. I see I'm only 3 months from brew day but this beer is a winner. Everyone is blown away. I am a double IPA guy and I'm loving this brew. This is going in the archive and I will brew a couple batches every year. I was pretty sure I was going to mess something up along the way, during the long mash or the lagering but all went well. Thanks again for the great recipe.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Yum!

First off,let me say, that is one good looking brew!!!

Second, I'm thinkiing of brewing this and fermenting it on top of a wyeast 2035 American Lager cake that was my first lager. Will this yeast do this brew justice? This may be my first ever AG brew as well. Is this too "involved", "advanced", or difficult for a noobs first AG brew?

 

[KingBrianI]

First off,let me say, that is one good looking brew!!!

Second, I'm thinkiing of brewing this and fermenting it on top of a wyeast 2035 American Lager cake that was my first lager. Will this yeast do this brew justice? This may be my first ever AG brew as well. Is this too "involved", "advanced", or difficult for a noobs first AG brew?

I don't have experience with that yeast buy I'm sure it would do ok. This is definitely on the more involved end of AG brewing, and as such, may not be the best recipe to start with. You'll already be struggling with your timing and temps and the flow, and the complexity of the process described in this recipe would only cause more confusion. I'd suggest cutting your AG teeth on a couple simpler recipes, and when you're comfortable with that process, then you can step up to this recipe. Cheers!

 

[Irishwrench]

Enjoying the last 12 pack of this particular beer. It came out a lil over carbbed, but I just crack the cap and let it sit for 15 minutes and it is perfect. So far this is my favorite that I have created. Thanks for sharing. Planning on another creating batch in 2 weeks.

 

[TrickyDick]

Hey, thanks for posting this recipe!


I have never done a decoration mash before. What additional equipment do I need? I have a 3 vessel 15 gal, Brutus 10 type setup. I'd plan to decoct to the boil kettle with the hop filter and dip tube removed. It's a 15 gal and on the stand the top rim is at armpit level. I figure ill need a nice long handled 1-2 qt metal ladle ?

I've got no heat regulation on my burners, just all on or all off. Gonna need an "assistant brewer" that day for sure!!

Also, questions on the fermentation schedule. This was asked early on, and you replied that this was in the OP and in bold, but either I'm blind or its been edited.
Seems like you pitch at 50 and then what? Hold it there at 50 until it attenuated to 1.025-1.020 (roughly 80% of what you expect for full attenuation) then diacetyl rest at 58 (is this high enough?) then rack (still at 58?) and lager at 38, by slowly cooling after racking.

Questions on the mash. How long do you hold protein rest after you return the initial portion OD first decoction? 15min? Or 20min?
Second question on the mash. What temp do you shoot for on the saccarification rest after returning the next portion of the first decoction?
Last question on the mash. Do you let the sacch rest go for full 60 minutes? It would seem conversion would be over before 60, no?

Thanks!

TD

 

[KingBrianI]

Wow, lotta questions! I'm not too familiar with Brutus systems but it sounds like your plan will work. As long as you have a container to mash in, a container to decoct in, and a container to heat sparge water, all simultaneously. The fermentation schedule you quoted from post 7 is correct, and how I ferment this beer. It has worked extremely well for me. I hold the protein rest for 15 minutes, but you can lengthen or shorten it to your liking. 15 minutes is all I've ever tried. Saccharification is at 150 F, and yes I let it go a full 60 minutes. The conversion may be over before then, but I find that when mashed this way, I get a really nice malty/dry balance in the finished beer. Good luck!

 

[TrickyDick]

Wow, lotta questions! I'm not too familiar with Brutus systems but it sounds like your plan will work. As long as you have a container to mash in, a container to decoct in, and a container to heat sparge water, all simultaneously. The fermentation schedule you quoted from post 7 is correct, and how I ferment this beer. It has worked extremely well for me. I hold the protein rest for 15 minutes, but you can lengthen or shorten it to your liking. 15 minutes is all I've ever tried. Saccharification is at 150 F, and yes I let it go a full 60 minutes. The conversion may be over before then, but I find that when mashed this way, I get a really nice malty/dry balance in the finished beer. Good luck!

Thanks for quick reply!!
Yah, I know I ask a lot of questions! You clarified them all! Thanks!!

Gonna brew this one soon!

TD

 

[rjthomas21]

Any thoughts on how this would turn out if I skipped the decoction and did a normal 60 minute mash? I do BIAB so I don't believe I have the option to do a step/decoction mash schedule. Also, any idea on what temperature would be best for a 60 minute mash?

Thanks!

 

[TrickyDick]

Well.


I brewed it, and finally hit expected FG. I followed the ferm schedule. My burners are acting up and I have some propane issues, which resulted in a significant amount of DMS. I think its too weak a boil for the 11 gal batch.

I ended up doing a step mash without a decoction. I think was a mistake. For one thing, the color is too light. For another. The flavor in hydro samples, is not malty enough.

I will not be doing a step mash again or else I would consider revising the grain bill. This brew I think probably NEEDS the decoction to shine.

I ended up brewing this on a different day than intended in order to take advantage of a large amount of lager yeast from a smaller Helles brew that had finished.
I intend to try again, and I am now planning to re use yeast again for a monster 1.100 dopplebock with a triple decoction.. Call me crazy.

TD

 

[shelly_belly]

Any thoughts on how this would turn out if I skipped the decoction and did a normal 60 minute mash? I do BIAB so I don't believe I have the option to do a step/decoction mash schedule. Also, any idea on what temperature would be best for a 60 minute mash?

Thanks!

Do it. I did and it was delicious. I mashed @ 155F. OG 1.054, FG 1.012

 

[MacrosNZ]

Oh man I have to make this!

 

[hbr2547]

Pic looks amazing - second in queue

 

[jtratcliff]

Any thoughts on how this would turn out if I skipped the decoction and did a normal 60 minute mash? I do BIAB so I don't believe I have the option to do a step/decoction mash schedule. Also, any idea on what temperature would be best for a 60 minute mash?

Thanks!

I BiaB also and did the decoction called for in BrewKaiser's Altbier. It was no problem.

My boil kettle/Mash tun is 10 g and I usually dunk sparge in a 4 gal kettle.
So I just pulled the mash required for the decoction out of the grain bag in the 10 g kettle by scooping it out with a large pyrex measuring cup. I boiled in my 4 gal kettle and then added it back to the main mash as specified in the recipe. Kai has a video that shows how simple it is (though he doesn't BiaB).

As long as you have a separate kettle to boil your decoction in, BiaB is no hinderance.