Festbier World's Best Oktoberfest

[bd2xu]

I hear you bondra! So true. I've made three batches of helles: decocted, stepped and single step. There was something special about the decocted. More malty.

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

Is there only the one hop addition of 1.80 oz?

 

[finsfan]

Is there only the one hop addition of 1.80 oz?

Yep, only one addition for bittering.


I brewed this back in May, lagered for a couple months, and ended up winning gold in category 3 at a comp last month. Very well received beer, even from strictly BMC drinkers. I did do a decoction mash and I ended up using 2633 to ferment. Will be brewing this up again come next spring.

 

[dogslapbrewery]

Brewed this middle of September and cracking into it now. I mashed in at 145 then pulled a decoction for 30 mins to bring it up to 155, mashed out at 170, 2L starter staying in primary for 3 weeks before transferring into keg to lager. Turned out super tasty very biscuity and light caramel flavors, almost more like a vienna.What couled I do to get a more sweeter front end caramel flavor like Sierra Nevadas oktoberfest?

 

[finsfan]

Brewed this middle of September and cracking into it now. I mashed in at 145 then pulled a decoction for 30 mins to bring it up to 155, mashed out at 170, 2L starter staying in primary for 3 weeks before transferring into keg to lager. Turned out super tasty very biscuity and light caramel flavors, almost more like a vienna.What couled I do to get a more sweeter front end caramel flavor like Sierra Nevadas oktoberfest?

Sweet and caramel equal crystal malts. They tend to lend both of those characteristics

 

[COEBRA]

Great recipe! Lots of good reviews from fiends!

View attachment 1449669803508.jpg

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

This is on my list for Sunday. I will be doing single infusion with a batch sparge. Is 150 about right for a 90 min mash time? Also going to be using brulosiphers quick lager schedule. Surely it will still make good beer if I don't spend all day mashing.

 

[JohnSand]

I'm looking at this for my first lager, first decoction. I have about 50 batches of ale behind me, so I hope I won't be too confused by the new procedures.

 

[muskokawildman]

I just brewed this recipe 2 weeks ago and am just about to rack it to the secondary this weekend. I did the first decoction inside on the stove and the second decoction outside in the midst of an ice storm here in Toronto. I pitched it onto a yeast cake from a Bohemian Pilsner that is now lagering. It took right off! I attached a blow off tube just in case it foamed right up..... I can't wait to drink it this summer and enter it in our local competition! Thanks for the recipe!

 

[arnobg]

Looking at this recipe to brew for my first Oktoberfest this year. Is a Diacetly rest needed with this beer during the 21 day primary fermentation?

I have used 2124 before, but will 34/70 work just fine?

 

[KingBrianI]

Looking at this recipe to brew for my first Oktoberfest this year. Is a Diacetly rest needed with this beer during the 21 day primary fermentation?

I have used 2124 before, but will 34/70 work just fine?

Yeah, I do recommend a diacetyl rest once fermentation slows down. 34/70 will work great, just use two rehydrated packs.

 

[arnobg]

Has anyone done it without a decoction mash?

 

[shelly_belly]

Has anyone done it without a decoction mash?

I have, and it was fantastic!

 

[arnobg]

I have, and it was fantastic!

Awesome looks tasty! What kind of mash schedule did you do instead? Did you use any melanoidin malt or anything to make up for no decoction?

 

[shelly_belly]

Single infusion, mashed at 154F I think. I made it without changes to the grain bill or hops. I used WLP802 Czech Budejovice Lager Yeast. It's one of my favorite beers of all time, commercial or homebrewed. I have ingredients for a 10 gallon batch, just have to replace my dead freezer first.

 

[cantrell00]

Brewed 11 gallons Saturday with an enhanced double decoction.

 

[dogslapbrewery]

I brewed this last year and it turned out pretty amazing. Problem I'm having is my decoction was very sloppy and I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to replicate it again. I'm looking for some tips and tricks on decoctions from someone who's done a lot being this is only my third. I'm looking for initial mash in around 145-148 for 15-20mins then bring it up to 155-158 for 40-45 mins. How to do you manage getting your grains boiled for 30mins and say on schedule? I'm thinking with the average time to bring the grains to a boil and then keeping that going for at least 30 mins I'm looking at 40-50 mins per decoction? So is it just not possible to do such a short rest? My understanding is most conversion happens within the first 30 minutes so is that second rest fruitless at that point? Any ideas? What do you guys do?

 

[cantrell00]

I brewed this last year and it turned out pretty amazing. Problem I'm having is my decoction was very sloppy and I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to replicate it again. I'm looking for some tips and tricks on decoctions from someone who's done a lot being this is only my third. I'm looking for initial mash in around 145-148 for 15-20mins then bring it up to 155-158 for 40-45 mins. How to do you manage getting your grains boiled for 30mins and say on schedule? I'm thinking with the average time to bring the grains to a boil and then keeping that going for at least 30 mins I'm looking at 40-50 mins per decoction? So is it just not possible to do such a short rest? My understanding is most conversion happens within the first 30 minutes so is that second rest fruitless at that point? Any ideas? What do you guys do?

I did something similar to you, going from protein rest to alpha & then beta sacc rest.

I ended up with the thin mash resting for 60 @ 140 & 60 @ 152.

Pulled the thin mash liquid for mash out.

Youre right. By the time I had pulled the decoction & boiled it, each thin mash rest ended up waiting for me for around 60 min each.

It was a German pilsner that scored 42/50 And lost to the eventual best in show.

 

[dogslapbrewery]

If you sit that long in beta-amylase will you have any starch left to covert into alpha-amylase? The thinner the mash quicker the enzymes do their thing. So is the purpose of the decoction mainlyis just to get that maillard goodness? I'm thinking of just mashing in at 145 pull my grains and keep those boiling on the side and treat the left over mash as its own, and just use propane to bring it to the next step instead of the grain. Then after the grain has been boiling for hour or so use that to bring my mash up to mash out temp?

 

[cantrell00]

I honestly don't understand the variables well enough to answer that but I do agree that boiling the thickest part of the mash is what makes the beer distinctive.

 

[GoeHaarden]

Anyone make this recently? @KingBrianI - any changes from the OP that you recommend?

 

[Bier1080]

I made this two years ago and it was amazing!! Single infusion mash and used Oktoberfest lager yeast were the only changes. Last year had issues with a different yeast and not so good. About to brew it up this weekend with O fest yeast again. I love oktoberfests! Can't wait

 

[Brewbuzzard]

My Marzen took first place in it's category out of 32 entries and 3rd place in Best of Show out of 1300 entries in the Bluebonnet Brew-off this year. I'll try to post the Beersmith recipe later.

 

[Brewbuzzard]

Not at all! I'm envious!



The basic schedule is above in the bolded part at the top of the recipe. It really depends on your particular circumstances though. I leave it at 50 until it is somewhere between 1.020-1.025, at which point I raised it to 58 for the diacetyl rest. Left it at 58 until the gravity stopped dropping, typically 3-4 days. Then I started slowly ramping it back down to 50. Once it had been at 50 for a couple days, I racked to secondary, and began slowly ramping down to 38. Once at 38, leave it for 2 months to lager. But it gets even better if after that, you keg it and leave the keg at 38-50 degrees for several more months!

That's not gonna happen