Your most incredible Marzen ever brewed

[ZmannR2]

I'm going to perform a warm fermented lager and want to do a Marzen while the season is still right. What are some of y'alls best Marzens you've ever made?

I am wanting that awesome malty sweetness but I don't want it as dark as the Sam Adams Oktoberfest. I would like more of a lighter colored German style

I just scaled THIS RECIPE in beer smith to fit my equipment profile but wondering if anyone recommends something else instead

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

I've gone 1/3 of Pilsner, Munich, and Vienna with pretty good results. Lately I've been scaling back the Pilsner to about 20%, Vienna to about 25% and Munich 55%, but something like that might mess with your color requirements.

 

[ZmannR2]

I've gone 1/3 of Pilsner, Munich, and Vienna with pretty good results. Lately I've been scaling back the Pilsner to about 20%, Vienna to about 25% and Munich 55%, but something like that might mess with your color requirements.

Does that add more malty sweetness than a larger percentage of pilsner?

 

[bbohanon]

All I can say is that I have used (along with a tweaked version of) Yoopers Octoberfest recipe (search for it) with excellent results so its become a staple brew this time of year at my homestead.

I always ferment with WLP820 (making a large starter), hit your mash ph (if all-grain), keep it in the right temp range for fermentation, do a proper d-rest and lager it for AT LEAST a month in the keg/bottle.

It actually gets even better in month 2/3 if you can keep some on hand that long.
I always have folks wanting to buy take home bombers or sixers of it when I have it on hand for our yearly Halloween party.


One other note: I have brewed this one LODO as well and the results were out of this world. This beer was one of the best LODO batches I did where I could really tell the difference in the oxygen management from grain to glass. It made that much of a difference.

 

[Morrey]

What is your plan ie temps and yeast selection you mentioned that you'll do as a Warm Ferment Lager?

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

Does that add more malty sweetness than a larger percentage of pilsner?

I've not compared them side by side but the flavor comes out...chewier maybe? That's not a great description but saying it comes out sweeter isn't really accurate either. It came out tasting bigger, if that makes any sense.

It is worth noting that when I do an Oktoberfest I always do a single decoction BIAB (mostly for fun) so that may play into it too.

 

[ZmannR2]

What is your plan ie temps and yeast selection you mentioned that you'll do as a Warm Ferment Lager?

Brewed identical to an Ale and using Saflager 34/70

Should be drinkable in 2-3 weeks time. (reference the warm lager thread for discussion on that)

 

[Morrey]

Brewed identical to an Ale and using Saflager 34/70

Should be drinkable in 2-3 weeks time. (reference the warm lager thread for discussion on that)

I'll be interested to hear of your opinion once you bring it online. I like the Kolsch strain WLP029 that I think is lager like but at ale temps. Steam beers fall into this category of warm lager ferments plus I just picked up a strain called Cry Havoc WLP862 which is a lager yeast that can ferment a shade on the warm side.

 

[ZmannR2]

Welp. I created a recipe on BeerSmith utilizing everyone’s input and it came out great

Fermented first 7 days at 64 degrees and next 7 at 72 degrees