The Oktoberfest. A beer that speaks the language of falling leaves, comfy sweaters, and the onset of a cozy season. Originating from Munich in the early 19th century to honor the royal wedding, Oktoberfest evolved to become a style that encapsulates the spirit of the world’s biggest beer festival. As an experienced brewmeister, I adore brewing this beer. There’s something delightful about sipping a crisp, malty lager while your neighbors rake up leaves in their yard.
Ingredients:
- 9 lbs Light Liquid Malt Extract
- 1 lb Munich Malt
- 0.5 lb Caramel 40L Malt
- 2 oz Hallertau hops (split into 1.5 oz for bittering and 0.5 oz for aroma)
- 2 packets of Wyeast 2633 Oktoberfest Lager Blend
- 5 gallons of purified water
- Muslin bag for steeping
- Priming sugar (for bottling)
Instructions:
- Steep the Munich and Caramel malts (crushed into a muslin bag, naturally) in 2.5 gallons of water at 155°F for 30 minutes. Don’t rush this, you wouldn’t want to rush a good steeping any more than you’d want to rush a good nap.
- Remove the grains, bring them to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Stir in your liquid malt extract until fully dissolved, then return to heat.
- Add 1.5 oz of your Hallertau hops and let it all boil for 60 minutes. These are your bittering hops, working as your base flavor.
- With 5 minutes remaining, add the remaining 0.5 oz Hallertau hops. They’re here for aroma, the final sprinkle on your brewing masterpiece.
- After your boil is finished, cool the wort quickly to about 70°F.
- Once cooled, pitch your yeast into the fermenter and aerate well. Ferment at 50-55°F for two weeks. If it’s a larger batch, throw in a diacetyl rest by allowing the temperature to rise to 65-68°F for 48 hours after primary fermentation.
- Then, transfer the beer to a secondary fermenter for lagering. Drop the temperature by about 2°F per day until you reach 35°F. Lager for 4-6 weeks.
- Prime, bottle, and condition at room temperature for another 2 weeks before popping the cap!
Expected Stats:
- OG: Around 1.050-1.057
- FG: Around 1.010-1.015
- ABV: Around 4.8-5.7%
- IBU: Around 20-28
- SRM: Around 8-17
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Oktoberfest is a lager style which means it goes through a bottom-fermentation process at cooler temperatures, and a longer fermentation and lagering phase than ales. This extended hibernation is like a spa retreat for the beer, making it smoother, and cleaner, and giving it that distinct lager character. Patience, my friends, is a brewing virtue here!
I opted for Wyeast 2633 Oktoberfest Lager Blend because it’s a true beast for lagers. It ferments well at cooler temperatures and produces a rich, malty, and toasty flavor profile that is spot-on for an Oktoberfest. Plus, it has good flocculation which means less gunk to deal with at the bottom of your fermenter. Neat and tasty – it’s a win-win!
Oktoberfest initially didn’t have much to do with beer. The first Oktoberfest in 1810 was a horse race held to honor a royal wedding. It was only later that it morphed into a beer-swilling extravaganza! Also, the official Oktoberfest beer is a Märzen, brewed in March (hence the name) and lagered until the festival.
If you want to see how your brew stacks up against the pros, grab a Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen, Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest Amber Märzen, or a Spaten Oktoberfestbier Ur-Märzen. And remember, home brewing isn’t about perfection, it’s about the journey (and the beer)!
This homebrewed Oktoberfest will reward you with a rich, malty sweetness, balanced with just the right amount of hop bitterness. Its golden color is as inviting as a Fall sunset and its clean, crisp finish makes it perfect for sipping on a crisp autumn day. Like a good wine, it does well with a bit of aging, so if you can resist the temptation, let it sit for a few months to really develop those flavors. And there you have it, my friends. Brew, enjoy, share, and remember, the beauty of home brewing is making something you love, so have fun with it! Now, I need to go and start on my own batch of Oktoberfest. Prost!
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