First Lager - Oktoberfest

I’m brewing the following Oktoberfest recipe today. My first lager. Got the swamp cooler down in the low 40s with ice bottles awaiting it’s new baby. Will use my new plate chiller for the first time today. Untested so that’s kind of sketchy…

I didn’t want to decoct but I wanted this beer a little darker than the base malts were going to get it so I added an ounce of carafa II.

How do you think this grain bill will turn out? I’m going for a more munich tasting malty profile. Used the boiled Munich water profile from Brunwater.

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Oktoberfest
Brewer: Danny
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications

Boil Size: 7.17 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal
Estimated OG: 1.055 SG
Estimated Color: 12.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.0 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 83.0 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
4 lbs Munich Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 1 39.5 %
4 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 39.5 %
2 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 3 19.8 %
1.0 oz Carafa II (Weyermann) (415.0 SRM) Grain 4 1.2 %
0.80 oz Tradition [6.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 20.6 IBUs
0.80 oz Hallertauer [4.10 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 4.4 IBUs
2.0 pkg Octoberfest Lager Blend (Wyeast Labs #26 Yeast 7 -

Mash Schedule: BIAB - Danny’s
Total Grain Weight: 10 lbs 1.0 oz

Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash in Kettle Add 19.64 qt of water at 161.5 F 153.0 F 60 min
Sparge Add 12.00 qt of water at 195.2 F 168.0 F 10 min

Sparge: If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort
Notes:

2 step starter, 2packs in 2L cold crashed decanted and added another 2L of starter wort.

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edit: carafe not caraga

Should be good. I read somewhere that pretty much any ratio of munich, pilsner, and vienna will make a good octoberfest.
I brewed one back in march, fermented by S-189, with 50% munich, 31% 2-row*, 16% vienna, and 3% carawheat. Hops were German tradition and vanguard.
I’m very happy with how it turned out.

*I had the 2-row already and decided to save myself the cost of buying pilsner malt, which I will do next time.

I’ve got one in the kettle right now. I used Jamil’s recipe from BCS which is 5 lb. pils. 4 lb. Munich, 3 lb. Vienna.

My next one’s gonna be an Octoberfest. I’ve done a couple of pilsner extract recipes (German and Bohemian) and a Swarzbier that all turned out pretty well. The Octoberfest will be my first foray into an all grain lager.

+1

Same recipe today (Best Malz and Weyerman malts). I had it chilled and in the fermenter by 9:45 am. Gotta love the early brew days.

Going to use WLP820 for a good 3-4 weeks at 48F as I’ll be away not brewing again for a bit.

+1

Same recipe today (Best Malz and Weyerman malts). I had it chilled and in the fermenter by 9:45 am. Gotta love the early brew days.

Going to use WLP820 for a good 3-4 weeks at 48F as I’ll be away not brewing again for a bit.[/quote]

Wow, you’re ahead of me! I intended to start at 5, but it was so dark I dawdled. Got mashed in by 6 AM, though. It’s 10:20 now and I’m chilling it. Hit all my numbers right on. I’m using WY2206 at 48-50F.

I was a little behind you Denny. I got started around 7 and had it in the swamp cooler and all cleaned up around 11:30. My new plate chiller got it from boiling to 64 in about 5 minutes. Very happy about that new addition. Chilling has been taking me forever recently.

Pitched yeast about 6PM at 46 degrees. I see another freezer/fermentation chamber in my future.

[quote=“dannyboy58”]I was a little behind you Denny. I got started around 7 and had it in the swamp cooler and all cleaned up around 11:30. My new plate chiller got it from boiling to 64 in about 5 minutes. Very happy about that new addition. Chilling has been taking me forever recently.

Pitched yeast about 6PM at 46 degrees. I see another freezer/fermentation chamber in my future.[/quote]

I just got my first chest freezer/temp controller combo after nearly 17 years of using a swamp cooler. This is the first time I’ve ever been able to brew a lager when it wasn’t winter! My immersion chiller got it down to 60 using my 55F well water. Then I tossed it on the freezer for a couple hours to get it down to 48 and pitched once it hit temp. Fermenting away happily this AM.

[quote=“Denny”][quote=“dannyboy58”]I was a little behind you Denny. I got started around 7 and had it in the swamp cooler and all cleaned up around 11:30. My new plate chiller got it from boiling to 64 in about 5 minutes. Very happy about that new addition. Chilling has been taking me forever recently.

Pitched yeast about 6PM at 46 degrees. I see another freezer/fermentation chamber in my future.[/quote]

I just got my first chest freezer/temp controller combo after nearly 17 years of using a swamp cooler. This is the first time I’ve ever been able to brew a lager when it wasn’t winter! My immersion chiller got it down to 60 using my 55F well water. Then I tossed it on the freezer for a couple hours to get it down to 48 and pitched once it hit temp. Fermenting away happily this AM.[/quote]
Denny welcome to the fabulous world of easy temp control! BUT YOU GUYS ARE WAY BEHIND! I have been lagering mine since April as I brew mine late March.

[quote=“Loopie Beer”][quote=“Denny”][quote=“dannyboy58”]I was a little behind you Denny. I got started around 7 and had it in the swamp cooler and all cleaned up around 11:30. My new plate chiller got it from boiling to 64 in about 5 minutes. Very happy about that new addition. Chilling has been taking me forever recently.

Pitched yeast about 6PM at 46 degrees. I see another freezer/fermentation chamber in my future.[/quote]

I just got my first chest freezer/temp controller combo after nearly 17 years of using a swamp cooler. This is the first time I’ve ever been able to brew a lager when it wasn’t winter! My immersion chiller got it down to 60 using my 55F well water. Then I tossed it on the freezer for a couple hours to get it down to 48 and pitched once it hit temp. Fermenting away happily this AM.[/quote]
Denny welcome to the fabulous world of easy temp control! BUT YOU GUYS ARE WAY BEHIND! I have been lagering mine since April as I brew mine late March.[/quote]

You’re right…ours’s not a true marzen…more of an augusten?

Little over a week into my first lager fermentation. Hasn’t been too difficult to keep the temperature 50-52 range. It has a nice 1/2 inch or so of krauesen for a while. The krauesen dropped day before yesterday along with CO2 production but oddly the temperature has continued to try and rise.

I had planned on taking a gravity reading and then letting temp rise for a D rest after 2 weeks but I’m considering just letting it rise naturally in the swamp cooler now.

Any thoughts?

I’m about to try this…http://brulosophy.com/lager-method/

Chill wort to pitching temp (48°-53°F), pitch adequately sized starter (decanted), set regulator to initial fermentation temp (50°-55°F), and leave beer to ferment 5 days. (+5 days)

On the morning of the 5th day (beer should be over 50% attenuated), remove probe from side of fermentor so it measures ambient temp inside chamber and bump regulator up 3°-5°F; continue raising ambient temp 3°-5°F every 12 hours until you reach 65°F then leave it for 2-3 days to finish fermenting and cleaning up. (+5 days = 10 days)

On day 11, start ramping the ambient temp of the chamber down 5°F every 12 hours until it reaches 30°F and let it cold crash/lager for 3-4 more days. (+8 days = 18 days)

Rack cold (and usually very clear) beer to kegs, put kegs in kegerator/keezer on gas, leave for a week, serve! (+7 days = 24 days)

Is 65 warm enough for a D rest for a lager yeast?

Why would you believe otherwise?

65F to 68F for two days is the recommended rest.

I’ll generally go three days and then start lowering for lagering, however I’ve never really lagered longer than 2 weeks (for most normal gravity lagers).

~11 days @ Ferm Temp
~3 days @ DRest Temp
~14 days @ Lowered from DRest to 40 - 45F @ ~5F per day

24-28 days total.

Plenty. All you’re trying to do is raise the temp to make the yeast more active. The exact temp doesn’t really matter.

Whats the benefit of lowering the temp slowly for lagering? I always just crank mine down from 62ish to 35 once I’m done with my D rest. I haven’t noticed any ill effects.

Crashing to low 30’s doesn’t give the yeast a chance to consume the final point or two of fermentables as the yeast are only active above about 40F.

One could argue that you may not have any fermentables left or that you did a diacetyl rest and the yeast have already cleaned up, but this would vary depending on the fermentation schedule.

If your fermentation is complete, there is no benefit. I prefer to let fermentation finish completely, then crash it, like you.

Why would you believe otherwise?

65F to 68F for two days is the recommended rest.

I’ll generally go three days and then start lowering for lagering, however I’ve never really lagered longer than 2 weeks (for most normal gravity lagers).

~11 days @ Ferm Temp
~3 days @ DRest Temp
~14 days @ Lowered from DRest to 40 - 45F @ ~5F per day

24-28 days total.[/quote]
I’ve always pushed my ales to 68-70 and this is my first attempt at lagering. Can’t say I have an established belief so I’m asking.

Best practices in brewing are fairly well understood.

Take a look at the book ‘Yeast’, it’ll help you establish best practice.

http://www.amazon.com/Yeast-Practical-F ... 0937381969