Looks like Loopie was a victim of spellcheck – “buck” should read “BJCP”. Here’s the link:
http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdfHe’s right – you’ll want to decide whether you want the newer “souped up helles” version which is 4B Festbier, or whether you want the hundreds of years old 6A Marzen Oktoberfest style. They are in fact completely different styles but you’ll see both styles tossed around and referred to as “Oktoberfest”. Trouble is, they both really are beers served at Oktoberfests, but one is new and the other is the old way. What most Americans think of as “Oktoberfest” beer is the amber 6A Marzen version. The Germans think more of the fizzy yellow 4B Festbier.
All that being said, I do have suggestions that will apply to either version:
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Single infusion, 148 F for 90 minutes. Done. No need to dork around with step mashing or decoctions – the key thing is…
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Use real German ingredients if you want this to taste like real German beer. But I’m sure you knew that already.
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Only use hops at 60 minutes. Any later hops is just a waste, and not to style IMHO, and may contribute undesirable grassy flavors.
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Pitch a buttload of yeast. Make at least 3 quarts yeast starter for 5 gallons several days in advance. Wyeast 2206 is the best German lager yeast in the universe. However 2308 will also work in a pinch.
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Pitch cold, mid to upper 40s, and keep it there at least for the first ~3 days. After that, you can slowly bring temperature up to keep fermentation moving. But a nice long conditioning for about a month will be helpful.
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If making a 6A Marzen, this beer will age well. It will taste great young, but will taste even better ~6 months later. The 4B Festbier wouldn’t need so much age.
