Ayinger Oktoberfest

Beer Recipe Design
1

Yeah I know. It’s probably impossible to replicate this recipe but has anyone attempted to do so with any decent success?

2

Sadly, I don’t think it’s possible, given all the different brewery variables and the otherworldly flavor of that delectable beer… :frowning:

3

Try hopville.com/recipe/723418

4

Ayinger Oktoberfest isn’t 6.5% abv…where do they get that? It’s just annoying that everyone has to make traditional styles stronger because it’s “cool”.

5

We jack up the gravity because that’s just what we do here in the good old USA. What I have found however is that if you let the gravity get too much higher than say 1.055 or so, the beer will not attenuate enough and it will be excessively sweet, not good. Germans drink the stuff by the liter and if it too sweet, heavy etc. you really can’t do that so I contend that a beer like that is flawed. If you want heavy, brew a Bock or Double Bock, sure you’ll be on the floor after a liter but it’s great stuff when it’s cold in the winter.

6

Does Ayinger even serve at Oktoberfest?

7

I read somewhere they don’t serve any actual octoberfest beer at octoberfest, they serve helles.
:roll:

8

I read somewhere they don’t serve any actual octoberfest beer at octoberfest, they serve helles.
:roll: [/quote]

Ayinger CAN’T serve at Oktoberfest…they’re not allowed because they aren’t located in Munich.

These days, most ALL Oktoberfest beer in Germany is helles…just a somewhat stronger version than the everyday helles. It is still Oktoberfest beer…it just isn’t the amber color anymore for the most part.
By the way…has anyone here that has been to O-Fest in recent years spotted any Maerzen style fest beers there? Just curious.

Drifting off the topic for a moment…my all time favorite O-Fest beer remains the Maerzen once made by Löwenbrau, which I enjoyed quite a lot of in the late 60’s & early 70’s when they were still exporting in to us here. Today, Löwenbrau’s O-Fest (both at the fest itself and exported to the USA) is the helles style. Last time I saw it on the shelves in the USA I think it was around 6% ABV (but that may have changed in recent years).

9

I hate to say it, but I would take a good Helles over a good Oktoberfest any day of the week :mrgreen:

10

I would agree. I can’t drink the amber stuff by the liters. I had Sam Adams Ofest last night (on sale) and could not get past 2 bottles.

11

Someone who worked brewing in Germany before the 200th anniversary gave me a recipe which is pretty close and makes a phenomenal Oktoberfest. Roughly 85% Vienna, with the remainder balanced between Munich, Pils, and Caramunich I. I have done it with both 2206 and 833 and prefer 833 since it leaves a bit less residual sweetness for those liter beers.

1 Like
12

Do to lack of details on specific ingredients and techniques I would agree it is near impossible to duplicate that beer exactly. However, that does not mean you cannot make a very good representation. Last night I had the pleasure of drinking several lovely fresh pints of Ayinger’s Festbier. The recipe below will at least give you something close.

5 Gallon/All Grain

7 lb Vienna malt (I like Weyermann but any good German brand is fine)
2 lb Munich I malt " " "
3 lb pilsner malt " " "
1/2 lb CaraHell malt

.75 oz Spalt 4.5-5% AA (or other German noble) @ 60 min
.25 oz Spalt 4.5-5% AA " " @ 30 min

White Labs WLP033 (Ayinger’s yeast)

My mash preference would be a decoction with 20 min @ 128F, 45 min @ 148F and 15 min @ 158F but you can go more basic.

:cheers:

1 Like