Opened an Oktoberfest kit- alas no yeast! Found a OLD Danstar Munich packet in the fridge. Like a year old. Proofed and seemed ok, so I pitched it in. It was active with in 12 hours and vigorous for about 4 days. I pushed it a bit (7 day primary and no secondary) as I was in a hurry to bottle a week before Thanksgiving.
The results for what I called a Marzen-Weisse Bier are pretty darn good.
I kept the ferm temp to the low 60’s hoping for more of clove spice. Didn’t get it- nor banana. It tastes sweet and toffee initially, with a dry and slightly bitter finish.
Strange that the color is a dark red copper and the flavor is rich and complex, what I expected was a lighter looking and tasting beer with a slight clover ester. Not what I expected but very pleased. I’ll use the Munich yeast again.
