Time to reach for the lederhosen, knee high socks, put your hair in piggy tails or try on some skin tight skivvies and amp up some strange German techno or trance music and drink a traditional Märzenbier or Oktoberfest bier! For this BeerCo Recipe Kit we use a layered malt bill for depth and flavour and a moderate hopping regime with traditional noble Hallertau hop. We trust this will help you celebrate the change of seasons in style with a brew to style – Prost!
vital stats:
- 2.50 Kg Malteurop Pilsen 45% 3.8 EBC
- 1.50 Kg Light Munich 27% 20 EBC
- 1.00 Kg Dark Munich 18% 45 EBC
- 0.50 Kg Cara Gold 9% 14 EBC
- 5.50 Kg Total
Hops:
- 35g Hallertauer Tradition GR Hop Pellets 4.60% at 60 minutes 22 IBU
Yeast:
Liquid: Bluestone Yeast
- BSY-L006 Stuttgart Bluestone Yeast x1 Liquid Pitch
- Fermentis Saflager S-23 Yeast
Method:
- Mash – the brewer should do normal mash regime, mashing at 67 C for at least 65 mins with a water to grain ratio of 3:1
- Sparge – once again the brewer should do normal regime at around 76 C to top up the kettle to required amount of pre-boil wort for a 90 minutes boil down to 23L.
- Boil – vigorous boil for 90 mins. First bittering hop addition at 60 mins.
- Hops: Add 35g Hallertauer Tradition GR Hop Pellets at 60 minutes for 21 IBU.
- Pitch Yeast & Fermentation – Aerate well and ferment cold 12-15 C ideally closer to 12C until FG is reached or terminal gravity is table for two days. You may like to raise the ferment up to 15-18C for a few days diacetyl rest at the end of the secondary fermentation.
- Rack and Yeast off and lager cold 0-2C for a long as possible – if you brewed this in March (Märzen) by all means lager through to September / October because we can as a homebrewer. If you have no ability to keg or lager, bottle and store cold as possible for ideally a minimum of 6-12 weeks lagering.
- Crash chill and bottle or keg as normal. You may or may not need to add some bottle conditioning yeast if you are bottling after an extended lager period off the yeast. For this we recommend Fermentis Safbrew T-58 Yeast
- Mature for 7-10 days after carbonating in the keg or 6-12 weeks if bottled at around 10-12C.
- Enjoy with friends during your Oktoberfest celebration! Prost!
Notes & Sources of additional info:
- Marzen – Brew Now for Oktoberfest
- Oktoberfest – Tips from the Pros
- Brewing with Style – The Jamil Show – Oktoberfest
Fine Local AU Craft Beer Examples:
- Bridge Road Brewers Oktoberfest