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This month’s schedule features an Oktoberfest that will be lagered and ready just in time for your celebration of the annual festival. The second selection is a Bavarian hefeweizen. Although wheat beers are more often thought of as spring and summer beers, this traditional German-style beer will usher in the fall.   

The kölsch from last month is two weeks old and will be ready to drink Sept. 4, just in time for Labor Day weekend. And last month’s witbier should have been ready Aug. 29.

The Festival of Oktoberfest:

The first Oktoberfest was held in Munich on Oct. 12, 1810, as a celebration for the wedding of King Ludwig I and Princess Therese. The event was such a crowd pleaser that it was repeated each fall from there on. The festival is still held on the same village green — now named Theresienwiese, or Therese’s Meadow — where crowds cavort beneath a giant, open-armed statue of Therese. Over the years Oktoberfest evolved from its original one day to a 16-day celebration, during which some 2 million gallons of beer are consumed by more than 6 million celebrating visitors.   

The Munich Brewers Guild dictates that only beer crafted in the eight Munich breweries can be served during the festival. The laws further state that Oktoberfest beers must have a minimum starting gravity of 1.052 (13° Plato) and an alcohol by volume of 5.5 percent or greater. Oktoberfests brewed outside of Munich must have a gravity lower than 1.052 (13° Plato), which results in a lower-alcohol beer. This strict policy of brewing assures the yearly consistency of Oktoberfest beer and protects the uniformity of the style.   

Oktoberfests are lager (bottom-fermented) beers that are cold cellared (lagered) for at least eight weeks to ensure a smooth, clean product that is free of yeast, diacetyl (buttery taste), and off-flavors.  They are marked by medium to strong, sweet malt character with a lingering caramel finish and a low hop presence. According to style guidelines, Oktoberfests — like many other German and Bavarian beers — must be filtered and free of colloidal proteins that cause chill haze. The Oktoberfest recipe given here calls for bottle conditioning and only four weeks of lagering — four weeks less than mandated by the Munich Brewers Guild.   

Some of the more popular Oktoberfest imports are Spaten, Ayinger, Hacker-Pschorr, and Paulaner. There are also many good Oktoberfest-style beers brewed in the United States: Uncle Otto’s from Portland Brewing, Samuel Adams Octoberfest, Stoudt’s Oktoberfest, and Widmer Oktoberfest, among many others.   

There are two other styles that are very similar to the Oktoberfest category: Märzen and Vienna lager. Märzen is often considered interchangeable with Oktoberfest. Two German brewers of note, Ayinger and Hacker-Pschorr, call their beers Oktoberfest-Märzen).    

Märzens got their name because before refrigeration was invented, they were brewed in March (Märzen is the German word for March) and consumed in the summer.    

Vienna-style lagers are almost identical to Oktoberfests, but Vienna lagers are characteristically more bitter. They are often lighter in body, too, even though they are just as dark and have the same alcohol content by volume as Oktoberfests.

Malt:   

The grain bill in a continental Oktoberfest generally consists of a combination of light Munich malt, pale Vienna or pilsner malt, and a variety of caramel malts that results in a final color of 12° to 15° SRM. In other words an Oktoberfest is copper or amber colored with an emphasis on red.   

This Oktoberfest recipe uses 10° Lovibond Munich and Chariot-type pilsner malts for the base and a combination of 20° and 60° Lovibond crystal malts. The primary flavor should be sweet maltiness, but with more of a toasted character than a caramel one. Some brewers use brown or biscuit malts to achieve this. Manufacturers of authentic German malt include companies such as Weyermann, Durst, and Schreier. Some Belgian cara-Munich malts also work very well. The mash program for the Oktoberfest is a 60-minute infusion mash at 150° F.

Hops:   

There are a few hop combinations that are common to Oktoberfest beers. The flavoring and aroma hops are almost always of Noble variety, such as Hallertauer, Tettnanger, and Saaz. If you don’t want to use an exclusively Noble hops program for bittering, try Perle, German Northern Brewer, or German Spalter Select hops.

The key, as with almost all continental beers, is to find balance. There should be some hop bitterness and flavor, but keep in mind that the desired bitterness for an Oktoberfest is 18 to 25 IBUs. Harmony with the caramel and 10° Lovibond Munich malts is much more important. The hop aroma also should not dominate.

Yeast and Lagering:   

There are a few different yeast strains that will work for an Oktoberfest. Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian lager), 2206 (Bavarian lager), and 2308 (Munich lager) are all good. White Labs also makes a good German lager yeast, WLP830.   

The fermentation starts out at 45° F because Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian lager, the yeast this recipe calls for) works really well at this temperature.  The fermentation program for Oktoberfest mirrors the maibock and pilsner programs. Ferment at 45° F for the first three days, raise to 50° F over four more days, and then transfer to secondary. Ferment in secondary for one more week at 50° F. When the gravity is 1.016 to 1.018 (4° to 4.5° Plato), drop the temperature to 40° F to help clear the beer and slow the yeast activity. The final gravity for the Oktoberfest should be 1.014 (3.5° Plato). Bottle condition at 40° F for three to four weeks.

Bavarian-Style Hefeweizen:   

Bavarian hefeweizen is an amazingly complex and enjoyable product. It can be found almost anywhere now, and it is growing in popularity. Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, Oberdorfer Weissbier, Hacker-Pschorr Weiss, Ayinger Brau-Weiss, and Spaten Franziskanner Hefeweizen are all good examples of Bavarian hefeweizen.

Some American microbreweries have stepped up to the challenge and produce very good Bavarian-style hefeweizen. Libertyville (Ill.) Brewing Co. took both the gold and silver medals at last year’s Great American Beer Festival for its Mickey Finn’s Gudenteit Hefe-Weizen and Gudendark DunkelWeizen. Tabernash (Denver) and Thomas Kemper (Seattle) both also have won multiple medals for their hefeweizens.    

The style specifications for a Bavarian hefeweizen are: original gravity 1.047 to 1.056 (11.8° to 14° Plato), bitterness 10 to 15 IBUs, color 3° to 9° SRM, and alcohol by volume 4.9 percent to 5.5 percent.

Using Wheat:   

Bavarian wheat beers tend to contain a minimum of 50 percent wheat, and most contain at least 60 percent wheat. Besides the fact that wheat must be used to make a wheat beer, wheat adds a great deal of flavor to the finished product. It lends a much more rich and full flavor than pale malt alone.   

Wheat also gives beer a great deal of body and head-retention ability. This is due to the higher
molecular weight (and sheer size) of the wheat proteins in the beer (it’s sort of like adding dextrin malt to your beer). This can lead to some problems, however, such chill haze in the finished beer. Because this hefeweizen recipe is unfiltered and bottle conditioned (unlike a kristall weizen, which is filtered to perfect clarity), chill haze isn’t a big concern.

Poorly modified or completely unmalted wheat is sometimes used as a portion of the grist, which can lead to the same benefits and problems as malted wheat. Unmalted grains often produce a mash that is gelatinous because of the beta glucans that need to be broken down through step mashing.

Hops:

As in any other German beer, Noble hops are the most appropriate choice for Bavarian hefeweizen. The low alpha-acid content and fine aroma are perfect for the low bitterness profile desired (10 to 15 IBUs). Hallertauer, Tettnanger, Saaz, and Hersbrucker hops are all common, and any one of these hops can be used in multiple roles when brewing this hefeweizen recipe. If you look for more bitterness in your weizen, you might choose to employ a bittering hop such as German Northern Brewer, Perle, Spalt or, to a lesser extent, Brewer’s Gold.

Yeast and Fermentation:

Choose a yeast strain that produces the clove phenol and fruity esters characteristic of a hefeweizen. Try Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan weizen), 3056 (Bavarian weizen), 3333 (German weizen, which is highly flocculent), or 3638 (weizen); White Labs WLP300 (hefeweizen) or WLP320 (American hefeweizen).    

Fermentation should be done at a regular ale fermentation temperature (this recipe calls for one to two weeks at 69° F). Bottle conditioning should take one to two weeks. Keep the beer drinkable for several months by storing it at cellar temperatures (40° to 50° F).

Oktoberfest

(5 gallons, all-grain)

Ingredients:
• 4 lbs. Chariot or other pilsner malt
• 4 lbs. Munich malt, 10° Lovibond
• 1 lb. carapils or dextrin-type malt
• 1 lb. crystal malt, 20° Lovibond
• 0.5 lb. crystal malt, 60° Lovibond
• 1.75 oz. Hallertauer hops (3.5% alpha acid): 0.75 for 90 min., 1 oz. for 15 min.
• 1 oz. Saaz hops at end of boil
• Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian lager),
1 pt. starter, or White Labs WLP830 (German lager)
• 2/3 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step:   

Mash grain in 3.25 gal. of 150° F water for 60 min. Sparge with enough 168° F water to yield 5.75 gal. of wort. Total boil time is 90 min. At beginning of boil, add 0.75 oz. Hallertauer hops and continue for 75 min. Add 1 oz. Hallertauer and boil for 15 min. At end of boil, add Saaz hops. Whirlpool and cool to 45° F to pitch starter.   

Ferment at 45° F for three days, raise to 50° F over four more days, then rack to secondary fermenter. Continue fermenting at 50° F for seven more days or until gravity is about 1.012 (3° Plato). Cool to 40° F or lower and let settle for seven more days. Prime and bottle. Age at least three to four more weeks before drinking.

    OG = 1.052 (13° Plato) Bitterness = 23 IBUs Color = 14° SRM 5.5% ABV

Oktoberfest

(5 gallons, extract with grain)

Ingredients:
• 7.5 lbs. light Munich malt syrup
• 1 lbs. carapils or dextrin-type malt
• 1 lb. crystal malt, 20° Lovibond
• 0.5 lb. crystal malt, 60° Lovibond
• 2 oz. Hallertauer hops (3.5% alpha acid): 1 oz. for 60 min., 1 oz. for 15 min.
• 1 oz. Saaz hops at end of boil
• Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian lager), 1 pt. starter, or White Labs WLP830 (German lager)
• 2/3 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step:   

In a nylon bag, steep crushed grains in 5 gal. of 150° F water for 30 min. Sparge grains with enough 168° F water to make 5.5 gal.  Add extract. Total boil time is 60 min. At beginning of boil, add Hallertauer hops and continue for 45 min. Add remaining Hallertauer and boil for remaining 15 min. At end of boil, add Saaz hops. Whirlpool and cool to 45° F to pitch starter.  Follow the fermenting instructions and refer to the specifications for the all-grain version.

Hefeweizen

(5 gallons, all-grain)
    
Ingredients:
• 6.5 lbs. wheat malt
• 3 lbs. Munich pale malt
• 0.5 lb. carapils or dextrin-type malt
• 0.25 oz. Perle hops (7.3% alpha acid) for 90 min.
• 0.5 oz. Hallertauer hops (3.5% alpha acid): 0.25 oz. for 30 min., 0.25 oz. at end of boil
• Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan weizen), 1 pt. starter, or White Labs WLP300 (hefeweizen)
• 2/3 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step:   

Mash grain in 3 gal. of 150° F water for 60 min. Sparge with enough 168° to 170° F water to collect 5.75 gal. of wort.  Total boil time is 90 min. At beginning of boil, add Perle hops and boil 60 min. Add 0.5 oz. Hallertauer hops and boil remaining 30 min.  At end of boil, add the remaining Hallertauer. Whirlpool and cool to 69° F to pitch starter. Oxygenate and aerate well.  Ferment for seven days at 69° F, then rack to secondary fermenter and continue fermenting at 69° F for seven more days or until gravity is about 1.012 (3° Plato). Prime and bottle. Allow to carbonate and age at least seven more days before drinking.   

    OG = 1.056 (14° Plato) Bitterness = 16 IBUs Color = 8.5° SRM 5.5% ABV

Hefeweizen

(5 gallons, extract with grain)

Ingredients:
• 7 lbs. malt extract syrup (70% wheat malt/ 30% pale)
• 1.5 lbs. Munich pale malt
• 0.5 lb. carapils or dextrin-type malt
• 0.25 oz. Perle hops (7.3% alpha acid) for 60 min.
• 0.75 oz. Hallertauer hops (3.5% alpha acid): 0.5 oz. for 30 min., 0.25 oz. at end of boil
• Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan weizen), 1 pt. starter, or White Labs WLP300 (hefeweizen)
• 2/3 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step:   

In a nylon bag, steep crushed grains in 5 gal. of 150° F water for 30 min. Sparge grains with enough 170° F water to make 5.5 gal. Heat to boiling and add extract syrup.  Total boil is 60 min. At beginning of boil, add Perle hops and continue for 30 min. Add 0.5 oz. Hallertauer hops and boil for 30 min. more.  At end of boil, add remaining Hallertauer hops. Whirlpool and cool to 69° F and pitch starter. Oxygenate/aerate well.  Follow the fermenting instructions and refer to the specifications for the all-grain version.