Princess Theresa’s Oktoberfestbier

5 gallons/19 liters, all grain; OG = 1.060; FG = 1.014; SRM = approx. 13; IBU = 25; ABV = approx. 5.8%

Ingredients:

• 10.67 lbs. (4.8 kg) pale two-row (2° L)
• 1.3 lbs. (0.58 kg) dark Munich (20° L)
• 0.50 lb. (0.23 kg) crystal (60° L)
• 5.6 AAU Hallertauer or Mt. Hood hops (bittering) (1.3 oz./36.4 g of 4.3% alpha acid)
• 0.6 oz. (16.8 g) Tettnanger hops (flavor)
• 0.3 oz. (8.4 g) Tettnanger hops (aroma)
• Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian Lager), Wyeast 2308 (Munich Lager), White Labs WLP838 (Southern German Lager), or White Labs WLP920 (Old Bavarian Lager) yeast
• 1/2 cup DME or corn sugar

Step by Step:

This beer traditionally has been brewed by the multi-step decoction method, but most experts agree that, given the quality of modern grains, infusion mashing can produce more than adequate results.

These instructions, therefore, are for a multi-step infusion mash, which starts, as is common in Germany, with dough-in at a temperature of approximately 122 °F (50 °C).

Let the mash rest for about half an hour before infusing it with hot water until the temperature reaches 148 °F (64 °C). Keep the mash at that temperature for a second, 15-minute, rest. Infuse again to raise the temperature to 156 °F (69 °C) for a third rest, also of 15 minutes. Then start sparging, slowly, with almost-boiling water.

Check the mash temperature frequently during the sparge. Make sure that it does not increase beyond 170 °F (77 °C). Lower the sparge water temperature, if need be. Expect the sparge to last an hour and a half or even longer.

Check the run-off gravity frequently near the end of the sparge, and end the sparge when the gravity reaches 1.012. This avoids leaching out astringent compounds from the grain husks, which would ruin the rounded, malty character of the beer style. Then check your kettle gravity. If you need to make adjustments to your wort gravity in the kettle, do so by adding water or lengthening the boil time at the end.

Boil the Märzen-Oktoberfestbier for at least an hour and a half. Add the bittering hops one hour before shutdown (usually about 30 minutes into the boil). Add the flavor hops about 5 minutes before, and the aroma hops about 5 minutes after, shutdown. Stir the wort very gently (to avoid aeration) in a circular motion with a spatula to create a whirlpool effect. Wait about half an hour, then heat-exchange the wort as close to the fermentation temperature of 48 °F (9 °C) as your setup allows.

Aerate the cool wort, pitch the yeast, and place your fermentation vessel into a refrigerator set to the fermentation temperature. Let the brew ferment to the finish, which can take as much as three weeks!

Then rack the brew and let it “warm” up to roughly 59–64 °F (15–18 °C) for a diacetyl rest of about two days. Then pull down the brew’s temperature gradually by 2–3 °F (1–1.5 °C) a day. Keep the beer as close as possible to the optimum lagering temperature, which is approximately 28 °F (-2 °C). Lager the brew for as long as you wish, but no less than 6 weeks and no more than 6 months, after which rack the beer a final time and prime it.

Princess Theresa’s Oktoberfestbier

5 gallons/19 liters, partial mash; OG = 1.060; FG = 1.014; SRM = approx. 13; IBU = 25; ABV = approx. 5.8%

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. (0.45 kg) dark Munich malt (20° L)
• 0.50 lb. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (60° L)
• 5.6 AAU Hallertauer or Mt. Hood hops (bittering) (1.3 oz./36.4 g of 4.3% alpha acid)
• 0.6 oz. (16.8 g) Tettnanger hops (flavor)
• 0.3 oz. (8.4 g) (Tettnanger hops (aroma)
• Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian Lager), Wyeast 2308 (Munich Lager), White Labs WLP838 (Southern German Lager), or White Labs WLP920 (Old Bavarian Lager) yeast
• 1/2 cup DME or corn sugar

Step by Step:

Coarsely mill the two specialty malts and pour them into a muslin bag. Place the bag in at least two gallons of cold water and raise the temperature slowly, for at least half an hour, until it reaches 170–190 °F (77–88 °C). At this point bubbles should start to pearl up in the liquid, but the pot must not boil! Lift the bag out of the steeping liquid and rinse it with several cups of cold water.

Do not squeeze the bag.

Discard the spent specialty grain and fill your kettle to the usual volume. Bring the liquid to a boil, turn off the heat, and stir in the canned extract. Bring the wort back to a boil and add the bittering hops. Boil for one hour. Follow the all-grain instructions for adding the flavor and aroma hops as well as for heat-exchanging, fermenting, lagering and priming.

Princess Theresa’s Oktoberfestbier

5 gallons/19 liters, extract only; OG = approx. 1.060; FG = 1.012–1.014; SRM = approx. 13; IBU = 25; ABV = 5.8–6%

Ingredients:

• 7.25 lbs. (3.3 kg) Bierkeller or Weyermann plain amber malt extract
• 1 lb. (0.45 kg) Bierkeller or Weyermann plain light (Pils) malt extract
• 5.6 AAU Hallertauer or Mt. Hood hops
• (bittering) (1.3 oz./36.4 g of 4.3% alpha acid)
• 0.6 oz. (16.8 g) Tettnanger hops (flavor)
• 0.3 oz. (8.4 g) (Tettnanger hops (aroma)
• Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian Lager), Wyeast 2308 (Munich Lager), White Labs WLP838 (Southern German Lager), or White Labs WLP920 (Old Bavarian Lager) yeast
• 1/2 cup DME or corn sugar

Step by Step:

Mix the two malts with your hot brewing water in the kettle. Stir thoroughly to dissolve. Bring the wort back to a boil and add the bittering hops. Boil for one hour.

Follow the all-grain instructions for flavor and aroma hops as well as for fermenting, lagering and priming your beer.