Non-Lager Oktoberfest?

I would encourage you to watch the entire below Brewing TV video. At the 23:00 mark they do side-by-side tastings of a beer brewed warm (upper 60's) with US-05 and Wyeast 2124. The beer brewed with Wyeast 2124 was described as being "clean".

Cheers!

 

If you don't lager it, your beer is not a lager, regardless of the yeast that you have used.

 

That said, this advice is excellent:

 

You could always use 1318

 

You and @Granitebeard often confuse the hell out of me with your avatars, as I don't look at names as much as I look at the pictures above them.

 

I strongly recommend that you hop per the post by Jeff (@hopfenunmaltz): Magnum (German Magnum) for bittering and just a bit of Hallertau Mittelfrüh for the last 10 minutes of the boil.

Cheers!

 

I think the German Ale/Kolsch suggestion is a pretty good one. You'll be making a "Keller-Oktoberfest" anyway, so anything that performs well with short term maturation is a good bet. US05 is also a good suggestion. The low fermentation temperatures of your basement (60F-ish) is a benefit as well, as it will limit ester production, which you don't want in a lager-inspired beer. Just make sure to make a larger starter (or use more than 1 sachet of yeast) and make sure to cool your beer to as close to ambient as possible before pitching. You also might want to consider a diacetyl rest if you're fermenting at 60F.

 

@NeroFiddled and @hopfenunmaltz gave good advice on hops. And implied (I think) in @hopfenunmaltz' post is that an Oktoberfest beer is not about the hops. They should complement the malt, not dominate.

 

As one of my homebrewing mentors said, Oktoberfests should shout Malt, and then whisper hops.

 

I really thought that it was SFACRKnight the entire time this threads been open until you pointed out it was someone else.

 

You guys can't pick up on the esters from Kolsh yeast? To me that is so far out of place in anything but a Koslch.

FYI my Marzens are 24ibu of a single 50 minute addition and I get enough bitterness/flavor/aroma from that( but I do a soft boil with 6% boil off, so much of the aromatics are contained). I find that late hops in American made German beer to be so out of place as well.

 

with a lot of Citra/Mosaic at flameout?

Did a quick turnaround mocktoberfest last year, fermenting Nottingham cold (upper 50s). Grain bill was pretty much as Hopfen described...1/3 each Vienna, Munich & Pils. Came out pretty good...think it finished at 1.012 iirc. Not my best work, but I had to turn the beer around in two weeks for an oktoberfest party with my club and there was nothing 'wrong' with the beer. Overall worked pretty well in a pinch.

Chico/California Ale/US-05 is derived from German ale yeast, so those that suggested that strain i think are making the best suggestion if cool fermentation temps aren't available.

 

Dave, did Ken Grossman ever write about or in an interview discuss the history of the Sierra Nevada (Chico) house yeast strain? My guess is that it is something like:

German brewery in Cologne (a Kolsch yeast strain?) -> Ballantine (is it BRY96 or BRY97?) -> Ken Grossman.

Cheers!

@hopfenunmaltz @jesskidden

 

Way to go imo is German Ale or Kolsch yeast, fermented cool, 1/3 German Pils, 1/3 Vienna, 1/3 Munich and light bittering with clean hop like Magnum. Mash high.

 

NHC 2009, he said al he knows is that he got it from Siebel.

It would be BRY-96.

Most say it was from Britain. Never heard that it was a Kölsch yeast.

 

I agree. I wouldn't want Kolsch yeast flavors if I were trying to simulate a german lager.

 

FWIW, I just tested my first pilsner (94% pils, 6% carapils), which I brewed last Saturday, and it has already reached predicted FG. Pitched 34/70 straight from the sachet into the wort at 60 degrees for 3 days, 65 for 2 (because I never "saw" signs of krausen and couldn't help myself). Hydro sample was very clean -- just a nice maltiness with a note of the crystal/liberty I used in the boil.

Many great minds have already recommended 34/70 to you in this thread, but I thought I'd add in the voice of a novice to really bring it home

 

I heard this from a very reputable source who i believe got the info from the White Labs yeast genetic study...but yes that sounds about right Jack. I believe Anchor's ale strain is English derived while Chico strain is German derived...that's my understanding at least.