Oktoberfest Recipe

Mash In and Rests

Heat 16–18 liters of your adjusted brew water to about 73°C (163°F). Add the crushed pilsner, Munich, Vienna, Carapils, and any specialty malts to the mash tun while stirring to avoid dough balls. Target a mash temperature of 64°C (147°F) for a single infusion mash aimed at producing a fermentable wort but with some dextrins for body. Hold at 64°C for 60 minutes. If you used acidulated malt and need to adjust pH, check pH during the mash and adjust with lactic acid to about 5.2–5.4.

After the 60-minute rest, raise temperature to 72°C (162°F) for a 10-minute mashout to improve lautering. Hold and then vorlauf (recirculate) until wort runs clear.

Sparge with enough water to collect approximately 18–20 liters of wort in the kettle (target pre-boil volume ~18–20 L). Bring wort to a boil. Once boiling, add 20 g Hallertauer (bittering) and start a 60-minute boil.

With 10 minutes left in the boil add the 10 g aroma hops (Saaz/Hallertau). If using Irish moss or whirlfloc, add at 10–15 minutes remaining. Add yeast nutrient with 10 minutes remaining.

If you intend to produce a low-alcohol final product by using enzymes, you may add amyloglucosidase late in the boil (follow enzyme manufacturer timing/instructions) or add it to the fermenter per manufacturer recommendations. Note: AG enzymes increase fermentability and therefore alcohol — if your goal is non-alcoholic (<0.5% ABV) you'll normally use limited conversion or post-fermentation dealcoholization. The recipe below assumes low-alcohol approach via arrested fermentation or gentle dealcoholization; consider your method.

Rapidly chill the wort to your chosen fermentation temperature. For a Festbier character, use cool ale fermentation (15–18°C) or lager yeast at 9–12°C for a more authentic profile. If producing a non-alcoholic Festbier by arrested fermentation, pitch a small healthy yeast starter (or rehydrate dry yeast) and ferment at the lower end of the yeast's range (12–14°C for ale yeast) to encourage a clean profile. Pitch yeast and add yeast nutrient.

Monitor gravity. To keep alcohol extremely low, you can either: 1) Arrest fermentation early (cool to near 0–2°C when desired gravity is reached), or 2) ferment fully then remove alcohol via gentle vacuum distillation/rotary evaporator, or reverse osmosis. If arresting fermentation, aim for a final gravity that keeps ABV under 0.5% (this requires careful measurement; typical full-strength Festbier would be 1.048 OG — to be non-alcoholic use smaller mash or dilute wort). An alternative approach is to create a low-original-gravity wort by reducing grain bill (e.g., targeting OG ~1.020) so even full attenuation yields <0.5% ABV. Adjust procedure accordingly.

Ferment for 3–5 days until the gravity target (set for your chosen low-alcohol method) is reached. If using lager yeast and cold conditioning, perform a diacetyl rest and then drop temperature to near 0–2°C for 7–14 days to clarify and round flavors.

If bottling: calculate priming sugar for the final volume and bottle with approx. 80 g of priming sugar for ~20 L (adjust amount for desired carbonation ~2.5–3.0 volumes CO2 typical for Festbier). If kegging, carbonate to 2.5–3.0 volumes via CO2.

To improve mouthfeel in a non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beer, dissolve 50 g maltodextrin in a small amount of hot water, cool, and add to the keg or bottling bucket before packaging. This adds body without fermentable sugar.

Cold condition and lager (if possible) for 1–3 weeks at near-freezing for clarity and mellowing. If clarity is desired, add cold stabilization or finings per product instructions and allow to settle.

Warm slightly to serving temperature (7–10°C) and serve in tall Festbier-style glasses.