Oktoberfest in July

Despite being on the 40 week disabled list, we pulled our trusty assistant off the bench to pinch hit and help us pull off our most patient brew. Several Octobers ago we promised to brew an Oktoberfest. We renewed that promise year after year until this year when our trusty assistant cracked the whip and forced us to make good. Here is our very own Josie Brand Oktoberfest-Marzen.

If you don't have central air and live in a part of the country known for it's summer heat and humidity we don't recommend you brew in July. While brewing we cooled off with our own Firenze Pale Ale. The ale helped but it was quite warm in that kitchen and we paid for it later.

Original Gravity: 1.043
Final Gravity: 1.013 - 1.016 (or thereabouts)
Primary Fermentation: Approximately 7 days
Secondary Fermentation: Approximately 8 weeks
2 lbs Pilsner Malteries Franco Belges Malt
2.o lbs Munich Malt
.5 lbs Briess Dextrine Malt
4 oz Briess Crystal 80 Malt
3.3 lbs Mount Mellick Light Malt Syrup
.5 lbs Briess M&F Light DME
1.4 oz Kent Golding Leaf Hops (4.3% alpha)
.25 oz Liberty Hops Pellets
1 tsp Carlson Irish Moss
White Labs German Lager Yeast
1.25 cups extra-light DME for priming

Add 1.5 gallons of 150 degree F water to the mashed grains and hold at temperature for 90 minutes. Strain and sparge the grains with .5 gallons of 150 F water. Add water to the brew pot for total volume of 1.5 gallons. Bring the water to a boil, remove pot from the stove and the malt syrup, light DME, and leaf hops. Add water until total volume is 2.5 gallons and boil for 50 minutes.

After 50 minute boil, add the hop pellets and Irish moss. Continue boil for 10 more minutes (total boil time is 60 minutes). Remove pot from the stove and let cool for 15 minutes. Strain the cooled wort into the primary fermenter and add cold water until the total volume is 5 gallons. Aerate the wort and pitch the yeast at 73.6 degrees F (70-75 degrees F).

Check back in about 2 months for an update.

Cheers!