Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Oktoberfest brewed, fermented, and now lagering

This years Oktoberfest lager was brewed back in early June. It fermented in my new (bought it used) temperature controlled freezer. I changed the grain bill a bit, in an effort to get an even more authentic beer. I changed yeasts this year to Whitelabs, after I had a bad batch of Wyeast last year. The yeast last year resulted in a ruined beer, which required me to present my back-up IPA as the beer for my Oktoberfest Kick-Off event. It all worked out, but it made nervous about trying the Wyeast again. The beer was transferred to the secondary and lagered at 35 degrees all summer long. In the past I was not able to get my temperature controlled fridge down to 35, so I am anxious to see how the freezer will improve lagering. I have sampled the beer at different times, and each time it has tasted good. I will keg this beer during the week of Oktoberfest and it will be the main beer at the Oktoberfest Kick-Off event this year.

No comments: