Can anyone refer me to a solid festbier recipe for reference? The best I can come up with is majority pilsner malt with a decent amount of vienna and perhaps some munich. Should I include any specialty malts such as carahell, caramunich, melanoidin, etc?
One of the few recipes I found was:
63.6% pilsner
36.4% vienna
Recipe guidelines according to Narziss, who is basically the German Jesus.
Festbier - OG 13.5 Plato
60-80% Pilsner malt at 3.5 EBC
0-30% Vienna malt at 8 EBC
0-30% Munich malt at 15 EBC
0-5% caramel malt at 25 EBC (Carahell)
20-24 IBUs
My fest this year is 60% pils, 30% Vienna and 10% carahell
Extremely helpful. Thank you.
My marzen is going to be kegged this weekend and start lagering, I’m going with the following for fest on my next brew session:
65% Pils
30% Munich I
5% carahell
was thinking of cutting the munich with Vienna 50:50, but still toying with that.
In case anyone wants the Marzen it’s:
Marzen - OG 13.5 Plato
30-50% Munich malt at 15 EBC (aka Weyermann Munich I)
30-50% Pilsner malt at 3.5 EBC
0-30% Vienna malt at 8 EBC
0-10% caramalt at 25 to 120 EBC (aka Weyermann Carahell to Caramunich 2)
20-26 IBUs
Right off the bat I’m at
72.7% pilsner
11.4% vienna
11.4% munich 9L
4.5% carahell
A beer that I just brewed on Sunday was very similar to this minus the carahell.
I’ve been dialing in my Märzen over the years, and here’s where I’m at:
1.052 OG
25 IBU
38.6% Light Munich
38.6% Pils
19.3% Vienna
3.6% Aromatic
Wyeast 2633 (Octoberfest blend)
I used to have CaraMunich rather than the Aromatic, but I made a swap several batches ago and thought it was an improvement. I’m tempted to try CaraHell, though.
Just for my own clarification, Festbier and Marzen are different styles right?
Yep, two different styles. Separate flavor profiles, color, and BJCP subcategories.
I wish I had more days in the month. Munich Dunkel and either a Festbier or Märzen are coming up. Also, the thirsty crowd at Beer & Sweat crushed my keg of Kölsch, so i need another of those… not to mention I still have Brett and Sacc Trois to use… So much to brew, so little time.
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
I was happy with the Festbier that I made last year. 45% Pils 35% Munich I 20% Vienna and 1-2 oz Carafa. Last year, I made it with Wyeast 2124. This beer is my next brew, but I’m going to make it with Wyeast 2206 this time.
I really like this type of guideline. Not a specific recipe, but an outline. Is this from Abriss der Bierbrauerei, Die Technologie der Malzbereitung, Die Technologie der Würzebereitung, or something else? Does he cover all German styles with this type of structure?
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
I agree. Gave me a solid starting point from the start. All the recipes i have seen are all over the board.
It’s from Kunze, and Die Bierbrauerei and I think it may be in abriss as well.
Here’s some more recipe guidelines in the first post I like to follow.
Nice link. Bryan @Beerery ? talks about storing yeast from a batch that still has a bit of extract in it. So essentially the yeast hasn’t completely stopped. This is referenced as a quart size. Bryan, have you ever tasted this prior to pitching? Do you get diacetyl? Probably doesn’t matter since you can just decant. Just curious.
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
That’s me! I have never tasted, I guess I never thought of that. I always smell though. I can’t say if I have gotten diacetyl in the starters. Never in normal beer though.
Made my first festbier last night.
1.055
75% Barke Pils
25% Floor Malted Bohemian Dark Malt (6.5L)
2308
Looks good! I am really on the fence about what direction I am going to go.
Settled on:
73% Pilsner
20% Munich 6L
7% Carahell
My original idea was too similar to the grist of my last batch