Decemberfest Lager
Brewed: 12/12/2021 Kegged: 01/01/2022
2020.
 Around September, I thought I should brew an Oktoberfest lager. I never got around to it.
In October, I thought maybe a Novemberfest lager would be a good idea. I never got around to it.
In November, I thought maybe a Decemberfest lager would work. I never really got around to it until mid-December.
It probably won't be ready to drink before January, but I thought I could still call it Decemberfest as I was brewing it in December. And ... I might drink some of it before the end of the year.
Rather than the Marzen style, I went with more of a "Festbier". My first attempt at this style.
Batch #1 of this beer was my 6th batch that I brewed on my Anvil Foundry.
This is one of those beers that both the Brew Master and the Beer Model like.
It is a beautiful golden lager. Not too light. Not too heavy.
Not too malty. Not too hoppy.
Not too sweet. Not too bitter.
Just an awesome easy drinking lager. At 5.5% ABV, it isn't sessionable, but at the same time, it isn't a beer that will mess you up if you drink one or two.
Pretty much a beer-drinker's beer.
Awesome.
I brewed it again in 2021 using local maltster Root Shoot's Vienna malt, which has a significantly higher Lovibond.

Decemberfest Lager --- Batch 2 |
Style |
|
Festbier |
|
Batch Size |
|
5.75 gal |
Type |
|
All Grain |
|
Boil Size |
|
6.83 gal |
Brewhouse Efficiency |
|
68.00 |
|
Boil Time |
|
60 minutes | Recipe Characteristics
Recipe Gravity |
|
1.056 SG |
|
Estimated FG |
|
1.012 SG |
Recipe Bitterness |
|
25.3 IBUs (Rager) |
|
Alcohol by Volume |
|
5.9 % |
BU : GU |
|
0.451 |
|
|
|
|
Recipe Color |
|
7.5 SRM |
|
|
|
|
Measured OG: |
|
1.055 |
|
Measured FG: |
|
1.011 |
ADF: |
|
79 |
|
Measured ABV: |
|
5.8 | Ingredients
Ingredients
Amt |
Name |
Type |
# |
%/IBU |
Volume |
7.79 gal |
Denver, Colorado |
Water |
1 |
- |
- |
6.00 g |
Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash) |
Water Agent |
2 |
- |
- |
4.00 g |
Calcium Chloride (Mash) |
Water Agent |
3 |
- |
- |
1.00 tsp |
Lactic Acid (Mash) |
Water Agent |
4 |
- |
- |
7 lbs |
Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) |
Grain |
5 |
53.8 % |
0.55 gal |
5 lbs |
Vienna Malt (6.0 SRM) |
Grain |
6 |
38.5 % |
0.39 gal |
1 lbs |
Caravienne Malt (20.0 SRM) |
Grain |
7 |
7.7 % |
0.08 gal |
0.500 oz |
Magnum [13.20 %] - Boil 30.0 min |
Hop |
8 |
13.6 IBUs |
- |
0.500 oz |
Magnum [13.20 %] - Boil 20.0 min |
Hop |
9 |
9.0 IBUs |
- |
1.00 Items |
Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 mins) |
Fining |
10 |
- |
- |
1.00 tsp |
Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins) |
Other |
11 |
- |
- |
1.000 oz |
Tettnang (Tettnang Tettnager) [3.90 %] - Boil 5.0 min |
Hop |
12 |
2.6 IBUs |
- |
1.0 pkg |
Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70) [50.28 ml] |
Yeast |
13 |
- |
- |
0.50 tsp |
Gelatin (Bottling 1.0 days) |
Fining |
14 |
- |
- |
Mash Profile
Mash Steps
Name |
Description |
Step Temperature |
Step Time |
Saccharification |
Add 31.14 qt of water at 157.2 F |
150.0 F |
45 min |
Heat |
Heat to 156.0 F over 10 min |
156.0 F |
20 min | If steeping, remove grains,
and prepare to boil wort Recipe Notes Make 1.4 liter (6 cups)
yeast starter a day before brew day. Brewing salts in the mash water. This
should bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith)
to Ca=116,Mg=8,Na=21,SO4=164,Cl=89,HCO3=104 Acid addition to bring
calculated pH around 5.4 Brew as directed from recipe. Cool wort to as
close to 50 degrees as possible. Ferment in 50's for about 5 days, let rise
to high 60's for another week. Keg carbonate. After the keg is chilled,
add geletin to keg.
Brewing Record
Brew Date: |
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Strike Temp: |
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Mash Temps: |
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Pre-boil OG |
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(1.050 SG) |
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Pre-boil Vol |
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(6.83 gal) |
Actual Mash Efficiency |
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Pitch Temp |
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Fermentation |
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Day 1: |
Day ... |
Day ... |
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