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Decemberfest Lager

Brewed: 11/24/2024   Kegged: 12/22/2023

2020. 

decemberfest.jpgAround 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.

The 2023 version went back to using "regular" Vienna malt.


For more information about this beer, see Sheppy's Blog: Decemberfest.




Decemberfest Lager --- Batch 4 (366)

Style Festbier Batch Size 5.50 gal
Type All Grain Boil Size   6.57 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency   65.00   Boil Time   60 minutes

Recipe Characteristics

Recipe Gravity 1.056 SG Estimated FG 1.011 SG
Recipe Bitterness 22.9 IBUs (Rager) Alcohol by Volume 5.9 %
BU : GU   0.412        
Recipe Color 6.9 SRM
Color
   
Measured OG:   1.056    Measured FG:    
ADF:       Measured ABV:    

Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU Volume
7.53 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 Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 5 53.8 % 0.55 gal
5 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 6 38.5 % 0.39 gal
1 lbs Caravienne Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 7 7.7 % 0.08 gal
1.000 oz Magnum [12.60 %] - Boil 25.0 min Hop 8 21.5 IBUs -
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 9 - -
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 10 - -
1.000 oz Tettnang (Tettnang Tettnager) [2.10 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 11 1.5 IBUs -
1.0 pkg Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70) [50.28 ml] Yeast 12 - -
0.50 tsp Gelatin (Bottling 1.0 days) Fining 13 - -

Mash Profile

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Saccharification Add 30.10 qt of water at 157.5 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=119,Mg=8,Na=21,SO4=169,Cl=92,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:   Strike Temp:  
Mash Temps:  
Pre-boil OG   (1.049 SG)   Pre-boil Vol   (6.57 gal)
Actual Mash Efficiency   Pitch Temp    
Fermentation            
Day 1: 
Day ... 
Day ... 

Click here to see previous recipes
 
Brewing Notes:
11/11/2024 esheppy
Updating the recipe a bit for 2024. Need to get this brewed for December.
11/13/2024 esheppy
Ordering ingredients from The Brew Hut, and I might brew this weekend.
11/18/2024 esheppy
Picked up ingredients yesterday. Didn't brew,so I'll probably do it next weekend.
11/24/2024 esheppy
Starter yesterday. Brew Day today. Interrupted by church. Pre-boil gravity and volume right on track.
11/24/2024 esheppy
Rest of the Brew day went great. Perfect OG. Pitched in low 50's.
11/25/2024 esheppy
Bubbling strong. Got started sometime overnight. Tilt says 1.054 at 53 degrees.
11/26/2024 esheppy
Tilts says 1.046 at 53 degrees.
11/27/2024 esheppy
Still going strong. Tilt says 1.023 at 54.
11/28/2024 esheppy
Starting to slow down, but still bubbling. Tilt says 1.025 at 55. The reading I put in for yesterday was an outlier for the day. The gravity was reading more in the 1.030's on all other readings.
12/01/2024 esheppy
Not much bubbling today. Last night I set the controller to 60 and today tilt says 1.020 at 60. Unplugged the pump this morning, so we're officially in "warm fermentation" now.
Comments:
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