Decemberfest Lager

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.

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:				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 ...