After 7+ weeks in a glass secondary carboy, it was time to bottle up the Oktoberfest from the Oktoberfest Duel.
As much as I would like to do away with the whole bottling process, I do have it down pretty well. I feel like I have a good routine to get everything sanitized and ready to bottle in an efficient manner.
Some notes from the bottling day:
- The beer had a good color and was crystal clear in the siphon.
- The malt aroma was there – quite present. I have brewed a Maibock and a Rauchbier and I finally got a malt aroma right off the bat as the bottling bucket filled.
- Since this is the first beer I have made with Vienna malt, I wonder if that malt is the one giving off that aroma.
- This is the first time I am using the Oktoberfest yeast and not the German Lager Yeast so that may have something to do with the pronounced malt aroma.
Anyway – it looks like I done brung it to this duel. There is a smoothness to the flavor as well that makes me not want to brew an ale ever again (just kidding). As long as everything goes well in the bottle, this Oktoberfest will be pretty tasty.
David
I’ve been following this one from the start — can’t wait to hear the tasting results!
chris
I just did a horizontal tasting of every commercial Oktoberfest I could lay my hands on in Ohio (eight of em) all but two were disappointingly thin with little malt aroma and less malt taste. They were all drinkable and I’d have some of them again at a push but I would seek out Great Lakes Oktoberfest. It was head and shoulders above the others and tasted incredibly fresh. I’m now looking forward to stewarding at our local Oktoberfest Homebrew competition in Dayton. I’d love to know what genuinely fresh well made Marzen tastes like.
John
It tasted great coming out of the secondary – although it was flat. It was malty and smooth. I think we’ll have a good round up post when the duel concludes next month.