5 Beers Through The Years

Which styles have been on the rise since 1995? We wanted to know, so we checked the entry archives for the Great American Beer Festival, held every fall in Denver. Last year, 400 microbreweries entered 1,700 beers in 54 categories, from Bohemian pilsner to Imperial stout. What better way to measure a beer’s status than to see how many breweries are making versions good enough to enter in a national competition?

The five styles we selected — oatmeal stout, German weizbenbier, American Pale ale, Belgian wit and festbier (Oktoberfest and Märzen) — have each shown a marked increase in the number of entries since 1995. Below you’ll find simple, extract-based recipes (plus an all-grain option) for making these crowd-pleasing beers. Have fun bringing the festival home!

Oatmeal Stout
(five gallons, extract with grains)
OG = 1.046  FG = 1.014  IBU = 20

Smoother and sweeter, with less burnt and bitter edges, oatmeal stouts are more English than Irish. With a dark-brown to black color and a creamy head, they should have more body than a traditional dry stout. Ironically, oats are a fairly insignificant ingredient in most of these brews, comprising as little as 5 percent of the grain bill.

At the 1995 GABF, oatmeal stout fell under the broad “specialty stout” category. By 1999, it had its own category with 47 entries.

Good oatmeal stouts to try: Samuel Smith’s (Tadcaster, England); St. Ambroise (Brasserie McAuslan, Montreal, Quebec); Gray’s (Janesville, Wisconsin).

Ingredients

• 0.5 lb. dark crystal malt
  • (120° Lovibond)
• 0.5 lb. roasted barley
• 1 lb. flaked oats
• 4 lbs. Munton’s unhopped dark dried malt extract (DME)
• 4 AAU Fuggles hops
  • (1 oz. of 4% alpha acid)
• 2 AAU East Kent Goldings hops
  • (0.5 oz of 4% alpha acid)
• English ale yeast (Wyeast 1098 or White Labs WLP-002)
• 1 cup Munton’s dark DME

Step by Step
Steep the oats, crystal and roasted barley (in a grain bag) in 2.5 gallons water at 150° F for 45 minutes. Remove grains, rinse back into
kettle (through a colander) with another quart of hot tap water.

Add DME to kettle, bring to a boil. Add Fuggles hops, boil 45 minutes. Add EKG hops, boil 15 minutes, remove from heat. Top up in fermenter to 5.25 gallons, cool to 68° F and pitch yeast. Ferment one week at 68° F, rack to secondary and condition two weeks at 55°F. Prime with DME, bottle and age three weeks at 50° F.

All-grain option: Heat 10 qts. water to 162° F. Crush together 6 lbs. pale malt, 0.5 lbs. roasted barley and 0.5 lbs. dark crystal malt. Add with 0.5 lb. flaked oats to water, hold at 151° F for 90 minutes. Runoff, sparge with 12 quarts at 168° F. Bring to boil, follow hop schedule as above. Final boil volume should be 5.25 gallons.

Weizenbier
(five gallons, extract with grain)
OG = 1046  FG = 1.010  IBU = 14

German in origin, weizenbiers — or weissbiers  — are light and refreshing. Sometimes they’re tart and slightly acidic, sometimes fruity and sweet. The best strains of German weizen yeast create esters reminiscent of banana, clove and bubblegum; American brewers have developed a milder, cleaner style.

In 1995, there were 41 German wheat beers at the GABF. In 1999, there were 77.

Good weissbiers to try: Ayinger, Tucher and Schneider from Germany; Tabernash Weissbier (Longmont, Colorado); Bert Grant’s Hefeweizen (Yakima, Washington).

Ingredients

• 0.5 lb. carapils malt
• 0.5 lb. flaked wheat
• 1 lb. malted wheat
• 5 lbs. Briess unhopped weizen malt extract syrup
• 3 AAU Hallertau hops
  • (1 oz. of 3% alpha acid)
• 2 AAU Tettnang hops
  • (0.5 oz. of 4% alpha acid)
• German Weizen yeast (Wyeast 3333 or White Labs WLP-320)
• 7/8 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step
Steep the carapils, malted wheat and flaked wheat (in a grain bag) in 2.5 gallons water at 150° F for 45 minutes.  Remove grains, rinse back into kettle (through a colander) with another quart of hot tap water.  Add malt extract syrup to kettle, bring to a boil.

Add Hallertau hops, boil 40 minutes. Add Tettnang hops, boil 5 minutes, remove from heat. Top up in fermenter to 5.25 gallons, cool to 68° F and pitch yeast.  Ferment one week at 68° F, rack to secondary and condition two weeks at 50°F.  Prime with corn sugar, bottle and age three weeks at 50°F.

All-grain option: Heat 11 qts. water to 164° F. Crush together 4 lbs. pilsner malt, 3 lbs. malted wheat and 0.5 lbs. carapils. Add with 0.5 lb. flaked wheat to water, hold at 153° F for 75 minutes. Runoff, sparge with 13 quarts at 169° F. Bring to a boil, follow hop schedule as above. Final boiling volume should be 5.25 gallons.

American Pale Ale
(five gallons, extract with grains)
OG = 1.055  FG = 1.012  IBU = 48

With the rebirth of the craft brewing industry in the late 1980s, this style of ale became the flagship of every new microbrewery. Then the public got bored and turned to more exotic beers.

The APA made a comeback a few years ago, with new varieties of hops, new strains of yeast and better barley malt. It’s not terribly different from English pale ales, just more of a good thing — higher OG, therefore a bit higher alcohol content; and higher hopping rates, using American varieties.

In 1995, there were 65 APAs featured at the GABF. In 1999, there were 108.

Good APAs to try: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Chico, California); Mirror Pond Pale Ale (Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon); Clipper City Pale Ale (Baltimore, Maryland).

Ingredients

• 0.5 lb. medium crystal malt (60°Lovibond)
• 0.5 lb. toasted pale malt (350° F for 20 minutes)
• 1 lb. malted wheat
• 5 lbs. Munton’s unhopped amber dried malt extract (DME)
• 8 AAU Cascade hops
  • (2 oz. of 4% alpha acid)
• 4 AAU Willamette hops
  • (1 oz. of 4% alpha acid)
• 3 AAU Cascade hops
  • (0.75 oz. of 4% alpha acid)
• American ale yeast (Wyeast 1056 or White Labs WLP-001)
• 1 cup Munton’s light DME

Step by Step
Steep the crystal, toasted and wheat malts (in a grain bag) in 2.5 gallons water at 150° F for 45 minutes. Remove grains, rinse back into kettle (through a colander) with another quart of hot tap water.

Add DME to kettle, bring to a boil. Add first Cascade hops, boil 45 min. Add Willamette hops, boil 25 min. Add second dose of Cascade hops, boil 5 min, remove from heat. Top up in fermenter to 5.25 gallons, cool to 68° F and pitch yeast. Ferment one week at 68° F, rack to secondary and condition two weeks at 55° F. Prime with DME, bottle and age three weeks at 50° F.

All-grain option: Heat 13 qts. water to 164° F. Crush together 7 lbs. pale malt, 0.5 lb. toasted pale malt, 0.5 lb. medium crystal, 0.5 lb. dark crystal and 1 lb. malted wheat. Add to water, hold at 152° F for 90 minutes. Runoff, sparge with 16 qts. at 168° F. Bring to a boil, follow hop schedule as above. Final boiling volume should be 5.25 gal.

Belgian Wit
(five gallons, extract with grains)
OG = 1.049  FG = 1.010  IBU = 19

Belgian wit had all but disappeared when Pierre Celis began his brewing career in the 1950s. Celis is credited for reviving the style in Belgium during his stint at the Hoegaarden brewery; then he moved to Texas, launched his own Belgian brewery and kick-started the style in the United States.

This is a wheat beer. It’s cloudy, tart and spiced with coriander, orange peel, cumin and sometimes  ginger, lemon and anise. The best versions are bottle-conditioned, and have a soft, silky look and texture.

In 1995, there were 25 Belgian-style beers at the GABF. In 1999, there were 72.

Good Belgian wits to try: Hoegaarden (Belgium); Celis White (Austin, Texas); Allegash White (Portland, Maine); Blanche de Chambly (Unibroue Brewery, Chambly, Quebec).

Ingredients

• 0.5 lb. light crystal malt (20°L)
• 0.5 lb. flaked wheat
• 0.5 lb. flaked oats
• 0.5 lb. malted wheat
• 0.5 lb.Belgian pilsner malt
• 4 lbs. Laaglander unhopped weizen malt extract syrup
• 2 cups light honey
• 4 AAU Brewer’s Gold hops
  • (0.5 oz. of 8% alpha acid)
• 2 AAU Styrian Goldings hops
  • (0.5 oz. of 4% alpha acid)
• 0.5 oz. crushed coriander seed
• 0.5 oz. grated dried bitter
• orange peel (curacáo)
• Belgian witbier yeast (Wyeast 3944, White Labs  WLP-400 or equivalent)
• 1 cup Munton’s light DME (for priming)

Step by Step
Steep the crystal, wheat and pilsner malts, plus the oats and flaked wheat, in a grain bag in 2.5 gallons water at 150° F for 45 minutes. Remove the grains and rinse back into the brew kettle (through a colander) with an additional quart of hot tap water.

Add malt extract syrup and honey to kettle, bring to a boil. Add Brewer’s Gold hops, boil 30 minutes. Add Styrian Goldings hops, boil 15 minutes, remove from heat. Add coriander and orange peel, steep 30 minutes. Top up in fermenter to 5.25 gallons, cool to 68° F and pitch yeast. Ferment one week at 68° F, rack to secondary and condition two weeks at 55° F. Prime with DME, bottle and age three weeks at 50° F.

All-grain option: Heat 12 qts. water to 161° F. Crush together 3 lbs. malted wheat, 4 lbs. Belgian pilsner malt and 0.5 lb. light crystal malt. Add with 0.5 lb. flaked oats and 0.5 lb. flaked wheat to water, hold at 150° F for 75 minutes. Runoff, sparge with 14 qts. at 167° F. Bring to a boil, follow hop and spice schedule as above. Final boiling volume should be 5.25 gal.

Festbier
(five gallons, extract with grains)
OG = 1.060  FG = 1.013  IBU = 30

Märzenbier was traditionally the last big brew of the spring, made in March and saved for fall as the first beer of the new season. Märzens were stored in cool cellars during the hot summer months in the days before modern refrigeration and other technologies, so they may have been the first true lagers. They also became known as Oktoberfests when they became the traditional beverage for fall harvest festivals.

They are generally malty, reddish-amber in color, spicy (hops only!) and rich. They are brewed a little stronger and hoppier than normal lagers, both because they are intended for celebrations and because they needed to survive several months of storage.

In 1995, there were 30 festbiers featured at the GABF. In 1999, there were 51 festbiers.

Good festbiers to try: Paulaner, Spaten and Hacker-Pschorr (Munich, Germany); Hübsch Märzen (Davis, California); Stoudt’s Festbier (Adamstown, Pennsylvania).

Ingredients

• 0.5 lb. medium crystal malt (120° Lovibond)
• 0.5 lb. dark Munich malt
• 0.5 lb. biscuit malt
• 0.5 lb. Vienna malt
• 1 lb. pilsner malt
• 5 lbs. Briess unhopped amber DME
• 6 AAU Tettnang hops
  • (1.5 oz. of 4% alpha acid)
• 3 AAU Spalt hops
  • (1 oz. of 3% alpha acid)
• Bavarian or Munich lager yeast
  • (Wyeast 2308 or WLP-820)
• 1 cup Briess amber DME (for priming)

Step by Step
Steep the malts (in a grain bag) in 2.5 gallons water at 128° F for 30 minutes. Raise kettle temperature to 150° F, steep another 30 minutes. Remove grains, rinse back into kettle (through a colander) with another quart of hot tap water.

Add DME to kettle, bring to a boil. Add Tettnang hops, boil 60 min. Add Spalt, boil 30 min., remove from heat. Top up in fermenter to 5.25 gal., cool to 65°F and pitch yeast. Ferment one week at 50° to 55° F, rack to secondary, condition four weeks at 45°F. Prime with DME and then bottle and age for six weeks at 40°F.

All-grain option: Heat 9 qts. water to 146° F.  Crush together 6.25 lbs. pilsner malt, 2 lbs. dark Munich malt (12 to 15° L), 1 lb. Vienna malt, 0.5 lb. medium crystal malt and 0.5 lb. biscuit malt. Hold at 135° F for 30 minutes. Add 5 qts. water at 180° F, raising mash temperature to about 150° F. Hold for 60 minutes. Runoff, sparge with 16 qts. at 168° F. Bring to a boil, follow hop schedule as above. Reduce kettle volume to 5.25 gallons.

Written by Scott Russell