Brewing Oktoberfest
Often, the beer we enjoy shifts with the change in seasons. The winter brings rich beers such as stouts, porters, winter warmers, and bocks. As the weather warms, the beers often lighten in both color and body, to match the heat of the late spring and summer months. Autumn, too, has a set of beers that fit the season, as pumpkin beers and brown ales populate the shelves. For me however, nothing defines the fall season more than Märzen and Oktoberfest style beers. One of the purveyors in my favorite bottle shop and homebrew store once described his favorite Märzen to me as “fall in a glass.” I couldn’t agree more with that sentiment, and Märzen, along with its more contemporary counterpart, the modern German Oktoberfestbier, both are favorite styles of mine. Märzen has a long, rich history as a style, one steeped in both tradition and change. And traditionally, the time to brew is in March.
The Name Game
The term Märzen, which translated means March in German, can be traced back to the early 1500s, when it was decreed that Bavarian brewers must cease beer production from the end of March until September. This was purely out of necessity, as brewers of the time had little means to control beer quality during the hot summer months, due to a lack of refrigeration, and a lack of understanding of the role of yeast, bacteria and other microbes on beer fermentation and spoilage. Instead, they brewed overtime during the late winter months and stored Märzenbier, which was brewed to a higher strength to help it resist spoilage, in cool caves over the summer. Once the summer months ended and fall came, the Märzenbier was brought back out, and the barrels were tapped. Märzen’s now famous association with Munich’s annual Oktoberfest can be most prominently traced back to 1872, when the first Märzen style beer was served at Oktoberfest, brewed by Gabriel Sedlmayr of the Spaten Brewery.
To accurately talk about Märzen and Oktoberfestbier, it is important to understand how these terms are used both in America, and in Germany. In America, the term Oktoberfest has often become synonymous with a beer style, that being a malt-forward amber lager generally between 5–7% ABV. However, in Germany, Oktoberfest is generally not used to describe a beer style. The only real use of the term is reserved for Oktoberfestbier, which is a legally protected name that describes, in very literal terms, the beer served at Oktoberfest in Munich, and can only be used by the six Munich brewers who participate in the annual festival, including Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten. While Oktoberfestbiers are all very similar in style, being malt-forward pale lagers with an ABV of around 6%, the term is an identifier more than a style designation. Märzen on the other hand, is often used interchangeably with the name Oktoberfest in the US to describe the same style of amber lager, and is the name reserved for this style of beer by the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP).
The BJCP, in its 2014 update to the style guidelines, added a new category called Festbier, with the goal being to define the modern day German Oktoberfestbier as a style. Festbier is a term commonly used in Germany, but, as you can probably guess, it isn’t used to describe a beer style. In Bavaria, the term Festbier is often used by brewers both large and small to describe a beer made for the festival season, for occasions such as Kirchweih, a common village fair type celebration that originated as an anniversary of a church’s consecration. These Festbiers are often, but not always, brewed to Märzen strength, have a wide color range from pale to deep amber or brown, and are nearly always a lager. The new BJCP category however describes a beer more narrow in scope, with many well-known examples being those versions made by the Munich brewers for Oktoberfest. In choosing a name for this style, Gordon Strong, the President of the BJCP, noted that the term “Festbier” can have a more generic meaning, but in the guidelines, it is used in a very specific way. “The BJCP doesn’t use the name Oktoberfestbier since it has a very specific meaning in Germany, including where it is made, and where and how it is served,” said Strong. It should be noted that there is precedent in using the terms Märzen and Festbier to identify these styles, as the European Beer Star, a beer competition that is held in Germany, also uses them as style identifiers.
So, how did the modern day Oktoberfestbier come to be? For decades, the amber colored Märzen was the drink of choice at the annual Oktoberfest in Munich, and to this day, continues to be brewed by some of the Munich brewers, some of which is exported to America. Fred Schumacher, a native German and President of Hofbräuhaus of America, the US affiliate of the German brewer, says that the change in style was a conscious decision. The change from the traditional Märzen occurred about 20 years ago. The Munich brewers do not individually determine what beer to serve at the Oktoberfest, as this is decided by a committee made up of staffers from the six breweries. At some point this committee determined that the color should be lighter.
It’s probably impossible to know why exactly the committee made this change without asking them directly, but it can be strongly inferred that one good reason for the change was to increase the beer’s drinkability and mass appeal. Since beer is served in liters at Oktoberfest, serving a lighter-colored lager would certainly suit the festival’s masses over a richer beer that would be harder to drink in such large quantities.
So, to recap, the terms Oktoberfest, Märzen, and Festbier all have a different meaning depending on whether you are in Germany or elsewhere, and the term Oktoberfestbier is very specific to the big brewers in Munich. Despite the variance in how terminology is used, both Märzen and Festbier are used as style descriptors by the BJCP, and for the purpose of homebrewing, do serve a purpose in distinguishing two types of lagers that certainly have stylistic differences. For the rest of this article, I’ll stick with using these terms as style descriptors, in line with the BJCP style guidelines.
Brewing Techniques
Märzen, as was discussed earlier, is an amber lager with an OG typically ranging from 1.054–1.060, and an ABV ranging from 5.5% to just over 6%. At its core, a Märzen is all about maximizing flavor and aroma from high quality malts. The choice of hops is of course important, but the soul of this beer is a rich malt character that isn’t sweet or cloying. Festbiers, which should have a deep yellow to golden color, have a similar starting gravity, typically between 1.054–1.057, and usually the same range of ABV%. This style is similarly malt forward, but the focus is on lighter, less kilned malts than in a Märzen. Hop character is a bit higher in this style, but like Märzen, a rich malt character is still the focus.
When brewing a BJCP Märzen or Festbier, the type of malt that is chosen is the most important ingredient choice. Seek out high quality continental malts for either style, preferably from a German maltster.
There are a number of different grists that can produce a very high quality Märzen. In general, the majority, if not all, of the malt bill should be comprised of some combination of Vienna, Munich or Pilsner malt. No matter what ratio of each malt is chosen, what is most important is that they match the appropriate flavor profile for a Märzen, creating a maltiness that is pleasant but not cloying or sweet. My personal preference is to build the grist on a healthy portion of Vienna malt, with a good range being between 60–90% of the malt bill. Vienna malt is kilned at a level between Pilsner and Munich malt, which helps give it a nice toasty malt flavor. Munich malt is another key element to making a great Märzen. Munich malts have a very wide range, and can be as light as 6 °L, to as dark as 20 °L. Assuming a high quality continental Munich malt is chosen, both light and dark Munich malts can be used to create a great Märzen. However, exercise caution here as higher percentages of Munich, especially when using darker varieties, can contribute too much of a deep, sweet maltiness that is out of style, and better suited for a bock beer.
Specialty grains can have a place in a well-made Märzen, though they aren’t necessary to create a great example of the style if you choose the right base malts. If you do elect to use specialty grains, keep it to 10% or less of the grist. Like the base malt, the appropriate choice of specialty grain is important to add the right character to the beer, and should complement the character of the base malts, not overpower them. Avoid domestic caramel-style malts, and instead consider German specialty malts such as Melanoiden or CaraMunich®.
The grain bill for a Festbier relies more heavily on a base of German Pilsner malt. Festbiers are sometimes described as being somewhere between a Helles and Helles Bock, two styles that rely on large quantities of Pilsner malt in the grist. When designing a malt bill for a Festbier per the BJCP, Strong, who was one of those responsible for designing the guidelines for the new style, suggests that a minimum of 60% Pilsner malt should be used in the grist. The remainder of the grist can consist of Vienna malt, a light Munich malt, such as Weyermann’s Munich I malt, which is kilned to 5– 7 °L, or a combination of both. The flavor obtained from the Pilsner malt should provide the basis for the malt character of this beer, but proper use of Vienna and Light Munich help contribute a bready quality to the aroma and flavor that complement the characteristics of the Pilsner malt well. When choosing the level of Vienna or Munich malt in the grist, keep in mind that you don’t want to use too much and push your beer beyond a yellow to light golden color, or it will fall out of style.
When mashing a Märzen or Festbier, an important factor is mashing for high levels of fermentability, so the end result is a well-attenuated lager. When looking at the characteristics of many commonly available German-made examples, it can be seen that most exhibit very high levels of attenuation, an important aspect to aid their drinkability. If the appropriate high quality malts are chosen, single infusion, step mash, or decoction mash regimens can all be used to produce a great beer. In fact, since 2006, six different brewers won a gold medal in the National Homebrew Competition brewing a Märzen. Three used a decoction mash, and three used a single infusion, proving that with the appropriate choice of malt, either technique can create a wonderful example of the style. If using a single infusion, I’d suggest targeting a temperature of 150–152 °F (66–67 °C) to ensure a fermentable wort that still leaves some body in the beer.
If you do choose to try a more advanced mashing regimen, a step mash can be used to help produce a highly fermentable wort that will give the yeast the best chance to attain high attenuation. A good choice for either a Festbier or a Märzen is what is referred to as a Hochkurz (high-short) style step mash, a common technique used by German brewers. The initial infusion rest, often called the maltose rest, is held at 144–146 °F (62–63 °C) for 20 to 60 minutes. The length of this rest is meant to control the fermentability of the wort, with a longer rest generating more maltose, a highly fermentable sugar in beer wort created in large part by the enzyme beta amylase, which is highly active at this temperature. A second rest called the dextrinization rest, which can be achieved using either direct heat or a hot water infusion, raises the mash temperature to between 158–162 °F (70–72 °C), and can be held for 15 to 45 minutes. At this temperature, any remaining starch in the wort should be converted relatively quickly by the enzyme alpha amylase, which creates higher levels of unfermentable dextrins that give the beer added body. Optionally, a mashout can be used, in which the temperature would be raised again to around 168 °F (76 °C), which will deactivate the enzymes in the mash and stop conversion.
Another mashing technique that can be used is a decoction mash. There is much debate among homebrewers of the merits, advantages or disadvantages of doing a decoction. One tip, however, if you decoct a Festbier: Shorten the boil time to avoid excessive darkening of the wort, which could push the color out of style.
For extract brewers, as with my advice on base malts, stick to German-made Munich or Pilsner varieties and be sure to get them as fresh as possible (there are no Vienna malt extracts that I know of at the time of writing this story). Weyermann, in particular, has some high quality and easily-sourced extracts. From there you can build your beers with specialty malts as any all-grain brewer would.
Hops are not the focus of either of these beers, but that doesn’t mean they are not important. For a Märzen, pick a noble hop such as Hallertauer, or a higher alpha derivative of it such as Perle or Magnum for bittering. Shoot for around 20-25 IBUs total from this addition. Late hopping isn’t necessary in this style, but if you choose to, use a noble hop and practice restraint. For a Festbier, similar practice should be used for the bittering addition, though more late hop character is acceptable.
For both Märzen and Festbier, use a lager yeast strain that originates from Germany, preferably Bavaria. A strain that puts the focus on the malt and has low sulfur production is preferable, as a clean, crisp maltiness is desirable. One of the keys to achieving the right flavor profile for both a Märzen and a Festbier is to ensure your lager is well attenuated, since you want a prominent maltiness but also a beer that has a fairly crisp finish. My personal favorite for a Märzen is White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager). For a Festbier, White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) both work well, as both are well known as highly-attenuative strains that still produce a malt-forward flavor profile. Other choices are White Labs WLP838 (Southern German Lager), Wyeast 2633 (Octoberfest Lager Blend), Wyeast 2487 (Hella-Bock) and Wyeast 2308 (Munich Lager). I also highly recommend using a yeast starter to achieve an appropriate pitching rate.
There are multiple methods for lager fermentation, but I recommend pitching your yeast on the cold side and allowing them to rise in temperature during fermentation. Try pitching at 44–46 °F (6–7 °C) and slowly let the temperature rise to 48–52 °F (8–11 °C) during the first 48 hours of fermentation. Once your fermentation is roughly 75% to the expected final gravity, raise the temperature to anywhere from 58–65 °F (14–18 °C) to allow the yeast to ferment out completely and clean up any diacetyl that may be present in the beer. For the lagering phase, I use a general rule of cold aging for one week for every 4 original gravity points, but going longer is fine. I lager as cold as possible, and target 30 °F (-1 °C).
Both these styles can be brewed well with most types of water, assuming it is not too hard or highly carbonate. No matter what water you use, most important is ensuring your mash pH is at a satisfactory point. A range of 5.3 to 5.5 pH measured at room temperature tends to be a good target for most beer styles, both Märzen and Festbier included.
Carbonation in German-style lagers is generally moderate to moderately high, and in both these styles, shoot for target of 2.4–2.7 volumes.
As for when to brew? As I said earlier, traditionally in Germany Märzen was brewed in March and stored until the fall. However, modern brewing means we are free to brew when we want. I often brew mine in June!
On the first Sunday of Oktoberfest, a procession of folklore and marksmen (and barrels of beer) works its way along a seven-kilometer route (about four miles) through the streets of Munich.
Oktoberfest Recipes
Editor’s note: These recipes are designed to yield 6 gallons (23 L) in the kettle at flameout, 5.5 gal. (21 L) in the fermenter, and 5 gal. (19 L) of finished beer.
Märzenbier
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.011
IBU = 24 SRM = 8 ABV = 5.8%
Ingredients
9.75 lbs. (4.4 kg) German Vienna malt (3.5 °L)
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Weyermann Munich II malt (9 °L)
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) Weyermann Munich I malt (6 °L)
7 AAU German Magnum hops
(80 min.) (0.5 oz./14g at 14% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) or Wyeast 2487-PC (Hella Bock) yeast
5 oz. corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a traditional Hochkurz double decoction mash. Heat 5.5 gallons (21 L) of water to 155 °F (68 °C) and mash in to rest at 145 °F (63 °C). Hold at this temperature for 45–60 minutes. The first decoction is a thick decoction, which should be composed mostly of grain, with just enough liquid to keep the mash from scorching. Pull 12 qts. (11.3 L) of decoction to a separate pot, and slowly heat until boiling, stirring frequently.
Boil for 20–30 minutes, while continuing to stir. After boiling is complete, add the decoction back to the main mash to rest at 158 °F (70 °C). If the mash rests at a lower temperature after adding the decoction back, add a boiling water infusion or direct heat to the mash. Rest at this temperature for 20 minutes. Pull 2.75 gallons (10.4 L) of thin mash, composed of the liquid, and heat to boiling. Add back to the main mash to rest at 168 °F (76 °C). Begin to runoff mash, and sparge with 3.5 gallons (13.2 L) of water to reach a pre-boil volume of 7.25 gallons (27 L) at an estimated O.G. of 1.042, assuming a boil-off rate of 10% per hour. Boil for 90 minutes, adding the hop addition after 10 minutes. Following the boil, chill the wort rapidly to 44–46 °F (7–8 °C), and transfer 5.5 gallons (21 L) to the fermentation vessel. Aerate and pitch approximately 425 billion cells of yeast. Allow wort to slowly rise to 50 °F (10 °C) during the first two days of fermentation, and hold until reaching 80% of the target attenuation. Let rise again to 60 °F (16 °C) until fermentation is complete. Transfer off the trub and lower the temperature to 30–32 °F (-1–0 °C), and lager for 6–8 weeks. Carbonate to 2.6 volumes.
Märzenbier
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.011
IBU = 24 SRM = 8 ABV = 5.8%
Ingredients
5 lbs. (2.3 kg) Munich liquid malt extract
3 lbs. (1.36 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
9.8 AAU German Magnum hops (60 min.)
(0.75 oz./21 g at 14% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) or Wyeast 2487-PC (Hella Bock) yeast
5 oz. corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
At this time there are no extract equivalents for Vienna malt so this is a mix of a Munich malt extract with a Pilsen extract.
Add 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) to your brew pot and heat the water up to a boil. Remove the brewpot from heat and add the liquid and dried malt extract. Stir until all the extract has dissolved then add the hops. Return the wort to heat, top off to 3 gallons (11.4 L) and boil for 60 minutes. Following the boil, chill the wort rapidly to room temperature. Transfer the wort to a sanitized fermenter and top off with cold water to 5.5 gallons (21 L). Now follow the all-grain recipe (above).
Festbier
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.056 FG = 1.010
IBU = 25 SRM = 5 ABV = 6.0%
Ingredients
10.2 lbs. (4.6 kg) German Pilsner malt (1.5 °L)
2.7 lbs. (1.2 kg) German Vienna malt (3.5 °L)
4.9 AAU German Magnum hops (80 min.)
(0.35 oz./10 g at 14% alpha acids)
2 AAU Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops
(30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4% alpha acids)
2 AAU Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops
(10 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) yeast
5 oz. corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a traditional Hochkurz step mash. If using boiling water infusion for step mashing, heat 4.5 gallons (17 L) of water to 157 °F (69 °C) and mash in to rest at 145 °F (63 °C), or if using direct heat to step mash, heat 5.75 gallons (21.7 L) of water to 155 °F (68 °C) and mash in. Hold at this temperature for 45–60 minutes. Use direct heat or a boiling water infusion of 1.25 gallons (4.7 L) to raise the mash temperature to 158 °F (70 °C), and rest for 20 minutes. Optionally, raise the mash temperature to 168 °F (76 °C) to mash out, and begin to run off. Sparge with 3.5 gallons (13.2 L) of water to reach a pre-boil volume of 7.25 gallons (27 L) at an estimated O.G. of 1.043. Boil for 90 minutes, adding each of the three hops additions at the noted times. Following the boil, chill the wort rapidly to 44–46 °F (7–8 °C), and transfer 5.5 gallons (21 L) to the fermentation vessel. Aerate thoroughly, and pitch approximately 435 billion cells of yeast. Now follow the remainder of the Märzenbier recipe (above).
Festbier
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.056 FG = 1.010
IBU = 25 SRM = 6 ABV = 6.0%
Ingredients
4.5 lbs. (2 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) German Pilsner malt (1.5 °L)
2.7 lbs. (1.2 kg) German Vienna malt (3.5 °L)
4.9 AAU German Magnum hops (80 min.)
(0.35 oz./10 g at 14% alpha acids)
2 AAU Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops
(30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4% alpha acids)
2 AAU Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops
(10 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) yeast
5 oz. corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Place the crushed grains in a bag or small mash tun. If using boiling water infusion for step mashing, heat 1.75 gallons (6.7 L) of water to 157 °F (69 °C) and mash in to rest at 145 °F (63 °C), or if using direct heat to step mash, heat 2 gallons (7.8 L) of water to 155 °F (68 °C) and mash in. Hold at this temperature for 45–60 minutes. Use direct heat or a boiling water infusion of 0.5 gallons (1.9 L) to raise the mash temperature to 158 °F (70 °C), and rest for 20 minutes. Optionally, raise the mash temperature to 168 °F (76 °C) to mash out, and begin to run off. Sparge with 1 gallon (3.8 L) of hot water. Add the DME and top off the brewpot with water to reach a pre-boil volume of 7.25 gallons (27 L) at an estimated OG of 1.043. Boil for 90 minutes, adding the hops additions at the noted times. Following the boil, chill the wort rapidly to 44–46 °F (7–8 °C), and transfer 5.5 gallons (21 L) to the fermentation vessel. Aerate thoroughly, and pitch approximately 435 billion cells of yeast using a yeast starter. Now follow the remainder of the Märzenbier recipe (above).
