CHIP: Hey Abby ABBY: Yeah, Chip?
CHIP: I got some good news and I got some bad news.
ABBY: What’s the good news? CHIP: The good news is Oktoberfest season is right
around the corner! I am so excited. I can smell it in the air at the moment.
ABBY: Prost! CHIP: Prost!
Abby and I are getting ahead of the curve a little bit, enjoying some pro brewed examples from
Lupulin and Lift Bridge Brewing Companies here in the Twin Cities.
Wonderful, deep bready, complex, malty examples of the style. I just love this time of year!
ABBY: So, what’s the bad news? CHIP: I almost forgot!
The bad news is if you are a homebrewer hoping to have a classic style Oktoberfest
on tap for your festivities, you're kind of out of luck because it is too late to lager.
ABBY: Well, you're not totally out of luck. Right?
We know some hacks to get there, to a malty Marzen-style beer to enjoy for Oktoberfest.
CHIP: Maybe called a -- ABBY: Maybe a Mocktoberfest. Maybe be a --
CHIP: Fauxtoberfest. ABBY: Maybe since you're starting early,
an Augtoberfest. CHIP: Starting a little late;
we're starting a little early! [laughs]
Or an Aletoberfest. There's a bunch of names for this concept of taking an Oktoberfest and turning
it around super quick because you waited a little too long. We're going to drop some suggestions
from not only fans of Northern Brewer, but our brew guru, in-house R&D brewer Brad Segall.
We're gonna get you there in this video including yeast selection tips and process hacks.
Real quick before we start, we’re having a lot of fun with these FAQ videos lately.
If you want to know when new videos drop, be sure to show some love:
like this video, subscribe to Northern Brewer’s YouTube channel, and ring that notification bell.
ABBY: Ding!
CHIP: Beer purists, true traditionalists will have already brewed this beer, there's no doubt.
They would've brewed it back in March AKA -- ABBY: Marzen.
CHIP: That makes sense, Marzen-style Oktoberfest. And then they would have lagered it all summer
long to get that cool, crisp, clear beer that we all know for the season. But we get asked a
lot around here at this time of year -- because people let life get in the way, summer comes and
goes before you know it -- they want to know, "How can I make a quick turning Mocktoberfest?"
ABBY: We get asked it a lot. We decided to throw it back out there to see what are you
guys doing. What are you doing?! How are you guys brewing this at home? We get tagged in a lot of
photos and posts with people saying, I did wait too long or, I don't have the ability to lager.
So, whichever reason, we get tagged in that a lot. We wanted to compile a bunch of answers.
Mostly what kind of yeast do you like to experiment with? What's your favorite hack?
Besides fermenting under pressure, it was a lot of kveik strains, specifically Lutra. Lots of German
Ale strains. And a few that we're going to go over in this video that Brad recommended.
CHIP: The pressure fermentation blew my mind a little bit. A good cue for us to do
some content on that. Because I didn't know it was that widely used process.
ABBY: A lot of people said that.
CHIP: Anyway, we took your information and we took that and asked our development brewer Brad Segall,
we said, Hey Brad, how do you turn around a quick Mocktoberfest. He gave us suggestions, of course,
starting with the Northern Brewer Oktoberfest kit. You're going to brew it. It's going to be a pretty
usual brew day. Mash as an all-grain brewer, or dissolve your syrup as an extract brewer. Boil
them hops. Flame-out and cool that wort. But, what temperature you cool that wort to, and what yeast
you then pitch into it is where the hack magic part of this equation kicks into full force.
Brad Segall says to maintain the closest possible flavor profile, his preference is to ferment
with German Lager yeast on the warm side of the recommended temperature range. Believe it or not,
all of these German Lager strains you see on the screen ferment well at ale temperatures, from
about 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit with only slightly more esters than their true lager counterparts.
This can also be done under pressure to achieve even more traditional results.
ABBY: However, Brad says, there are a few ale yeasts that will get the job done,
including California Common yeasts. Cali Common strains are known for creating
a clean lager flavor profile while fermented at ale temps.
Then there’s Kolsch yeast. These strains ferment on the
cool side – around 60 to 65 degrees – for a clean fermentation with only mild esters.
One downside is that the strain is a low flocculator, which will take a while to
clear or require filtering or fining. Certainly not a deal-breaker though.
Finally, Brad suggests any of the German Ale strains. They will ferment dry and crisp, but
also a low flocculator. So filtering or fining is suggested for turning around a clear beer quickly.
CHIP: As far as the process goes, Brad says to turn a batch as quickly as possible,
increase pitch rate by half and ferment on the warmer end of the recommended temperature range
of whatever strain you do select. Once fermented out, let the beer rest
for a few days to allow the yeast to complete its duties cleaning up any
off-flavors produced during active fermentation. After that, if it’s an option for you, cold crash
the beer to about 35 degrees to help drop out as much yeast and particulate as you can. To clear it
as quickly as possible use a fining agent such as Biofine or gelatin. Gelatin works like an absolute
charm. For those with dietary restrictions use Biofine, it can just take a little longer.
And once it’s as clear as it’s possibly going to get, kind of like this one. Brilliantly amber,
just luscious to drink with the eyes. You are then going to
bottle or keg it, carbonate, serve and enjoy! ABBY: And tag us. Keg and tag! Tag us in your
photos and posts, whether that's enjoying the beer that you made or the actual brew day. We just love
to see what you guys are making, what yeasts you use for your Mocktoberfest. Just tag us.
CHIP: How about we throw out one hashtag each. I'm going to say #mocktoberfest.
ABBY: #hackmagic
CHIP: Ooo, #hackmagic.
ABBY: You have to sing it while you type it.
CHIP: #hackmagic! And I'll throw out a bonus one just so Brad gets credit here. #bradknowshwhatsup.
ABBY: Wunderbar! That means "wonderful."
CHIP: Again, it all starts with Northern Brewer Oktoberfest beer recipe kit – extract
or all-grain – and your choice of yeast. Kind of a "Choose Your Own Adventure"
on the way to the beer hall for an Oktoberfest celebration.