Meeting Recap: 2/7/12

Good summary, Randi. It was great to see a new face (Ivan) and a lot of prodigal members returning - I had a great time. For those who missed it, the Tea Series is turning out to be educational and interesting, so be sure to make it to the next one. Thanks to Mike F. for opening up his home to us! I'm looking forward to the upcoming events and spring, which is always an active and enjoyable time for us.

Location: Mike F's
Time: 7-9
Attendees: Mike F, Mike P, Randi, Doug J, Ivan, Mike T, Todd, Tyler S, Eric D, Bryan F, Eric S, Tyler M

Beers:
Tyler S brought in a Mild. Eric D had an IPA, a Porter, and Cream Ale. Eric S brought his Honey Brown. Mike F had Feast Like a Sultan on tap! Mike P brought his most recent American Red. Many commercials were had. Ivan brought Dogfish Head's Theobroma. Mike P brought a canned Dave's Brew Farm. Doug J brought a bunch of things to warn us not to buy. Tyler S tried to pawn off his Wee Heavy's. All in all, it was a great variety of brews!

Business:

Beaver Creek Tour:
February 11th (Saturday), leaving at noon: We will have the brewery to ourselves and a few of the Heart River Homebrewers for 2 hours. Jim will be showing us around the place. If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, please talk to Randi or Mike before Wednesday so we can organize transportation. Meeting place for departure is TBD. See forum post here for all the details.

Oktoberfest Brew:
Mike Philleo will be brewing the Oktoberfest for Oktoberfest on February 18th. The brewing starts at 11am. Directions are online on the calendar.

March Meeting:
March 6th: Bring 4 bottles of your favorite homebrewed stout. We will vote as a club for the best stout to represent the MRM. The winner of the stout will be sent to the AHA’s Stout it Out Loud (Club only Competition). See forum post here for specifications on bottle entries.

St Patrick’s Day?
March 17th (Saturday): Should we arrange a meeting for cracking open the clubs keg of Irish Stout? If so, suggestions on meeting locations? See forum post here for more details.


Mentions
You can keep track of all upcoming AHA Club Only Competitions with the Club’s online calendar..

Vote for the next tasting glass here!

We need hosts for Meetings and Brew of the Months, please help out if you can. For unclaimed date's and "how-to" click here.


Discussed:
The Tea Series was well received. If you have ingredient comparison ideas, please post your suggestions or email them to muddyrivermashers@gmail.com. We'll be keeping a list of what you'd like to see compared and we'll work from that list for all upcoming tea events.

Big Brew Day is just around the corner (May 5th) and we're taking tally to see if anyone is interested in bringing their system to a central location to have a massive brew session.



Brew Style of the Month
3B. Oktoberfest

Aroma: Rich German malt aroma (of Vienna and/or Munich malt). A light to moderate toasted malt aroma is often present. Clean lager aroma with no fruity esters or diacetyl. No hop aroma. Caramel aroma is inappropriate.

Appearance: Dark gold to deep orange-red color. Bright clarity, with solid, off-white, foam stand.

Flavor: Initial malty sweetness, but finish is moderately dry. Distinctive and complex maltiness often includes a toasted aspect. Hop bitterness is moderate, and noble hop flavor is low to none. Balance is toward malt, though the finish is not sweet. Noticeable caramel or roasted flavors are inappropriate. Clean lager character with no diacetyl or fruity esters.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, with a creamy texture and medium carbonation. Smooth. Fully fermented, without a cloying finish.

Overall Impression: Smooth, clean, and rather rich, with a depth of malt character. This is one of the classic malty styles, with a maltiness that is often described as soft, complex, and elegant but never cloying.

Comments: Domestic German versions tend to be golden, like a strong Pils-dominated Helles. Export German versions are typically orange-amber in color, and have a distinctive toasty malt character. German beer tax law limits the OG of the style at 14?P since it is a vollbier, although American versions can be stronger. “Fest” type beers are special occasion beers that are usually stronger than their everyday counterparts.

History: Origin is credited to Gabriel Sedlmayr, based on an adaptation of the Vienna style developed by Anton Dreher around 1840, shortly after lager yeast was first isolated. Typically brewed in the spring, signaling the end of the traditional brewing season and stored in cold caves or cellars during the warm summer months. Served in autumn amidst traditional celebrations.

Ingredients: Grist varies, although German Vienna malt is often the backbone of the grain bill, with some Munich malt, Pils malt, and possibly some crystal malt. All malt should derive from the finest quality two-row barley. Continental hops, especially noble varieties, are most authentic. Somewhat alkaline water (up to 300 PPM), with significant carbonate content is welcome. A decoction mash can help develop the rich malt profile.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.050 – 1.057
IBUs: 20 – 28 FG: 1.012 – 1.016
SRM: 7 – 14 ABV: 4.8 – 5.7%

Commercial Examples: Paulaner Oktoberfest, Ayinger Oktoberfest-Märzen, Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest, Hofbräu Oktoberfest, Victory Festbier, Great Lakes Oktoberfest, Spaten Oktoberfest, Capital Oktoberfest, Gordon Biersch Märzen, Goose Island Oktoberfest, Samuel Adams Oktoberfest (a bit unusual in its late hopping)


Tea Series: Base Malts
Steeped grain in 155 degree water for 30 minutes.

Rahr 2-row Pale: 1.7° L. A fantastic and economical all-purpose base malt. It is made from Harrington barley grown on the western prairies and malted in Minnesota. It is high in enzymes, well modified, clean and smooth. Easily converts with a single step infusion mash.

Rahr 6-row Pale: 1.7° L. Optimized for adjunct brewing—its high enzyme content easily converts high percentages of unmalted corn, rice, oats, etc. Six-row is also useful in lautering mashes with huskless grains due to its high husk content.

Rahr Pilsner: 1.5 - 2° L. A high-quality, economical pilsner malt from Rahr Malting in Shakopee, MN. A bit lighter in color and lower in total protein than Rahr's standard 2-row (#G001). Can make up to 100% of the grist for a very pale beer. Great for lagers.

If I forgot anyone or any beers, feel free to post it. Sometimes as the beer flows, the notes get sloppier and I get more forgetful. Cheers!