Winner Winner Märzen Dinner
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
By James Wilson
Recipe is part of Recipe Index
BJCP 2021 Style 6A Märzen
This beer is a showcase of the Weyermann Barke malts. They add a real nutty richness to the beer, so I'd highly recommend trying them out.
Yeast choice can also have a big effect on the end beer, and I've tried a few options:
- WLP833 really accentuates the richness of malt. For this beer combined with the Barke malts it's creates a real malt bomb that is almost too much. When entering it in a competition the judges will either love it or find it a bit too much for the style. At 2022 LAB Open I used WLP833 as I couldn't get the Oktoberfest blend I wanted, but the judges loved it and it scored 47/50 so it worked out well!
- Wyeast Oktoberfest is like WLP833 but a bit more dialled back.
- Novalager works really well, dialling back the richness, avoiding any sulphur and fermenting quickly. Using Novalager this recipe scored 43/50 at Lager than Life 2024.
Awards
Lager than Life 2024 (Pillars Brewery, London, 23/03/2024)
2nd - Amber Lagers
LAB Open 2022 (Hammerton Brewery, London, 15/5/2022)
2nd - Best in Show
1st - Amber and Dark Lager
Statistics
- IBU 20
- ABV 6.6%
- OG 1.058
- FG 1.008
- EBC 21
- 24 litres at end of boil.
- 21 litres into fermenter.
Ingredients
Water
Reverse osmosis water with 1.3 grams of gypsum and 4 grams of calcium chloride in the mash
Malt
- Weyermann Barke Munich, 2800g, 43.8%
- Weyermann Barke Vienna, 2800g, 43.8%
- Best Pilsen Malt, 600g, 9.4%
- Weyermann Caramunich II, 200g, 3.1%
Hops
- 18g Magnum (11.9% AA) in the 60 minute to get 20 IBUs
Yeast
- 1.6 litre starter of WLP833 or Wyeast Oktoberfest blend (see notes above)
OR
- 2 packets Novalager
Process
Mash
Single infusion at 65C for 120 minutes.
Boil
60 minute boil, 27 litres starting, 24 litres at end.
Ferment
For wet yeast:
- Added pure oxygen before pitching
- Pitch below 9C and leave for 24 hours.
- Raise to 10C for 48 hours.
- Raise to 11C to finish.
- Diacetyl rest at 16C when fermentation appears done.
For Novalager:
- Pitch 2 packets at 14C and hold for 4 days
- As fermentation starts to slow, raise to 16C for 2 days
- Raise to 18C for 5 days.
Serving
Carbonate medium high - 2.5 volumes