Oktoberfest 8

                                        GERMAN PILS #9<br />
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                                      (Schonramer Style)<br />
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                                         Yield: 8 gallons<br />
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Target Fermentation temp: 48-49 F.

Ingredients:

9.0 gal filtered (Brita) water
11 Lbs. Pilsen Light malt powder (Briess)
7 oz. fresh Saaz hops (boiling)
2 oz. fresh Hallertau hops (finish)
2 oz. Tettnanger Hop Pellets(finish)
2 packs Saflager 34/7 - made yeast starter in warm water


Boiled about 9.0 gallons of water total
Added 11 lbs Pilsen light powdered malt total, stirred well, and boiled for about 5-10 minutes,
before starting hop addition.
HOPS WERE PUT LOOSE INTO THE WORT, and hand-filtered out with a metal mesh strainer.

Hop Schedule:

3 oz fresh Saaz hops @ start of boil
2 oz fresh Saaz hops after 30 min
2 oz fresh Saaz hops after 60 min
2 oz fresh Hallertau after 75 min
2 oz Tettnanger pellets @ end of boil

Turned off heat, let wort cool for about 2 hours - removed hops by filtering.
After cooling, screen-filtered repeatedly until wort was as clean as possible.

2 packs of Saflager 34/7 were pitched into glass measuring cup
and a yeast starter created. Cultured about 12 hours, using 1/2 cup of filtered warm water, and 1 Tsp malt powder added after about 30 minutes. Stirred well.

Moved wort into the bathtub at 60 F. water, for faster cooling.
Waited about 12 hours for wort to cool, then pitched yeast starter, and stirred.

Removed half of the wort into another 8 gallon fermenter, for easy transport to beer fridge.
Then poured balance of wort into 8 gallon container from spare container.

Temp at time of pitching yeast - ~ 60 F.

Temp was kept at 48-50 F in beer fridge, for 21 days total.

After 24 hours, yeast became very active and started to foam.
Head was infiltrating into the air lock with active foam and had to be cleaned about every 8 hours
for the first 2 days.

At around the 3rd or 4th day, the head had calmed down and the air lock was once again manageable, with clean water in it.

By day 6: (09-25) Fermentation quite active, a bubble once every 12-13 seconds (Temp 49 F. (average))

Fementation died down after about 2 weeks. Air lock would occasionally drop and then I would add a little extra water and piston would rise again under pressure after a few hours.

Bottled on day 23, which was Wed., Oct 13.
Used 10.3 ounces light malt to carbonate about 7.75 gallons at 68 F.

Bottled beer was a mixture of (1) cleaned and re-plugged 5L metal keg, and the remainder were 22 oz bottles.

• Tested 22 oz bottle after 14 days. Perfect carbonation for the type (lightly carbonated) with a slightly malty, with some strong noble hop bitterness and long finish.
  
  After 3 weeks in bottles at room temp, already showing layers of strong and complex hop flavors. A real German hop bomb!
  
  After 3 months of lagering at 33 F, the balance is much better, hops have mellowed - you can taste the malt and this beer is amazing.