Oktoberfest Beer Part 2

This is an excerpt (with a few deletions and rewordings on my part) of the official BJCP guideline for the Marzen/Oktoberfest style.  Not all beers that are called an Oktoberfest will fit perfectly, but they should be pretty close to be considered “on style”.  By the way…the BJCP is an organization that trains people to judge and score beers for competitions (typically among homebrewers).

• 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 head lasting.
• 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.
• 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 (i.e. excessively sweet)

Vital Statistics:

OG	FG	IBUs	SRM	ABV
(1.050 - 1.056)	(1.012 - 1.016)	(20 - 28)	(7 - 14)	(4.8 - 5.7%)

A little help with some vocabulary from the Vital Stats….

• OG (Original Gravity) is a measure of the amount of sugar present before fermentation.  It is measured relative to the density of water
• FG (Final Gravity) is a measure of the unfermented sugar in the finished beer.  The higher the number, the sweeter and thicker the beer will taste.
• IBU (International Bitterness Unit) is a measure of the beer’s bitterness.  It’s a number determined in a lab and can be somewhat misleading since it is not absolute in terms of taste.  A higher IBU measurement may not always lead to a higher perceived bitterness.  It depends on the beer style, ingredients, final gravity, carbonation level, etc.
• SRM is a measure of the beer’s color.  The higher the number, the darker the beer.
• ABV (Alcohol by Volume) tells you how many of these you can drink and still walk a straight line afterward.

Up next…I’ll share a list of beers to add to your grocery list in preparation for the celebration.