Danke schoen, Von Steuben! This drinkable German classic is a version of the famed tent beer served at the world famous Volksfest in Munich, Germany during Oktoberfest. We decided to name it after Von Steuben, the German-born hero of the American revolution who not only taught the Continental Army to fight, but also instructed the army cooks to keep some distance between the kitchens and latrines. His innovations in warfare and sanitation are certainly worth the hoisting of a liter stein! While a standard Oktoberfest beer is a bit bigger in body, has more alcohol and is maltier, with a shade darker color, this light and quaffable lager is something you can drink all day while singing German drinking songs! Well-balanced with a kiss of hops, the crew at Great Fermentations has been perfecting this recipe by brewing it in the store every year for the last few years, and we are now very proud to share it with you. Prost!
Yeast Guide: If you can and would like to do a traditional lager fermentation which requires cooler temperatures for fermentation of 54-58F, you can use one of the lager strains, such as White Lab WLP820 Oktoberfest or Imperial Organic L17 Harvest yeast. For warmer temperatures, the new Omega Yeast Labs OYL071 Lutra Kveik yeast is a great yeast that can create clean, lagerlike beers at higher temperatures, even up to 95F! This beer will also do just fine fermented with an ale yeast, such as Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale or the dry Safale-04 English Ale yeast, though it might be a bit fruitier.
| Yeast Option | None - I have my own yeast or Omega Yeast OYL-071 Lutra Kveik or Omega Yeast OYL-071 DRY Lutra Kveik or Imperial Yeast L17 Harvest or Saflager W-34/70 German Lager |
| Alcohol by Volume | 4.5 - 6.3% |
| Approximate ABV | Medium (6 - 8%) |
| IBUs | 15 - 20 |
| SRM | 4-6 |
| Starting Gravity | 1.047 - 1.057 |
| Final Gravity | 1.009 - 1.013 |
| Beer Styles | Lager, German Beer, Oktoberfest/Marzen |
| Beer Kit Type | All-Grain |
| Kit Yield | 5 Gallons |
| Yeast Starter | No |