Is Oktober the only month in Germany
As you may infer from the headline, today is the official start of Oktoberfest. But, wait, it’s September? Dos this mean German Calendars are broken? Is Oktober the only month in Germany? It’s the most famous month for sure. But, the festivities of Oktoberfest take place from the first Saturday after September 15 through the first week of October. They changed the dates to make it more tourist friendly. October in Munich gets a bit chilly. And, if you want to sell a lot of beer, moderate temperatures are preferable. That’s what Oktoberfest has become: a tourist trap event (for more, see our post from last Oktoberfest).
And, the commercial aspect of Oktoberfest flourishes across the world. Everybody wants to get in on the Shtick. While bars and breweries seem an appropriate place, everyone from Mattress sellers to cars to clothing stores put the name Oktoberfest in their advertising. What started out as a wedding is now a household word the world over. What other holidays are there in Germany? Besides ones that have international origins like Christmas and Carnival, it’s slim pickings. There’s German Unity day, which is October 3, so not getting away from October there. The Reeperbahn festival of music overlaps with Oktoberfest. Then there’s Reformation day (October 31). So, it begs to re-iterate the question: Is Oktober the only month in Germany?
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Why Is Oktober the only month in Germany?
When you think of Germany, many images come to mind. Despite becoming one of the best democracies in the world, the Stain of WWI and WWII will always leave an indelible mark. So, most people think of Germans as rigid power hungry people. Conversely, we see them as bumbling dolts like Sergeant Schultz in Hogan’s heroes. Otherwise, it’s drunkards stumbling through Oktoberfest. We think of the country as cold and uninviting, except for the beer halls with steins of golden ale passed by women in outdated dresses to the constant drone of an oom pah pah band. What about summer? I found this language lesson talking about what’s good about German Summers. And, sorry, this guy isn’t convincing me that it’s all that great. His most convincing statement is that he’s not wearing a coat.
Average temperatures in Germany rarely break 20 degrees celsius (68 F). So, Having Oktoberfest in September and early Oktober makes sense. October temperatures hover around 12 Celsius (53 F). Even their most inviting time still requires a jacket. But, as many people like to say, that’s perfect sleeping weather, not too hot or cold. But, we’re not in Germany to sleep. We’re here for Oktoberfest. And, a good brisk temperature keeps you alert. Plus, it invites people to show off their fashion sense. Because 16th century dirndl dresses and Leiderhosen are always in fashion, right?
Image by Werner Heiber from Pixabay
It’s all about stereotypes
It was stereotypes that got Germans in Trouble in two world wars. The arrogance and sheer evil of their leaders scapegoating the Jews was unspeakable. But, the stereotypes of Oktoberfest have kept Germany on the minds of everyone, but in a positive sense. The official Oktoberfest celebration in Munich attracts over 6 million tourists. And, that can be a bit overwhelming. Plus, it’s really just a tourist trap. Thankfully, the tradition has expanded to anyone with beer on their mind. It’s become a generic term for a fall celebration. So, why not exploit a stereotype for a day. Ladies, don a dirndl. Men, force yourself into some leiderhosen. And, start drinking. Of course, beer is the beverage of choice. But, Mulled wine or cider is acceptable. Or, if you prefer something harder, how about some Schnapps, brandy, or Kirschwasser?
But, truly, beer is the staple of the event. In the days before refrigeration, German brewers would make a lot of beer in March, and store it in cool caves to preserve it through the warm summer months. Come the fall, they would brew big batches again. So, that’s another reason for Oktoberfest, sort of a harvest celebration for brewers. So, today, let’s brew our own Oktoberfest beer.
Is Oktober the only month in Germany to brew?
Of course not. Especially since we have refrigeration now. But, it does beg the question, what is an Oktoberfest beer. And, what differentiates it from other beers. Traditionally, there are 6 German breweries who make “official Oktoberfest beers” : Augustinerbräu München, Hacker–Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu. People think that Oktoberfest has to be a special type of brew. But, the only real regulation is the German purity law that it only contains Malt, hops, yeast, and water. traditionally they are lager style. But, top fermented ale styles are acceptable in most locations. Being a fall fest, many prefer a more hardy beer. But, lighter ones are just fine in most cases. So, really, the rule is, as windows 95 man says: NO RULES.
Since this is the case, we will make our Oktoberfest beer following only the original Bavarian rules of Malt, hops, yeast, and water. But, don’t blame us if we accidentally slip in some adjunct flavors of the season. But, please no pumpkin spice latte flavors. We leave it up to you to design your own brew. But, here is our offering. Try our recipe or modify it to your taste.
No Orange October Ale
Equipment
- Brewing equipment: carboy, Racking tun, boiling pot, strainers, tubes, bottles, bottle capper, etc.
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Viking Carabody Malt
- 1 Lb Goldpils Vienna Malt
- 1 Cup Moasaic Leaf hops
- 1.5 Cup Cascade Leaf Hops
- 9 Lb Golden Malt extract
- 1 oz centennial hop pellets
- 1 oz Cascades Hop pellets
- 1 oz Saphir hop pellets
- 1 Each Floc tablet or 1 oz Irish Moss
- 11.5 gr Safe ale T-58 Yeast
Instructions
- Sanitize all your equipment: Carboy, tubes, buckets, sparging bags, funnels, etc.
- Boil 3 gallons of water in an extra large pot. Place malts in a grain bag and simmer in the water over heat for 45 minutes. Then remove bag from the liquid.
- Stir in the malt extract and bring to a boil. Add in the mosaic leaf hops. Boil for 15 minutes. Then add the cascade hops and allow to boil for an additional 15 minutes. Stir as needed.
- After the leaf hops have spent their time add the saphir hop pellets and floc tablet. Continue boiling for 5 minutes. Then add the centennial and cascade pellets. Continue boiling for ten minutes.
- Place a straining/sparging bag in a 5 gallon racking bucket (preferably with a spigot). Line a large strainer with cheesecloth and place over the bucket. Strain the wort into the bucket. What the cheesecloth doesn't catch, the bag should.
- Once everything is strained out, transfer the liquid carefully to a carboy. Add cold water to bring the volume up to 5 1/2 gallons. Take your measurements at this time.
- Allow the liquid to cool to room temperature. Then pitch your yeast. Cover with a sanitized rubber stopper with a blow off tube attached. Put the end of the blow off tube into a container partially filled with water to catch any excess sediment. Place in a cool dry, and dark place, shielded from light.
- After 3 or 4 days, activity should stabilize. At this point, remove the blow off tube and put a sanitized air lock on top. Allow the yeast to do its work for another 10 to 12 more days. There should be very little activity after this period.
- After a couple weeks in the carboy, you can bottle or keg your beer. Carefully siphon out the liquid into a racking tun with a straining bag. Do not disturb the sediment in the bottom of the carboy. Again, be sure to sanitize all your equipment and bottles. Take your final readings at this point. ABV reading should be around 1. Inotial reading is around 8. Subtract the one for an estimated ABV of around 7%.
- Boil 1 cup of water and 1 cup priming sugar. You can use corn sugar, or cane sugar. Go a little lighter if using cane sugar. Whisk this into the beer. Then transfer to bottles or keg. Cap the bottles or seal the keg. Place in a cool dark place to do secondary fermentation. Allow to sit for about 2 more weeks.
- After 2 weeks, the secondary fermentation should be complete. Your ale is ready to drink. Chill and serve.Prost!