Keeping the brewing going for the Fall with Festbier. A style I very much enjoy at the low end of it’s range. Just a really big Helles to me. Brew day went very well with this one. With the exception that the boil off rate seemed really low. I notice that seems to happen in humid days. I may need to really get it rolling for days like this. So a little under gravity, and probably a little less bitter due to the extra water volume, but still very much what I’m looking forward to drinking in September/October.

Update 8/31/2023

The fermentation appears to have gone fine. Fermenting right around 50F for the first 5-7 days and then ramping up a couple of degrees daily for week two as it appears to slow down. In my experience this is a pretty complete fermentation. Cold crash next and then transfer to a keg with gelatin for clarification. Can’t wait for it to get a little cool, watch some Saints and LSU football and drink this beer.

Update 9/2/2023

Final gravity is very dry. Around 1.009 from a starting gravity around 1.052. So we’re looking at about 5.5% abv. It’s on the low side of a Festbier for sure but it’s very flavorful and I really enjoy seeing how this one turns out. Clarified with gelatin in the keg and look forward to seeing the finished product. May enter it in a competition under several styles if it works out well, given how it’s right at the top of Marzen/Pilsner and low on the Festbier.