For most beer lovers, a trip to Munich is like a trip to the big game.  Oktoberfest is the holy grail of beer festivals!  Unfortunately with rising energy costs, the closest most will get is watching BeerFest at home.  It doesn’t need to be that way and in my neighborhood we brought Oktoberfest a bit closer to home.

A few years back, two years before I moved into the neighborhood, a couple neighbors decided to hold their own Oktoberfest.  One of the neighbors was a homebrewer, and the rest of the neighbors were willing beer drinkers.  This was all they needed to start a tradition.  Now six years later, the neighborhood Oktoberfest has a couple hundred attendees, a plethora of beer on tap, food, games, and a spiffy jumpy castle for the kids.  One neighbor plans the festival and the rest of us chip in and help.  So what do you need for your own Oktoberfest?

If you can't go to Oktoberfest, bring Oktoberfest to you!

Get a bunch of your closest friends

Seems obvious, but you need a supply friends to celebrate with.  The best group is neighbors.  Sure the downtown Oktoberfest of your metropolitan city might be fun, but celebrations are always better with a group of people you know.  There are several hundred people in my neighborhood and the numbers are still growing.

The best part about holding the celebration in your neighborhood is no one drives home.  It is an important consideration.  You don’t want to serve everyone massive amounts of beer and then tell them to drive home 20 miles.  Local is the new “cool”, and partying with your neighbors helps establish a great sense of community.

The hood is a great place to hang

We have a park in the center of our neighborhood where previous Oktoberfests were held.  Unfortunately inclement weather and inconvenient distances to restrooms dictated we move our festival to the neighborhood community center.  Many newer subdivisions have a community center.  If you live in a neighborhood with a community center, I’d recommend hosting your Oktoberfest there.

If you have lots of kids in your group (it’s a law to have at least one under six here), you’ll need to consider ways to corral the kids.  This is another reason our community center works.  The center has a fence built all around it.  This is just something for you to keep in mind when looking for a location.

Tents and fences are things you might want to plan for

A tent is a great idea if you expect lots of sun or possible rain.  In Colorado, we expect both every ten minutes.  A tent with tables makes a great place to eat and socialize, and provides protection from the elements.

Let the games begin!

While for most of us drinking beer all day is entertainment enough, others need more to keep entertained (I know, I thought that was weird too).  For games, we usually have pretzel tosses, musical chairs, and other games.  Some of the games come complete with prizes.  This encourages even the shyest people to join in the fun.

Oom Pa Pa Music!

You can’t have an Oktoberfest without Oom Pa Pa music.  It’s a moral imperative.  Usually we have a boom box playing a CD on repeat, but as the party grows we hope to have a live band in the future.

Something for the kids

Unless you want your kids whining to go home every 10 minutes, you need a distraction – a really big distraction.  Our method of distraction is a big jumpy castle .  You can rent these for a hundred bucks.  It’s like a big inflatable baby sitter.

If you can swing it, a jumpy castle will keep kids occupied for hours

Lots of Beer! (and food)

And oh yeah, you need beer.  The best part about our Oktoberfest is most of the beer is homebrew.  This adds a personal touch to the festival, much like the real festival in Germany.  The first few years a different homebrewer provided the beer, but he moved away and I’ve stepped in his place.

Oktoberfest is the day I look forward to every year.  In fact I am usually asking the planner about the festival in July.  If you are making homebrew foryour celebration, you will want to start planning in July too.  It takes a few months to make this much beer.

Each of these kegs is homebrew, and they all came back empty!

This year we had a Munich Dunkel, Vanilla Porter, Mandarin Orange Hefeweizen , Märzen , Blonde Ale, and Hard Cider – 30 gallons in all.  The idea was to provide a little something for everyone.  We even had homemade Root Beer for the kids.  At the end of the party, we had a bit of Root Beer left.  Lots of thirsty people!

As for the food, the party organizers bought sauerkraut, brats and hot dogs.  Everyone else was encouraged to bring a side dish or a dessert.  To make sure we didn’t get a stack of store bought cookies, we divided the responsibilities by last name.  A through M brought desserts and N through Z brought side dishes.  It works out great!

Eins, zwei, G’suffa!

Hopefully this gives you a few ideas to get started.  Our local version of Oktoberfest started with a couple of guys hanging out with a few beers.  Start small, invite everyone close, and eventually the party grows.  The whole point behind the local version is to celebrate with friends in your community .  Who knows, in a few years Oktoberfest might be the biggest local celebration in the world!

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Günther Beckstein came under fire from many groups after he suggested Oktoberfest partiers can drive home after drinking two Maß of beer.  One Maß of beer is one liter, so for those of you counting along at home, he’s suggesting 2 liters of beer is ok for your drive home.

Local police suggested he might have had two before making the statement.  To be fair, he said two Maß over the course of six or seven hours.

“If one drinks two Maß in six or seven hours at Oktoberfest, it’s possible,” Beckstein told German broadcaster Bayerischen Rundfunk (bring on the funk!), referring to the gigantic one-litre mugs used at the beer festival. “But naturally not if one drinks two Maß in two hours.”

A Maß is the largest glass to the right, and it holds one liter of beer.

Two liters is about 67 ounces, 4 pints, or 5 1/2 beers in the can.  Two Maß in 1 hour will give you a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.1327, but in 6 hours your BAC is 0.0577.  While this is below the limit in the United States, you could be arrested as impaired in Germany.  Since 1998, a BAC of 0.05 is driving impaired in Germany, and 0.11 is a criminal offense.

Luckily, according to German police, 99% of Oktoberfest partiers use public transportation.

(Source: TheLocal.de)

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Back in January I made a beer from “beer kit” .  The Brew House beer kit is very similar to a wine kit.  The kit comes with concentrated wort which you rehydrate and then add yeast.  What makes this beer kit special is the kit requires no boiling.  It is like mixing kool-aid, but you get beer as a result (after fermentation).  The result (in this case) is Oktoberfest ale.

The brew house beer kit is a no-boil beer kit

The only area we deviated from the instructions was to not bottle condition.  I kegged the beer, and never added the bottling sugar.

Looks

The ale looks exactly like you would expect.  It has a copper red color and a thick off-white head.  The beer has a great solid foamy head, almost as thick as krausen.  It was slightly cloudy, but I am not sure if that was from the beer or possibly some failure on my part during the production process.  All in all, the Oktoberfest is a good looking beer.

Aroma

There is little aroma from the beer.  I could detect some hops, and maltiness.  The malt aroma was stronger than the hops.  Overall the aroma was a bit weak.

Taste

The flavor was a bit bitterer than I was expecting from an Oktoberfest.  Ironically when I was choosing this kit, I was warned against choosing the IPA for its lack of hop flavor.  My original guess was that the hops could not “shine through”, similar to the weak aroma problem that many wine kits display.  This kit has a bit too much hop flavor for an Oktoberfest.  There is good malt flavor, but the hops seem too strong for the style.  Strangely enough, the website lists the IBUs at 18, which is on the low end of the spectrum for the style.  The hops seemed much stronger than 18 IBUs.

This beer had a great head!

Results

The Oktoberfest beer kit produced a good beer, and overall the beer was well received.  I don’t think the beer “wowed” anyone, but it was a good beer.  When I introduced the beer to friends, I called it “red ale” and left it at that.  If you look at their website , they are calling it “red ale” too.  The box says “Oktoberfest” but the Brew House website describes it “stylistically positioned between a German Alt Beer and the Oktoberfest”.

I most likely will try other versions of the Brew House beer kits over the summer.  I’ll give the Oktoberfest beer kit 7 Masskrugs out of 10.

Brewery: Me (Brew House Beer Kit)
Country of Origin: Canada (RJ Spagnols)
Style: Oktoberfest
ABV:  5.2%

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1. Review: The Brew House Beer Kit Part One
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When we first read about the beer kits we were skeptical, especially since they advertised “premium all-grain beer kit” on the side of the box.  It seems similar to advertising “all grape wine” on the side of a box of grape juice.  The first anecdotal review we heard was from the local brew store: “we tried the IPA, but it tasted like a pale ale”.  Not exactly a resounding endorsement.

The brew house beer kit is a no-boil beer kit

It seems to us it might be very difficult to brew a beer with great hops when there are no hops in the beer kit.  The IPA review from the brew store seemed to confirm this suspicion.  The concentrated “wort” that you get has the hops already added.  With this in mind, we selected the Oktoberfest Ale because it should be maltier and hops should be less pronounced.

What’s in the “The Brew House” Oktoberfest Ale?

When you open the box, you get your first surprise.  The instructions indicate that you need a 10 gallon fermenter.  If you are used to making wine kits or beer in a 6.5 gallon fermenter, this is an unwelcome surprise.  Most brewers do not have a 10 gallon fermenter.  Luckily we had a 20 gallon fermenter.  We’re guessing that they are expecting a very vigorous fermentation, and want the extra space.  The beer should be in the primary fermenter for only 3-4 days, so larger should be ok.

The kit comes with what you see here, plus the concentrated wort

The kit contains concentrated wort, similar to wine kits.  You just add water and yeast, and you are done.  There is no boiling.  This is a great idea for those of us that don’t like brewing outside in freezing temperatures.

The kit also comes with three packets to add to the wort – bottling sugar, yeast, and an acid blend.  The problem is that only the yeast is labeled.  Experience dictated that the larger packet is the sugar, but someone new to brewing might appreciate labeling.

After that, it’s just add water and pour the wort in.  Very simple.  In a few days you need to rack to a secondary for 20 days.  After 23 days, the beer should be bottled or kegged.  So in 23 days we will tell you how it tastes in the second part of this review.

The wort is already boiled, just add water

How easy is the beer kit?

As for ease, the kit is VERY simple to mix together.  If you have any experience making wine kits, the process will be very familiar.  For newbies this kit would be a great introduction to “brewing”.  It might also be a great choice for beer making in the winter.  We will know for sure once we taste the beer.

The Brew House Beer Kit Review Part Two

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In what is sure to be described as one of the signs of the impending apocalypse, Germans are losing their taste for beer.  Yes, it gives us shudders too.

The German per-capita consumption of beer fell by 3.5 liters.  The average German consumes 112.5 liters of beer a year, placing them third in the world rankings.  In the past, Germans used to be the number one country for drinking beer, consuming 156 liters per year during the 1980s.

Will German drinkers eventually die out? I hope not!

The per capita beer consumption for Germans rose only once in the past nine years.  It rose in 2006 when Germany hosted the World Cup (we’re not sure that should count).

Statisticians believe the drop off is due to Germany’s aging population.  They expect there will be twice as many people over 60 than under-20 in 2050.  More people are drinking non-alcoholic drinks than beer in Germany.

It is expected that breweries might start to consolidate or go out of business.  (Please protect Paulaner at all costs!  I love their Märzen.)  Germany has 1,284 breweries, more than any other country in the world.  Germany is also host to Oktoberfest , the largest beer festival in the world.

Perhaps they should just sell more to the Czechs or Irish who came in first and second respectively for per capita drinking in the world according to the study published by the Japanese company Kirin Holdings.

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A German party-goer was found stuck in a chimney after 12 hours.  The 27-year old man had been drinking heavily at Oktoberfest

Hypothermia really was the better option for this guy

(of course) and was trying to find a friend’s apartment.  When he found that his friend was not home, he tried the roof.  Once again, all ideas sound much better when you are drunk.

While walking towards what he thought was a gap between two houses, he slid head first 30 meters (98 feet to those of us on this side of the pond) into a chimney.  He tried climbing out, but found himself stuck.  He did manage to turn around after removing his clothes.  Still he was stuck, now naked, and sucking ash.

Twelve hours later the man’s cries were heard, and rescuers knocked a hole in the chimney.  He was taken to the hospital and treated for hypothermia, which really is the better option when you are stuck over a place built for fire.

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Paris Hilton is not welcome at Oktoberfest.  Her presence offended the locals of München so much last year, that they did not want the store-bought celebrity to cheapen this year’s festivities.

Paris Hilton angers yet another country!

Last year she showed up in a Dindrl, the traditional Bavarian dress, to promote a canned wine.  The locals were so offended by it they passed a law stating that celebrities cannot promote products at Oktoberfest.  Munich tourism chief Gabriele Weishaeupl also announced that celebrity promotions this year “are completely prohibited by the new festival rules”.

Paris is also banned from returning to the annual event.  Can we do that in the USA?

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Oktoberfest is the world’s largest annual festival where approximately 6 million thirsty visitors descend upon the German city of Munich (München).  The mere mention of the word “Oktoberfest” conjures images of women in Dirndl (the traditional female dress with apron) carrying large steins of beer and men singing and dancing in Lederhosen.  The festival is usually 16 days up to the first Sunday in October.  After the German reunification in 1990, the festival is extended in its honor, to October 3 (German Unity Day) if the first Sunday is October 1st or 2nd.

In 1950, the festival started a new tradition.  Since everything great starts (or ends) with a bang, there is a 12 gun salute at noon.  Then the Mayor of Munich opens the festivities by tapping the first keg and yells “O’zapft is!” which translates to “It’s tapped!”.  How succinct!  The first mayor to do this was Thomas Wimmer.

The very first Oktoberfest was held on October 12, 1810 to commemorate the marriage of Ludwig I and Princess Therese.  The festival is held on a field called Theresienwiese (“Theresa’s fields”) named after Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghause, the wife of Crown Prince Ludwig I, which the locals shorten to “Wiesn”.  The festival is also referred to as “Wiesn”, and “welcome to the Weisn” is the same as saying “welcome to Oktoberfest”.  The field is 420,000 square meters, enclosed by the Bavaria statue in the west and Esperanto square in the east.  The festival has been held every year since 1810, with only 24 cancellations due to war or disease outbreaks.  2007 will mark the 174th Oktoberfest.

The sheer scale of Oktoberfest can be overwhelming!

The festival is known world-wide for the large consumption of beer and roasted food.  In 2006, the six Oktoberfest breweries sold 6.1 million mugs of beer.  102 oxen, 219,443 pairs of sausage, and 459,279 chickens were also consumed.   Approximately 955 million EUR are spent in Munich during the festival.  There are six large breweries that produce beer for Oktoberfest; Spaten, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, and Löwenbräu.

The most famous type of beer served is the Märzen beer, however it has been replaced by a lighter beer (Munich Helles style) in recent years to appeal to an international crowd.  This lighter beer is the “Oktoberfestbier”.  Some breweries still serve Märzen at Oktoberfest.  Märzen beer is a lightly hopped reddish lager that is maltier and stronger in alcohol than other beers.  It is traditionally brewed in March (März), and served during the Oktoberfest.  The reason it is made earlier in the year is that the summer months are not good for the fermentation process.  Higher temperatures in Bavaria cause the yeasts in the beer to produce off flavors.  The month of March is really the last opportunity until fall to make a lager in Bavaria.  The beer does not spoil since the alcohol content (~ 5% ABV) acts as a natural preservative, and keeps the beer till September.  If you want to try this style of beer, Paulaner Oktoberfest-Märzen is a good example.

The "tents" are more like small buildings

October is also the time of year where the spring stockpiles of beer need to be consumed to make room for the fall brews.  You cannot let the beer go to waste, so a party with 6 million people seems to be the best solution.  Around 30% of the beer produced annually by the 6 participating breweries is consumed at Oktoberfest.   Each beer is called Maß (Mass).  Maß means “measure”, and is 1 liter (roughly 2 pints).  The mugs are called Maßkrug (Masskrug). In 2007, 1 “Maß” (2 pints) of beer will cost between 7.30 EUR and 7.90 EUR.

There are 14 tents at Oktoberfest, each holding 5,000 to 10,000 people.  Each tent highlights different breweries or festivities.  To get into a tent, you need to buy tickets from the “landlord” or sponsor of the tent.  If you are willing to go on a weekday, it is easier to get tickets.  Since there are 6 million people over the course of the two weeks, and the tents only hold a bit over 100,000 people you will want to plan early.

Each tent holds 5,000 to 10,000 people

Inside you’ll find people locked arm in arm swaying to the music (called Schunkeln), eating and drinking.  There is an crossbow contest in the Armbrustschützenzelt tent (with professionals, not any of the drinking patrons!).  The Ochsenbraterei tent serves many different types of ox cuisine.  There is even a “wine tent” called Weinzelt.  This tent features 15 different wines and the Weißbier (also called Hefeweizen or wheat beer).  This beer is cloudy from the wheat proteins and yeast, but very light and refreshing.  It is a good switch from the lagers and the Märzen.

Even outside the tents, there is much to see and do.  There are carnival rides–always a good choice for an activity following large consumptions of beer–including a large Ferris wheel, vendors selling souvenirs, and games.  There are also smaller tents to sample the local brews.  If you are attending, you are in for a treat!  Prost!

Oktoberfest 2004 (from muenchen.de)

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