[astrivian]

I call this one STFU:

5 gallon batch

Weyerman Munich - 2 lb
Briess Vienna - 2 lb
Caramunich - 1 lb
Crystal 60 - 1 lb

Mashed at 147 degrees for 60 min.

Light Liquid extract - 8 lb
Light dry extract - 1 lb (to make the starter)

60 Min boil with:

Amarillo - 1 oz all of boil
Mount Hood - 1 oz, 30 min from end

a dash of yeast nutrient and some irish moss...

Yeast: Wyeast 1007 - German Ale

OG: 1.099
FG: 1.023
ABV: 10%
IBU: 20

So i tried this and it tastes okay but it is not a show stopper. I am wondering how i can kick it up a bit in the flavor department. More hops maybe? I don't get any hops in the nose or the taste of this beer. Should i try another yeast? Suggestions?

hmmm

[majorvices]

Let me just start by saying that an imperial Octoberfest sounds like a Doppelbock too me.   And how did you make your starter? A pound of extract for a starter might be alright for a 1.25 gallon starter. But it would bee too high OG for any thing smaller than this. Maybe that's what you did, supet high gravity there! Wow! Barley wine gravity!

Also, Amarillo is a bit odd for a German style beer. Quite odd, actually. Stick to German or American Equivalent of "noble" type hops for German style beers.

I can attest, from my own personal experience, that a good 1.075 doppelbock takes MONTHS to age into its full bloom. A 1.099 doppel will probably take at least 6 months. I have a hard time believing this thing is lacking character. what exactly are you expecting? Maybe some age will round out the flavors. A higher BU might help, but it will be very difficult to add any hop bitterness at this point. And hop flavor will be fighting against what you are going for here. Doppelbocks/Ofest biers are about the MALT. No hops.

[wingnut]

If you are looking to bump up the flavor a bit, and you are looking to deviate from the German/Octoberfest spirit a bit.  (I am assuming by your more hops idea that you are)  Then try anywhere from a few ounces to a half pound of Pale Chocolate malt.  (Not the full 350°L, but pale chocolate)  The roasty character can add a really nice flavor while still keeping the malty tast that makes it an octoberfest.  The lighter kiln give the roast a much more subtle character than "normal" chocolate malt.

In my opinion, if you add enough additional hops, you will wind up with more of a German Alt  than an Octoberfest. (Both good beers, but O-Fest is about malt, while the Alt Beer gets a bit more hop character, but not to the point of a Pale Ale) So I would go in one of the two directions... add some roast or add more hop quality and instead of brewing an "Imperial Octoberfest", brew and "Alternative Octoberfest".  

Good luck

[majorvices]

Would agree with the "alt" comments, but Alts are bitter, not hoppy. And it will be hard to increased the BUs at this point in time. Adding hops now will not make an alt.

I'm still trying to get my head around a 1.099 beer that "lacks character". Like I said, these beers need some SERIOUS age. And usually I'm a huge advocate fro FRESH beer! Not with something like this though. 6 months. At the very least.

[bonjour]

Let me just start by saying that an imperial Octoberfest sounds like a Doppelbock too me.  

My first thought also.  What most people think is an Oktoberfest is really a Dopplebock.  Get them to describe the flavor of an Oktoberfest (without one in hand) and most will describe a bock or a dopplebock.

[gordonstrong]

I'd ditch the American malts and substitute German ones.  Briess Vienna isn't going to taste like Durst Vienna.  Maybe swap Aromatic/Melanoidin malt for the C-60.

You didn't say what kind of extract you're using.  Try using something German (Pils or Munich).  Using American malt extract in a German beer is like making risotto with water instead of chicken stock.  It will get done, but it won't taste right.

Oktoberfest is a lager, so you could try using a lager yeast too.  Try the White Labs bock yeast strain.  It's from Ayinger, and they do know how to make an Oktoberfest there.

An imperial oktoberfest is going to taste bock-like anyway, so it doesn't much matter what you call it.  If you're saying that it's a German style, try to make it taste like German beer.

You're not adding hops any later than 30 minutes, so you shouldn't expect much in the nose or flavor.  Not that the style needs it.  If you do want hops to come through, add them in the last 15 minutes and use hallertauer or tettnanger.

[ryantj]

Seems a little weak on the Munich and Vienna for an Imperial.  Here is the recipe from the 2009 NHC Gold as found in Zymurgy.
http://hopville.com/recipe/350209/oktoberfest-mrzen-recipes/nhc-gold-medal-oktoberfest-09

Its AG but swap out the pilsner with light LME about 5 lbs. Then refactor up from there.

[chumley]

Closest thing I have ever brewed to an "Imperial Oktoberfest" is the Eggenberg Ur-Bock clone recipe that is presented in Wheeler and Protz Brew Classic European Beers at Home.  Boy did that turn out good.  AFAICR, it was about 1.100 OG, 35 IBUs, wasl about 60% pils, 40% munich and used a combination of Saaz and Hallertauer.