Do Yourself A Favour Brew A Real Beer A German Pilsner !

[brettprevans]

I have an AG smash pilsner/saaz with wyeast 2278 that's just been bottled. Single infusion mash (all I can really do at the moment), tasted like bread and grass out of the fermenter but beer changes so much with conditioning (current amazingly beautiful red ale tasted like vegemite just prior to bottling). It's destined for a case swap but I have a reserve in case she doesn't work out.

way to talk up your beer mate. cant wait to try botle vegimite :lol:
why cand you do step mash? just take some liquor out of the tun and heap it up to 90-100C and add back in. if it doesnt step the temp up enough just take more out. you'll probable need to heat up about 30L worth I recon for a 15C step. or just pump more hot water from the hlt into the mash.

 

[manticle]

Thankfully the vegemite has passed but I swear it was there in the latter stages of fermenting. I was concerned. Recipe was the better red than dead and there's not a hint of that smeary black american owned crap they call Australian left in it.

I assumed step mash should only be done if you had a heating implement for your tun. I'm looking at doing a hefe in the very near future so is it ok if I pick your brain a little on this via PM?

 

[brettprevans]

I assumed step mash should only be done if you had a heating implement for your tun. I'm looking at doing a hefe in the very near future so is it ok if I pick your brain a little on this via PM?

yup no worries

 

[crozdog]

for a german pils you need WLP 838 southern german lager :icon_chickcheers: .

Don't forget to diacetyl rest, rack it off then lager it as cold as you can for a couple of months before trying it.

Lager in a cube, fermenter or keg ie the whole batch - it doesn't work the same if you try it after its in a bottle (ask stuster ;-) )

Previously I have made the following which was simple & real tasty:
25l batch
OG 1.046
IBU 28

Pils 88%
Munich 10%
Carapils 2%

BSaaz - 23 ibu @ 60
Saaz - 4 ibu @ 20
Saaz - 1 ibu @ 0

Ive also done it with increased hops to 35 IBU which worked a bit better

 

[Pumpy]

I have an AG smash pilsner/saaz with wyeast 2278 that's just been bottled. Single infusion mash (all I can really do at the moment), tasted like bread and grass out of the fermenter but beer changes so much with conditioning (current amazingly beautiful red ale tasted like vegemite just prior to bottling). It's destined for a case swap but I have a reserve in case she doesn't work out.

Like the description manticle "tasted like bread and grass"

pumpy

 

[Pumpy]

Nice one Pumpy.

I must try this one

Kabooby

I hope i have not Pumped this Pilsner up too much for Kabooby .

If he comes around for a sip ,

God he is so fussy,

Well Hell I like it anyway .

Pumpy :unsure:

 

[Fourstar]

Matti you have to do the 50 C protein rest it really makes a difference

Pumpy

50deg protein temp! How did you go for head retention and dextrins/body? With fully modified malt you should really avoid that temperature zone as you are denaturaing whatever medium chain protiens you have left. In future you should probabaly focus on a protein rest @ 55deg as this is the medium chain zone.

 

[Pumpy]

I use the same water as Pumpy. We only have 14ppm of calcium in our water. 20g of gypsum only increases to 130ppm.

Kabooby

I wondered why the garden hose was hanging over the fence when i came home the other month and the water bill had gone up

Pumpy :angry:

 

[Pumpy]

50deg protein temp! How did you go for head retention and dextrins/body? With fully modified malt you should really avoid that temperature zone as you are denaturaing whatever medium chain protiens you have left. In future you should probabaly focus on a protein rest @ 55deg as this is the medium chain zone.

Fourstar , I know but I oftem mash at 65C to try to get a bit more attenuation then stop when it is right .

It pours great a good head but easy to pour and always a bit of foam on top not excessive .

I did not do a 50C protein rest on this one but i will return to it .

I dont consider myself a real brewer until I can do a perfect Pilsner .

We should all aim for that goal !!!

It is a great drinker you dont want to stop now thats got to be a nice beer .

Pumpy

 

[krusty_oz]

50deg protein temp! How did you go for head retention and dextrins/body? With fully modified malt you should really avoid that temperature zone as you are denaturaing whatever medium chain protiens you have left. In future you should probabaly focus on a protein rest @ 55deg as this is the medium chain zone.

Does this have any effect on carapils in the grist?

If it does I guess it could be added when mash temp is raised up into the 60's.

 

[Tony]

I made this German pils about a year ago.

German Pils

A ProMash Brewing Session - Recipe Details Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 54.00 Wort Size (L): 54.00
Total Grain (kg): 10.90
Anticipated OG: 1.048 Plato: 11.88
Anticipated EBC: 7.5
Anticipated IBU: 37.1
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 75 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
96.3 10.50 kg. Weyermann Pilsner Germany 1.038 4
2.8 0.30 kg. Weyermann Carahell Germany 1.035 26
0.9 0.10 kg. Weyermann Acidulated Germany 1.035 5

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
200.00 g. Hallertauer Mittelfruh Pellet 3.70 35.9 45 min.
30.00 g. Hallertauer Mittelfruh Pellet 3.70 1.2 5 min.


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP833 German Bock




My dad and i always have arguments over german/aussie becks. I recon the aussie stuff is shit and he recons its great...... better even.

Anyway, i put this on tap and it was FANTASTIC!

he comes over and i pour his a glass saying this is what becks should taste like.

HE says....... well we will see wont we.

He drank it quickly, meaning he liked it, and poured another saying nothing, meaning i was right.

we left it at that

I plan to do this brew again this summer but with Saphire and its super low cohumulone levels...... might go to 40 IBU with it.

YUM!

cheers

 

[Fourstar]

like the malt bill there tony! :icon_drool2: Ive got to start using acidulated for my low SRM beers. I dont know if you have read it but im on a quest to brew a champagne coloured CAP, uber straw like. I think the only way i will get there is via acidulated, big protein rest and bucketloads of corn.

 

[mje1980]

Fourstar , I know but I oftem mash at 65C to try to get a bit more attenuation then stop when it is right .

It pours great a good head but easy to pour and always a bit of foam on top not excessive .

I did not do a 50C protein rest on this one but i will return to it .

I dont consider myself a real brewer until I can do a perfect Pilsner .

We should all aim for that goal !!!

It is a great drinker you dont want to stop now thats got to be a nice beer .

Pumpy

Good on ya pumpy, sounds yummy!. Don't listen to the "know alls", keep brewing that pils.

 

[Fourstar]

Good on ya pumpy, sounds yummy!. Don't listen to the "know alls", keep brewing that pils.

There is nothing wrong with knowing some science behind what you are doing, especially when you can end up with thin watery beer.

 

[kabooby]

I wondered why the garden hose was hanging over the fence when i came home the other month and the water bill had gone up

Pumpy :angry:

busted custard

Kabooby

 

[kabooby]

I hope i have not Pumped this Pilsner up too much for Kabooby .

If he comes around for a sip ,

God he is so fussy,

Well Hell I like it anyway .

Pumpy :unsure:

Not true Pumpy. I heard that your last dortmunder was an absolute cracker.

Kabooby

 

[Henno]

Am enjoying my first succesful Budvar pilsener at the moment. It's got that unique Urquell yeast taste. Would love to try a true German one next. I actually built my herms so I could do these styles of beer.

Here's a question for a pilsener new guy though. The Czech ones I have a handle on the as I've had a few Pilsen Urquell and Budvars etc. I used to enjoy the old Becks but never would have admitted it until a respected brewer mentioned it above. Is the only difference between the German and Bohemian that you get the funky Czech yeast out of the Bohemians?

Excuse my ignorance.

For my Budvar I did my protein rest at 52 then a Beta @ 63 then an Alpha @ 72 before a 78 mash out. 100% pilsener grain under threat of death from Zwickel. The 48L batch got 52G of Northern Brewer for 80 minutes and am quite proud that upping the amount of Saaz I had to a whopping 170g as they were getting a bit old turned out well. Did not mess with my water much as it is quite soft.

 

[Zwickel]

.......
For my Budvar I did my protein rest at 52 then a Beta @ 63 then an Alpha @ 72 before a 78 mash out. 100% pilsener grain under threat of death from Zwickel. The 48L batch got 52G of Northern Brewer for 80 minutes and am quite proud that upping the amount of Saaz I had to a whopping 170g as they were getting a bit old turned out well. Did not mess with my water much as it is quite soft.

Henno, old mate, thats my bread and butter beer, how did it turned out?
..... although youve used a lot of Saaz, 170g ......might be a little bit overloaded.

Id say, the secret of a good Pilsener beer lies mainly in the yeast handling.

rule 1: pitch a lot of healthy yeast, at least 5% of the batch size, viscous yeast.
rule 2: pitch the yeast cold, say around 10C
rule 3: ferment cool, not over 12C

if you do so, a diacetyl rest is not necessary.

In case youd have not so much yeast and youd forced to pitch warm, do a diacetyl rest at the end.

Cheers :icon_cheers:

 

[technocat]

I must admit that it is a Royal PITA to get brew a good AG Pilsner.
Occasionally I have managed to produce great lagers but that real pils profile, not yet.
Maybe next time.

You are not alone I have brewed a couple of batches of Pils and would only rate them fair, taste wise. I have made some great lagers over the winter but my Pilseners have been pretty ordinary.

<_<

 

[neonmeate]

I made this German pils about a year ago.

that looks bloody beautiful Tony

what are people's thoughts on using lots of low alpha hops for bitterness in these beers, which ones get grassy when you use too much of em? which ones work in big amounts? i find saaz works really well in big amounts, but lots of hersbrucker can get like drinking a lawnmower.