I reckon you're getting close with that. From my sketchy research so far, I understand the Germans sparge with very hot water close to boiling point. That will pull a grainy flavour from the husks so I will be trying that with my next batch. The lager that I have nearly ready (made from Wey Boh Pils) was sparged with over 80C water.
I have read the Germans pay particular attention to pH. This ties in nicely with hot sparging. If the pH is low enough you won't pull astringent compounds from the husks when sparging even if the water is over 75C. I have no problem with malty sweetness in my beers, just need the graininess to get there.
In any case, I'm pretty sure the unique German pils taste is method based rather than ingredients based.
Steve
Actually your getting pretty close Steve. It is mostly method based but also a rigid adherence to some basic principles. It starts with the brewing liquor - it MUST be low in minerals, no bicarb hardness at all and have a pH factor around 7.0 or slightly less. Few municipal water supplies in Australia meet this criteria without treatment. The base malt is also critical in that it needs to have sufficient precursors to allow some melanoiden development in mashing and boiling. You dont need a decoction, in fact few if any German breweries still use this technique. Mash pH needs to be right on the button - usually 5.1 to 5.2. To achieve this will require some degree of mash acidulation - not after mashin, but calculated and implemented prior to mashin. Around 1% to 2% of acidulated malt is the recommended addition - any more than that can skew the flavour of the finished beer and in any event if you are not in the desired pH range then there are still problems with the brewing liquor calcium and/or bicarb content.
Sparging (fly sparging is the German norm) is also critical and generally should be around 85C with a pH no more than 6.5. The sparge water will probably need to be separately acidified to achieve that pH range. I use phosphoric acid to achieve this but again you cant "fix" high mineral water simply by adding an acid.
Here is a recipe that I used for competition pilsners back when I did those things. Water supply was from Robertson on the Jambaroo Mountain Road. There is a bottled water supplier who operates from a bore that taps into the main aquifer that eventually feeds down into Wollongong. The standing pH of that water is 6.8. That is very low because of the low mineral content and is ideal for the style. The same can be achieved by using a partial RO blend with most municipal supplies.
German pilsner malt (Weyermann, Bestmalz) 88 to 90%
German Carapils 8 to 10%
Acidulated malt 2%
Mash L/G ratio 3:1
Mashin @ 58 - 60C 15 mins (do not allow the mash to drop below 58C)
Raise to 65.5 to 66.5C till starch negative (usually around 20 mins)
Raise to 70C 15mins (check a sample of wort AND grist for starch negative)
Raise to mashout @ 78C for 10 mins
Sparge @ 85C
Boil 70mins and chill to 12 -15C and pitch yeast (I use 34/70 and ferment at 9C)
Its not that simple but is typically what the German brewers I have visited over the years use. And writing this reminds of the unfiltered pilsner that is on tap direct from the keg at the small brewery bar at Mahrs Brau in Bamberg. A standout!
Remember that a pilsner is the most subtle of styles.
Wes
