Hersbrucker Recipe

[bignath]

Hi all,

tonight i am going to be using Hersbrucker by itself in a recipe for the first time and was wondering if some brewers would mind going over this and offering some opinions.

Here 'tis:

20Lt Batch

4kg BB Pale Malt
250g Caramunich
250g Cane Sugar

Hersbrucker 3.5% 40g @ 60mins
Hersbrucker 3.5% 30g @ 30mins
Hersbrucker 3.5% 30g Cube Hopped (i'm no chilling)

Whirfloc @ 15mins

Ferment @ 12deg with 34/70

Single infusion mash @ 66deg for 60mins

OG: 1050
FG: 1011
IBU's: 29.2 so i'm guessing around mid 30's with no chilling??
ABV: 5.07%

I'm going for a Heineken, Becks, Carlsberg type of beer. Will this get me anywhere near the ballpark??

Opinions greatly appreciated as i'm mashing in around 8pm..

Cheers,

Nath

 

[j1gsaw]

I did an all hersbrucker pils about 6 months ago, and it came out ordinary, used 90g in a 20L batch. Its a nice-ish hop, but it seems to really overpower the beer imo. If i did it again, id use half the hops.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Hersbrucker is probably my favourite hop. Your beer should be a beautiful pale lager.

I might use less caramunich - but i dont like crystal tasting beers all that much and i also think the the crystal and the cane sugar will have almost opposite effcts on the beer.

Still, regardless it will be a nice beer.

 

[bignath]

Maybe ditch the sugar then, and just go 4kg pale malt and some caramunich???

 

[Rotgut]

I'm by no stretch of the imagination a mash master, but why not replace the cane sugar with a bit of wheat for heat retention?

Also love the Hersbrucker, love to hear how it comes out.

 

[manticle]

the crystal and the cane sugar will have almost opposite effcts on the beer.

Exactly my first impression.

Drop the cane sugar and lessen the crystal a bit.

Hersbrucker to my palate is a bit lemony. I'd go an easy 60/20/0 addition (chill or no chill) and keep the grist at base plus a hint of crystal.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Maybe ditch the sugar then, and just go 4kg pale malt and some caramunich???

I'd probably go exactly the other way and keep the sugar and ditch the crystal

Pilsner malt and a little sugar to keep it super dry = Commercial lager.

But - as I said, i am not particularly fond of crystal flavours and see no reason to put cara munich, cara pils or cara anything into a light lager. But if thats what you like... Go for it, but use more sugar to compensate if you want it dry as dry like a commercial lager, not less.