Simple Pilsner

[MCT]

Am brewing a pilsner this weekend for the first time, and just thought I'd do a quick recipe check.

Here's what I've come up with. The 6.5%aa Saaz Hops are Belgian Saaz from ESB. I used them to try and bring the total quantity of hops down (too $$$).
Do they suit the style OK for bittering hops? How would other higher AA hops go in a pilsner for bittering?

Here it is anyway. I think I might have too much Saaz in there for flavour and aroma, but that's why I'm posting it.
BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Pilsner 1
Brewer: Mick
Asst Brewer:
Style: Bohemian Pilsner
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 40.00 L
Boil Size: 38.52 L
Estimated OG: 1.053 SG
Estimated Color: 3.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 40.7 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
8.50 kg Pilsner (Weyermann) (1.7 SRM) Grain 94.44 %
0.50 kg Munich I (Weyermann) (7.1 SRM) Grain 5.56 %
100.00 gm Saaz [6.50 %] (60 min) Hops 34.3 IBU
50.00 gm Saaz [4.00 %] (20 min) Hops 6.4 IBU
50.00 gm Saaz [4.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
1 Pkgs Czech Pilsner Lager (Wyeast Labs #2278) [SYeast-Lager


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 9.00 kg
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Light Body
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
75 min Mash In Add 23.47 L of water at 71.9 C 65.6 C
10 min Mash Out Add 15.02 L of water at 93.5 C 75.6 C

 

[kabooby]

Looks good

The Belgian Saaz @ 60min will be fine. Especially with another 100g of Czech Saaz in the last 20min.

Kabooby

 

[MCT]

Looks good

The Belgian Saaz @ 60min will be fine. Especially with another 100g of Czech Saaz in the last 20min.

Kabooby

Thanks Kabooby.
I was a bit worried about making a 'Grass Clipping Pils".

 

[Muggus]

All Saaz pils generally turn out very nice. Last one I made was all Czech Saaz...cost me an arm and leg and used over well over 100g of the stuff to get it to 30 IBU, but the hop profile is excellent. The higher AA Saaz certainly sounds like a good idea!
Not sure how that 0 minute addition will go if you're worried about the whole 'grass clipping' aroma happening. Though I find most grassy hop character comes from alot of American-style hops in the secondary, rather than the 0 minute addition, so you should be in the clear.

 

[MCT]

Thanks Muggus, I might drop that last addition back to 30g, and drop the bittering addition to 35 IBU's or lower.
40 IBU's is pretty high I guess, I was going off the BJCP guidelines in Beersmith.

That'll save me some money too B) . I'm such a tightarse....

 

[Muggus]

Thanks Muggus, I might drop that last addition back to 30g, and drop the bittering addition to 35 IBU's or lower.
40 IBU's is pretty high I guess, I was going off the BJCP guidelines in Beersmith.

That'll save me some money too B) . I'm such a tightarse....

The good thing about a pilsner...especially an all-grain pils with the yeast you're using...is they attentuate nice and low, often well below 1.010. They turn out nice and dry, and even at low bittering levels, the hops cut through very well.