Style Of The Week 7/6/06 - German Pilsner

[sluggerdog]

I was wondering what the thoughts were to add a little extra malty flavour to the brews?

Munich? Vienna? Caramalt? Melanoidin? Other?

I'm just mashing one in now with 10% munich, 80% pilsner and 5% Carapils but would be nice to try something different next time. Maybe 5% Melanoidin and 95% Pilsner (Weyermann of course)

 

[tangent]

i'd go vienna instead of munich for such a light coloured beer. (but I'm such a vienna fan i've got 50kgs of it next to my puter )
A small amount of melanoidin adds to anything IMO. I'd put it on my cornflakes if i could.
I'd agree with Kai's post (with the amount of hops as well), head should be fine without carapils.

 

[Jazzafish]

I haven't brewed this style of beer yet... But I'm thinking of something like this to go on my to brew list:

Please give comments/advice if you think I'm way off.

North German Pils Idea

A ProMash Recipe Report

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

Batch Size (L): 20.00 Wort Size (L): 20.00
Total Grain (kg): 4.05
Anticipated OG: 1.049 Plato: 12.19
Anticipated EBC: 6.1
Anticipated IBU: 36.0
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
92.6 3.75 kg. JW Pilsner Australia 1.039 3
3.7 0.15 kg. Weyermann Carapils Germany 1.033 4
3.7 0.15 kg. JW Vienna Australia 1.040 8

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
18.00 g. Northern Brewer Pellet 10.00 29.6 60 min.
14.00 g. Tettnanger Tettnang Pellet 5.50 4.3 20 min.
14.00 g. Tettnanger Tettnang Pellet 5.50 2.1 5 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.50 Unit(s)Whirfloc Tablet Fining 20 Min.(boil)


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP838 Southern German Lager

 

[Steve]

Giving one of these a bash on the weekend. Havent brewed a pilsner for ages. Anyone tried Liberty in a German Pils?
Cheers
Steve

 

[Stuster]

I have, Steve. The beer didn't come out that well (failed lager brewer that I am ) but the hops were good. They also work well along with Nelson Sauvin but that's another style.

 

[SJW]

I don't understand why people use Carapils in these beers? I have never found a need to, at least for head retantion anyway. Unless it is just used for it's light crystal properties? I think u can't beat 100%Pils malt with 60 and 20 min hop additions.

Steve

 

[Steve]

I don't understand why people use Carapils in these beers? I have never found a need to, at least for head retantion anyway. Unless it is just used for it's light crystal properties? I think u can't beat 100%Pils malt with 60 and 20 min hop additions.

Steve

yeah - im ummin and arrhing. I just want a simple pils, cant decide whether to go 100% Wey Pils or 90% with something else chucked in, three hop additions and S189
Cheers
Steve

 

[bconnery]

I've pretty much settled on 90+% pils and the balance Munich.
I hop with just two additions 60 and 20/15.

Two using this bill have both turned into outstanding beers.

One using Hallertau Aroma (Fantastic this one was. The whole keg was gone within 6 weeks of brew day) and one using B-Saaz. This will be my standard easy lager with whatever nice hop combo or single hop I'm going for.

I've used S-189 so far but I have been meaning to try s-23 and some liquids too just for the sake of something different.

 

[drsmurto]

I have BenHs german pils (from the 07 SA xmas case swap) in beersmith ready to brew in the next month or so, just need to get myself a lager yeast....

78% wey pils
22% wey munich I
28 IBUs with tettnang
wyeast 2206

As for carapils, bought a kg a while back and its still sealed. Wont be adding it to a pilsner anytime soon.

 

[SJW]

yeah - im ummin and arrhing. I just want a simple pils, cant decide whether to go 100% Wey Pils or 90% with something else chucked in, three hop additions and S189
Cheers
Steve

I have done this many times and the worst was 10% Melanoidin, it was way too ........wrong. Love the S-189 though.

I've pretty much settled on 90+% pils and the balance Munich.

Although thats one I have not added (Munich) I think a little Munich 1 would be great. I just love 100% Weymanns Premium Pils with Saaz to about 40 IBU's, with the S-189 and a nice cool ferment, it does not get much better.

Steve

 

[Steve]

Cheers Chaps - Twisted me arm. I will give it a dash of Munich 1 (10%), 60 min and 20 min of Liberty to 35 IBU with S189....IM EXCITED!

 

[devo]

I've got 45ltrs of this stuff sitting in cold secondary at the moment and will most likely keg it tonight and let sit for another 6 weeks.

 

[SJW]

I've got 45ltrs of this stuff sitting in cold secondary at the moment and will most likely keg it tonight and let sit for another 6 weeks.

Does it make much diff letting it sit for 6 weeks in the keg? I have never bothered. After primary has finished it raise the temp to 18 for 48 hours then crash chill and keg, and start drinking straight away.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Does it make much diff letting it sit for 6 weeks in the keg? I have never bothered. After primary has finished it raise the temp to 18 for 48 hours then crash chill and keg, and start drinking straight away.

There is a difference between a Pilsner Lagered for a few weeks than one brewed, racked and kegged.

The hops blend in more with the malt and it seems to result in a smoother hop bitterness. The malt is more pronounced and the aroma is a nice mixture of the two. Six weeks lagering seems to be a good compromise between the rush to get it in the glass and the desire to produce an authentic tasting product, that's why when I brew Pilsners I tend to do a few batches so they can lager a little before I drink them, by the time I have finished my first unlagered one the others are just about perfect.

Andrew

 

[Zwickel]

there is another aspect too: the most of lager and pilsener yeast strains dont taste good, they mostly taste bitter and muddy (has nothing to do with hops bitterness) and do bastardizing the real taste of the beer. That beers need a certain time to settle out and thats also the reason why pilsener beers should be filtered. Ofcourse it depends on the used yeast strain.

:icon_cheers:

 

[AndrewQLD]

there is another aspect too: the most of lager and pilsener yeast strains dont taste good, they mostly taste bitter and muddy (has nothing to do with hops bitterness) and do bastardizing the real taste of the beer. That beers need a certain time to settle out and thats also the reason why pilsener beers should be filtered. Ofcourse it depends on the used yeast strain.

:icon_cheers:

Perhaps that's what I have percieved myself Zwickel and mistakenly related it to blending of the malt/hops. Either way the differences are noticeable.

Andrew

 

[edoeven]

I ran into problems with my last german pilsner - it developed a terrible green apple/actylaldehyde taste (very strong... overwhelming pretty much all the beer taste....) I still have it with the hope of it getting better but close to tipping the keg cos I need space. Has anyone else run into this problem when brewing a lager? I have done some reading and i guess it was either a yeast issue or infection - I think infection

basics of the brew - 26L batch
90% wey pils
5% wey Vienna
5% wey munich
b-saaz at 60-40-20min
Saf S23 - one pkt pitched @ 20, cooled to 10 for primary, (2wks), rest @ 20deg for a couple of days (longer time compared to my other lagers - but I didnt think it would cause this crazy apple flavour) followed by a few weeks lagering at 1-2 deg -> into keg...
any tips? it has me scared to do another one o.0

 

[razz]

I got a slightly sweet green apple flavour from my last pils at kegging. Not objectionable, it has mellowed over 4 weeks in the keg. I don't plan on drinking it for at least 3 months. It was my first use of Galena hops. Single malt,single hop.

 

[bconnery]

Ofcourse it depends on the used yeast strain.

And with this in mind I will say I believe s189 to be the king of quick lager yeasts.
Very low in by products and seems to make a lager that is ready for drinking very early.

I've tasted my s189 lagers at a week and found them too young.
2 weeks later, at the outside, though and they are good to go.

Lagers made with other yeasts have come into their own more at the timeframes people have mentioned, 4-6 weeks.

That's my opinion and experience of course.

Please consider if this timeframe is right for your personal tastebuds and preferences through careful experimentation and quality assurance sampling.
Mooshells Brewery assumes no responsibility for, well anything really

 

[SJW]

And with this in mind I will say I believe s189 to be the king of quick lager yeasts.
Very low in by products and seems to make a lager that is ready for drinking very early.

I would agree 100%, it my Lager yeast of choice these days. I have been known to go from grain to brain in 7 days with monotonous regularity. Even fermenting at warmer temps it's still clean. Also still goes off like a bomb at 7 or 8 deg C. I like to pitch 2 packs with S-189 though.
I will conceed that it probably does not have some of the malt complex of a liquid yeast but still very good stuff.

Steve