kit, partial or full grain? IMHO Tooheys pils is similar to a bohemian pilsener, but a bit sweeter and skunkier. Dunno how to replicate that (would you want to?)
These recipes is from the grain + grape website.
http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/BeerOTMonth/riggers_pils.htm
Brewing Notes for the Brave!
As mentioned earlier water is a vital factor in the production of a high quality pilsner, If you are making a Czech (Bohemian) style then no adjustments to Melbourne water is necessary, however, if you are contemplating making a German style that is supposedly true to style then some adjustment to Melbourne water is required. I say this will great trepidation as I have experienced more stress, headaches and frustration in my attempts to chemically adjust Melbourne water to duplicate the waters of various well known brewing cities of the world my advice is dont bother unless you are a masochist!!!
Enhanced Kit Version
I suggest starting out by purchasing a good quality Pilsner kit and 1Kg of dried malt extract. There are numerous choices of brands and the quality of the kits in this popular style are generally excellent and the final decision is yours. There really isn't much that can be done to enhance a kit beer but one of the primary attributes of Pilsner is hop character and this cant be put in a can!
For hop flavour I recommend that you make a hop tea by putting half a litre of cold water into a saucepan and add 10 to 15gms of fresh Saaz hop pellets (if you are making a Bohemian style or substitute Hallertau or Tettnang for a German style), bring to the boil as quickly as you like, and boil for 5 minutes. Add the strained liquid into the fermenter and discard the residue.
Procuring the elusive hop aroma is only achievable by dry hopping in the fermenter. I suggest that you add 10 to 15gms of hops (type of hop is dependant on the style being brewed) toward the end of fermentation. Follow the usual kit method for the remainder of the brew.
Malt Extract & Mini Mash Version
Base Malt 3kg Light Malt Extract (Preferably dry)
Grains - 200gms Pilsner Malt (German)
200gms Vienna Malt
Put half a litre of cold water in a saucepan and add grains and heat up SLOWLY (over a 15 to 20 minute period) until just short of boiling. Strain the liquid into your fermenter, and discard the grain residue.
Hops For bittering I favour a general-purpose medium alpha hop (usually around 7%) called Northern Brewer, aim at around 45 IBU. Quantity will vary depending on the %AA (alpha acid) of the hops being used. Grain & Grape staff will be happy to do the calculations for you. You can also use the on-line bitterness calculator here. For hop flavour make a hop tea as outlined above, for hop aroma add 10 to 15gms (Use Saaz for a Bohemian and Hallertau or Tettnang for a German style) to the fermenter toward the end of fermentation at an SG of around 1.016-18, or if you are in the habit of racking into a secondary fermenter (I recommend racking for every brew not just Pilsners!) then add hops into the secondary fermenter after racking,
Total boil time should be 90 minutes with the hops boiled for only 60 minutes.
Yeast - I recommend Wyeast 2278 Czech Pils, 2024 Danish, 2206 Bavarian, or 2124 Bohemian - in that order of preference. If you prefer the convenience of dry yeast then try DCL Saflager or 34/70.
Full Grain Version
Grains - 4000gms Pilsner (German)
750gms Vienna (German)
250gms CaraPils (German)
Mashing regimes are many and varied. Most modern malts are very well modified and only need a simple single step infusion mash to obtain very good results, however some of the more complex mashing regimes will provide the brewer with more control over the ratio of fermentable to non fermentable sugars.
Hops For bittering aim at around 45 IBU's using Northern Brewer hops. For hop character use Saaz for a Bohemian and Hallertau or Tettnang for a German style. For flavour add 25 to 30gms for the last 10 minutes of the boil, for aroma soak 25 to 30gms at the end of the boil. I strongly recommend dry hopping with 10 to 15gms in the secondary fermenter after racking.
Total boil time should be 90 minutes with the hops boiled for only 60 minutes.
Yeast - I recommend Wyeast 2278 Czech Pils, 2024 Danish, 2206 Bavarian, or 2124 Bohemian - in that oder of preference. If you prefer the convenience of dry yeast then try DCL Saflager or 34/70.