Citrus-y Pilsner

I am trying to make a pilsner with hints of orange/apricot flavor as well. this is my first time using BeerSmith and here is what i have come up with, what do you think ? I will be making a 5-gallon batch.

any comments or critcism are welcome, this is my first shot at my own recipe

Type: Partial Mash Date: 8/21/2011
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal Brewer:
Boil Size: 6.48 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Pot ( 5 Gal/19 L) - Mini-BIAB
End of Boil Volume 5.73 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 4.78 gal Est Mash Efficiency 121.4 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Taste Rating(out of 50): 30.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
3 lbs 1.8 oz Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 3 45.7 %
2 lbs 5.4 oz Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 4 34.3 %
1 lbs 0.9 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 15.5 %
0.41 oz Liberty [4.30 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 2.3 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale Yeast Blend (White Labs #WLP060) [50.28 ml] Yeast 9 -
0.58 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Primary 3.0 days) Other 10 -
0.44 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 15.0 mins) Spice 6 -
0.15 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 7 -
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 30.3 IBUs
4.8 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 2 4.4 %

Est Original Gravity: 1.054 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.5 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Bitterness: 32.6 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 5.4 SRM

Sparge Water: 6.22 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 1.70 qt of water at 162.1 F 150.0 F 75 min

Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 6.22 gal water at 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).

are you making a pilsner or a pale ale? if you use the american ale yeast blend, then it won't be a pilsner, regardless of how low you try to ferment it. also, try to fit some centennial hops in there, they have an incredible citrusy character. are you planning to do a starter? i've never really been a yeast nutrient user, if you get a good, healthy pitch of yeast, you don't really need it. if you want it to be light, i would just use extra light DME for the extract portion of it, extract beers always tend to be darker than you expect, so maybe drop out the 'Light Dry' and sub in 'Extra Light' for the whole deal.

android said:

if you use the american ale yeast blend, then it won't be a pilsner, regardless of how low you try to ferment it.

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If you use ANY ale yeast, it won't be a pilsner. Pilsner is easy: soft water, pils malt, noble hops, lager yeast, impeccable process.

Amarillo can definitely deliver some apricot notes. Think about adding some later in the boil. Liberty has a slight lemony thing to me, but it's more of lemongrass than actual lemon.

Might I suggest you brew the base beer to a reasonable facsimile of the style before making it a fruit beer?

944play said:

If you use ANY ale yeast, it won't be a pilsner. Pilsner is easy: soft water, pils malt, noble hops, lager yeast, impeccable process.

Amarillo can definitely deliver some apricot notes. Think about adding some later in the boil. Liberty has a slight lemony thing to me, but it's more of lemongrass than actual lemon.

Might I suggest you brew the base beer to a reasonable facsimile of the style before making it a fruit beer?

Click to expand...

Take this advice, except I get tangerine/orange from Amarillo, but taste buds are like snowflakes...


_

i picked the american ale yeast bc of the description that it doesn't at much flavor. i wanted to get the flavor from the rest of the ingredients and didn't want the yeast to mask any of the flavors. so i guess its not really a pilsner.

do you think that WLP800 Pilsner Lager Yeast would work OK?

i will consider adding amarillo later in the boil, thats a good idea.

Forget Amarillo if you want "apricot," that hop is 100% citrus, mostly orange to me.

Palisade will give you a slight apricot I've found, and is definitely better suited for a lager. Delicious.

bgs8884 said:

do you think that WLP800 Pilsner Lager Yeast would work OK?

i will consider adding amarillo later in the boil, thats a good idea.

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You are aware you need to ferment a lager at much lower temps right? Just wanted to make sure...

Amarillo late is great. I think a little Citra would probably work well in a lager too but I try to blast everybody beer style with big citrusy hops so I'm likely to approve of anything.

50-55 degrees says the specs for that particular yeast...

Then you need to lager it. Maybe after a diacytal rest for a few days, lagering between 32-45 sorta depending on your ferment temps/yeast.Lagering is a bit more controlling temperatures along with more time.