Rye's Crispy - The "Pilsner" I Didn't Expect

I wanted to brew a summer beer to get through (or least try to forget) our solid stream of 100°+ days. I wanted something light and crisp, but with a distinct flavor. So here's the recipe:

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Nottingham - 2 packs
Yeast Starter: No
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.00
Original Gravity: 1.061
Final Gravity: 1.008
IBU: 55
Boiling Time (Minutes): 90
Color: 6.1
Primary Fermentation: 7 Days at 66F
Secondary Fermentation: 14 Days at 66F
Tasting Notes: I have brewed an ale-yeasted pilsner! It's crisp and refreshing, a little spicy, and tastes nothing like I expected. Delicious!


Grains
8lbs Pilsner Malt (3.0 SRM)
2lb Munich Malt (10.0 SRM)
2lb Rye Malt (2.0 SRM)
0.5lb Cara-pils (2.0 SRM)

Hops
1.00oz Chinook (10.50%) - 60min
0.50oz Chinook (10.50%) - 20min
1.00oz Cascade (5.50%) - 5min

Mash at 149 F for 90min


So, I have no idea how I got here, but it tastes terrific. Any ideas or feedback would be greatly appreciated!

looks like a solid recipe to me. I might have added a fifteen or ten minute addition of cascade, but that's just personal preference.

Up the rye to around 30% and use some flaked rye too. Depending on your setup, you may need to add rice hulls. Personally, I'd drop the Munich but that's because I never seem to like it.

Could the 149°f for 90 min not just have made for a light body beer, just what you wanted in that head you got there

Bigscience said:

Up the rye to around 30% and use some flaked rye too. Depending on your setup, you may need to add rice hulls. Personally, I'd drop the Munich but that's because I never seem to like it.

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that is a ton of rye... i've used 20% and that seems to be plenty IMO to get the spicy rye flavor without over taking the beer

Looks like it would be a great beer to me. I love the distinct flavor or rye and the balance that munich lends.

To me that recipe looks more like a crisp and dry pale ale than a pilsner.

defenestrate said:

that is a ton of rye... i've used 20% and that seems to be plenty IMO to get the spicy rye flavor without over taking the beer

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I like the 30% rye with 50:50 malted:flaked. Maybe that's the difference.

Looks like a very nice recipe, although quite a long way from "pilsner"...

But that's a pale ale I think I'd definitely enjoy drinking.

bwarbiany said:

Looks like a very nice recipe, although quite a long way from "pilsner"...

But that's a pale ale I think I'd definitely enjoy drinking.

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I guess I should clarify. I didn't at all intend to brew something "pilsner-like," however, that was the character I experienced in my first tasting. Granted, this is just barely carbonated, and I'm sure once it ages a little more, the flavor profile will change. The malt/hop balance is just about perfect, so I'm not sure I'd add any more hops. I'm liking the flavor from the chinook, which until now I have only used as a 60-minute bittering add.

I was torn between using malted or flaked rye, so I may try the 50:50 mix next batch to see how much difference it makes.