First Lager Recipe - Looking for Comments

After several pale ales, wheats, a kolsch, and other ales, I'm going to make my first lager. I've come up with this recipe on my own and wanted to put it to the HBT community to see if I royally screwed up or if it should turn out halfway decent. My biggest concerns are the grains, hops, and mash time (90 minutes, single infusion). Will skipping the protein rest hurt clarity?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Pangea


All Grain

Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
90.0 9.00 lbs. Pilsener Rahr 1.038 2
5.0 0.50 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt Briess 1.033 2
5.0 0.50 lbs. Crystal 10L Briess 1.035 10

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.50 oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker Pellet 2.50 16.7 60 min.
0.50 oz. Czech Saaz Pellet 3.50 2.1 15 min.
0.25 oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker Pellet 2.50 0.7 15 min.
0.50 oz. Czech Saaz Pellet 3.50 1.3 1 min.
0.25 oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker Pellet 2.50 0.4 1 min.


Yeast - Saflager W-34/70 Lager Yeast (2 packs, no starter)

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

Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 10.00
Anticipated OG: 1.051 Plato: 12.69
Anticipated SRM: 3.7
Anticipated IBU: 21.2
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes


Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 18.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 7.53 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.037 SG 9.37 Plato



Single infusion Mash at 148 to 150 for 90 Minutes


Ferment at prescribed temp range until complete
Diacetyl Rest for 2-3 days 65F
Cold Crash to 34F for a week
Rack from carboy to keg (not carbed) and lager for 3 weeks at 34F
Carb and enjoy.

I would drink that beer. That recipe is real close to some Pilsner Urquell clone recipes that I've seen. I'm sure it will great.

If you're aiming for a dry beer with the long, low mash, why add crystal and Carapils? They're not a problem, just seems... schizophrenic.

D-rest should start before the ferment stops. Learned that from Denise at Moylan's.

Single infusion should be fine. For clarity, just use Whirlfloc.

944play said:

If you're aiming for a dry beer with the long, low mash, why add crystal and Carapils? They're not a problem, just seems... schizophrenic.

D-rest should start before the ferment stops. Learned that from Denise at Moylan's.

Single infusion should be fine. For clarity, just use Whirlfloc.

Click to expand...

I do want dry. I also want more malty character, head retention and mouthfeel. I guess I don't want it too watery from just the pilsner. I also want maybe a little more color.

I usually do a 60 min mash. I can try either. Just see most people doing longer low temp mashes for pilsners and lagers for a dryer product.

It's not schizophrenic, it's beginner's ignorance.

The crystal will add a lot of residual sweetness. Munich, or even just a few onces of Melanoidin or Aromatic will give a more malty character.

Skip the Crystal, use some Vienna or Munich instead. Watch the fermentation temps, do a rest when fermentation slows, not stops. Boil 90 minutes... pull enough wort from the mash to ensure you have the volume.

It'll be good.