German Pils Tiber's Premium Pils (1st Place German style Pilsner)

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Tiber_Brew

It's about the beer.
HBT Supporter
Joined
Apr 21, 2010
Messages
2,541
Reaction score
281
Location
Upper Peninsula
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
WLP833
Yeast Starter
1 gallon
Batch Size (Gallons)
11
Original Gravity
1.044
Final Gravity
1.010
Boiling Time (Minutes)
90
IBU
40-42
Color
3 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
14 days @ 48-50F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
2 weeks @ 66
Additional Fermentation
2 months @ 35F
Tasting Notes
See below
Note: disregard the above stats. I have edited this recipe to reflect my latest award winning recipe. This took 1st place in the 2014 Brew Master's Competition in the "light lagers and hybrid ales" category.

This is for an 11 gallon batch at about 94% efficiency. Adjust for your batch size and efficiency if necessary. This recipe took me countless iterations to get it how I want it. Here it is:

OG: 1.047
FG: 1.008
ABV: 5.2%
Attenuation: 83.3%
IBU: 38
SRM: 2.9 (2.5 w/out melanoidin malt)

Grain:
14.5 lbs. German Pils malt
.25 lbs. Melanoidin malt*
5 oz. Sauermalz (for mash pH adjustment)

*Optional. I used melanoidin in the award winning beer to help emulate a decoction, but have since left it out. I now prefer this recipe without the melanoidin malt.

Mash:
Aim for a mash pH of about 5.49

Below is a snapshot from my spreadsheet showing the step mash I use. For single infusion, mash at 147F for 90 minutes and mash out as usual.



Sparge:
Fly sparge with 170F water for 40 - 50 minutes.
Acidify sparge water with Lactic Acid to prevent mash pH exceeding 5.8 during sparge.

Water:
For Pilsners, I sometimes use my buddy's artesian well water or build my own water from RO. On average, this is my Ger Pils water profile:

Ca - 54 ppm
Mg - 4 ppm
Na - 11 ppm
Cl - 44 ppm
SO4 - 59 ppm
HCO3 - 93 ppm

Boil:
3.6 oz. Hallertau Mittelfruh (4.0% aa)...90 min (First Wort Hop)
1.25 oz. Hallterau Mittelfruh.................30 min
1 oz. Hallertau Mittelfruh.....................15 min
Irish Moss & yeast nutrient...................10 min
.5 oz. Hallertau Mittelfruh.....................5 min

Yeast:
WLP833 Bock Lager - about 1 gallon starter, or as close to 330 billion cells per 5 gal (I'm lucky enough to be able order a specific pitchable cell count from a local laboratory)
The Bock lager yeast with this recipe and water profile produces the best tasting Pilsner I've ever made. I've tried just about everything available - dry and liquid - and WLP833 is my favorite for this particular recipe.

Fermentation:
6 days @ 50F
5 days @ 54F
2 weeks @ 66F (includes diacetyl rest + warm conditioning + carbonation time)
Lager for 2 months @ 35F


Picture:
IMG_0712.jpg


Aroma:
Grainy Pilsner malt, with faint spicy hop nose. Not so much a floral aroma of hops, but a pleasant spicy balance. No noticeable DMS, some very minor yet pleasant esters.

Appearance:
Bright yellow and brilliantly clear with two finger white head that thins to about half a centimeter over time. Adequate lacing. See picture above.

Flavor:
Grainy malty flavor acts as a backbone for the hops, whose presence balance very nicely. The bitterness and dry crisp finish compliment the malt perfectly. Some minor esters on the finish, reminiscent of sipping Pils in a Bavarian biergarten. The delicate balance and noble European character is unlike any American made Pils I've ever had.

Mouthfeel:
Medium to medium-light in body. Medium-high carbonation. Crisp, dry, pleasant throughout the profile.

Overall impression:
Very well balanced, crisp pleasing Pilsner that showcases Pilsner malt and noble hops. A very inviting and approachable beer, easily sessionable.

I've been inspired ever since I got back from Germany in '09 to brew a good German style Pils at home. I strongly recommend this recipe (and process) if you like German style Pilsners.

If you brew it, please give me your feedback :mug:
TB
 
Why 2 weeks at 66*? Is this so you don't have to age it as long?

After trying several methods, I've found that a prolonged rest at 66 not only cleans up diacetyl, but also reduces sulfur and other off-smelling/tasting remnants of lager fermentation, reducing the amount of time required for lagering by a tad. This is just anecdotal, and I don't know exactly why this works, but it does. I do this with all my lagers now.

If you have a proven method for lagers, by all means stick to it. The longer rest at 66F is just a suggestion on my part from experience. I get the cleanest lagers using this method, but some people get good results with a short 3 day d-rest. Do what works for you.

Cheers,
TB
 
I'm glad this was bumped today! It's almost lager time for me, as the nights are already in the 40s and I'm consider which lagers to make this fall. I think a maibock and this German pilsner are going to be the lagers I start with. Thanks for the recipe!
 
I hope you like it. Let me know what you think if you do end up brewing it. Speaking of...I haven't made a Maibock in at least 3 years. Got a good recipe (or link) for one?
 
I hope you like it. Let me know what you think if you do end up brewing it. Speaking of...I haven't made a Maibock in at least 3 years. Got a good recipe (or link) for one?

The last few times, I've brewed Kaiser's maibock. I'm not sure if he has a link here or not. I can look in the morning, and see if I can find a link. Otherwise, I can post it for you tomorrow.
 
Can you compare the flavor profile to krombacher at all? I really want to do a pilsner this weekend, and I got everything to do an "imperial" pilsner recipe, but I'm kindof re thinking it since it sounds like its going to come out super hoppy and punchy... that isn't my style...
 
Can you compare the flavor profile to krombacher at all? I really want to do a pilsner this weekend, and I got everything to do an "imperial" pilsner recipe, but I'm kindof re thinking it since it sounds like its going to come out super hoppy and punchy... that isn't my style...

Sorry, I've never had Krombacher, but I can tell you this Pilsner is fairly hoppy. It's nothing like an Imperial Pils, though. It's a sessionable Pils, and has quite a bit of hops up front, but nothing overpowering, and not a lot of the floral character that Imperial Pilsners have. The closest I can describe with a comparison is Weihenstephaner Pils, but with a tad more bitterness. Hope that helps. Sorry if I couldn't answer your question.

TB
 
jerseyale said:
have you tried danish lager yeast with this recipe?

I have. I thought it was good, but not as good as the bock yeast and not quite up to the German Pils style. It almost reminded me of a more bitter Heineken with the aftertaste from the yeast.
 
made this its tasty not lagered quite as long as it should have been but i was out of beers to tap sooo... i guess i need to acumulate more storage space and brew more often wooot if that's not a great excuse i don't know what is i was in germany in 08 the beers there are awsome but dont remember anything this bitter maybe it was my local hop supply that made my version bitterer idk well its good i like the flavor lager yeast provides first lager so far thx for the recipie everyone at work who tried it said they have had worse and they are all from europe so i think it turned out well also they are all chefs and they drank it down faster that any domestic lager lol
 
Tried your fermentation schedule for my latest pilsner. And it works great and is simple. My beer tastes clean as a whistle now :) ...... Thanks.
 
I have a Bock brewed with WLP 833 in fermentation as I type this. Do you see any issue with dropping this pilsner right on to the bock yeast cake when it's done?
 
I have a Bock brewed with WLP 833 in fermentation as I type this. Do you see any issue with dropping this pilsner right on to the bock yeast cake when it's done?

I think that would be over pitching. I would save about 1/3 to 1/2 of that cake for pitching, and dump the rest (or save/wash it for a future brew).
 
Looking to brew something like this next weekend (found the recipe this morning and need some time to grow starters). :(

Lagering question. I am looking to fill (or overfill) my pipeline since I just went up to 10 gallon batches. I only have 1 fermenting/lagering fridge. But I would have space in my keezer. If I were to brew this beer and take it through the 4 week fermentation cycle, would there be a problem taking it from the carboy to kegs, then into my keezer under pressure for lagering?

I am assuming that would be OK, but I haven't brewed a lager in years and just wanted to check.

Also. For the 2 weeks at 66F. You're still on the primary yeast cake, right?
 
Lagering question. I am looking to fill (or overfill) my pipeline since I just went up to 10 gallon batches. I only have 1 fermenting/lagering fridge. But I would have space in my keezer. If I were to brew this beer and take it through the 4 week fermentation cycle, would there be a problem taking it from the carboy to kegs, then into my keezer under pressure for lagering?
No issue there. You can lager your beer on gas if you want.

Also. For the 2 weeks at 66F. You're still on the primary yeast cake, right?
I usually leave it in the primary, yes. You could rack it, though, and get the same effect. I keg it after that period to reduce the amount of sediment in the keg.

Hope your brew goes well!
TB
 
I think this will be my first pilsner! Also my first lager, so thanks for all of the specs/info provided. Just got a dorm fridge so I could do some lagers and, while a bit nervous, I'm also mondo excited about this!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
hi i want to make a 1000ltr frew using your pilsner recipe,
problem; can i make all my mash in a 250ltr metal drum like a conctrate so to speak and then transfer that to the rest of my water 750 in my 1000ltr icb tank?
 
thanks for getting back to me quickly.
so my problem is. i want to use a 1000 ltr plastic icb tank to ferment the brew.
using your recipe i will need aprox 150+ kg of plisner malt.
i want to mash this in a 250 ltr metel barrel in one go.
if i do and then cool to correct temp and prepare my other 750 ltr to the same temp in the plastic icb with an aquarium heater can i simply add the mash and mix to ferment and expect a good finished product.
my problem being i dont have a 1000ltr metal tun.
i hope that explains it as your blog inspired me.
ive only brewed wine before but this is for a big halloween party.

any help would be great T.
 
OK, be patient with me as I try to understand your intent here. I'm gathering English is not your primary language? If not, that's OK, we'll do our best to understand each other here.

i want to use a 1000 ltr plastic icb tank to ferment the brew.
using your recipe i will need aprox 150+ kg of plisner malt.

That sounds about right according to my calculations. For a 200 gallon batch at about 77% efficiency, I come up with:

318 lbs Pilsner malt
5 lbs Melanoidin
5 lbs Acidulated malt

i want to mash this in a 250 ltr metel barrel in one go.
if i do and then cool to correct temp and prepare my other 750 ltr to the same temp in the plastic icb with an aquarium heater

750L of what? Water? Also, what is "ICB?"

can i simply add the mash and mix to ferment and expect a good finished product.

Are you talking about adding water to your wort to make a larger pre-boil volume?

my problem being i dont have a 1000ltr metal tun.
i hope that explains it as your blog inspired me.
ive only brewed wine before but this is for a big halloween party.
I'm not sure this recipe at that scale would be the best way to try your first beer. Do you have any way to cool the fermenting wort to ferment at lager temperature? It might be a good idea to try a simple ale first with that setup before trying a more difficult lager like my Pilsner recipe. Not trying to discourage you, but there may be some difficulties with attempting a recipe like mine on your first try. A 1000L vessel could ferment 200 gallons easily, which is what I figured for your batch size. That is HUGE. That would be one very large party to drink 200 gallons of beer.

Let me know if I'm understanding you correctly and I'll try to help. :mug:

TB
 
Brewed this again yesterday, but skipped the melanoidin malt altogether. Got a bit lighter color this time. We'll see if the final outcome is satisfactory. I've got this new World Select German Pils from Cargill that I'm giving a shot. Might as well see how it behaves on its own before teaming it with a small percentage of melanoidin.

Will post results if anyone is interested. (It'll be a while of course)
 
I'm subscribing to this thread. After my pumking type beer this will be next.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Brewed this again yesterday, but skipped the melanoidin malt altogether. Got a bit lighter color this time. We'll see if the final outcome is satisfactory. I've got this new World Select German Pils from Cargill that I'm giving a shot. Might as well see how it behaves on its own before teaming it with a small percentage of melanoidin.

Will post results if anyone is interested. (It'll be a while of course)

I pulled a sample of this latest brew during diacetyl rest and it's already quite pleasant. The color is definitely lighter and there's still good grainy malt profile without the melanoidin. We'll see how it turns out after lagering, but it's promising so far.
 
I pulled a sample of this latest brew during diacetyl rest and it's already quite pleasant. The color is definitely lighter and there's still good grainy malt profile without the melanoidin. We'll see how it turns out after lagering, but it's promising so far.

I pulled another sample of this brew, from the lagering keg this time. This is the best non-German made Pils I've ever had. Definitely going to leave out the melanoidin malt from now on. I also changed the water profile, mash pH, and sparge water acidity a bit - which I'm sure contributes to the better tasting Pilsner.

More updates when this beer is finally on tap...
 
sounds awesome, i've been wanting to brew a german pilsner. have you tried fermenting with dry yeasts like saflager s-23 or w-34/70?
thanks
 
sounds awesome, i've been wanting to brew a german pilsner. have you tried fermenting with dry yeasts like saflager s-23 or w-34/70?
thanks

I've tried W-34/70 before and got similar results to when I used WLP830 German Lager, which is said to be the same strain. It was good, but was a bit on the malty side for my taste. I'm looking for that more balanced, crisp dry finish that I get from German imports, and I get more of that from the WLP833 Bock Lager yeast. Either of these yeasts will produce a fine lager, provided your process is sound.
 
Have you ever tried a decoction mash with this recipe? I've been looking for an authentic pils recipe and it looks like I've found one! I am getting more and more interested in German styles and brewing them with traditional German brewing methods.
 
Have you ever tried a decoction mash with this recipe? I've been looking for an authentic pils recipe and it looks like I've found one! I am getting more and more interested in German styles and brewing them with traditional German brewing methods.

I have. I thought it turned out great, but not worth the added time and effort in my opinion. I emulate that a bit with a step mash via my HERMS and adding a small amount of melanoidin malt. Lately, I've been brewing this without the melanoidin and love it. The more important thing to me is the effect of the step mash, not the maillard reactions from the decoction.
 
I've heard so many conflicting stories about decoction mashing. A lot of people claim that the decoction mash is absolutely necessary and some people say it's a waste of time. I have yet to do one myself. I have an Oktoberfest planned for March and I plan to do a triple decoction using Kaisers method. So I guess I'll find out for myself then. I was just curious if you've noticed a difference. I'm sure the step mash and a good long boil probably gets the job done just fine.
 
A decoction mash turns my 6 hour brew day into a 9 hour brew day. Does it make a difference? Sure. An appreciable difference? You could argue either way. Is it worth it? Not for a German Pils, in my opinion. Maybe more worth while for a Czech Pils...
 
Good to know!! Thanks for the reply. I'll skip it for now then and stick with the step mash you have outlined. Thanks for the recipe. Sounds like a good one. I love the k.i.s.s. method when it comes to recipes. Lately I've been sticking to simple grain bills and hop schedules and it's working out great.
 
I've tried W-34/70 before and got similar results to when I used WLP830 German Lager, which is said to be the same strain. It was good, but was a bit on the malty side for my taste. I'm looking for that more balanced, crisp dry finish that I get from German imports, and I get more of that from the WLP833 Bock Lager yeast. Either of these yeasts will produce a fine lager, provided your process is sound.

thanks! definitely need a sound process when brewing pilsners.
 
Good to know!! Thanks for the reply. I'll skip it for now then and stick with the step mash you have outlined. Thanks for the recipe. Sounds like a good one. I love the k.i.s.s. method when it comes to recipes. Lately I've been sticking to simple grain bills and hop schedules and it's working out great.

That's singing the song of the Pilsner right there. A properly researched and well executed process with simple, delicately balanced ingredients forms an amalgamation that can only be performed and appreciated by few brewers and connoisseurs.
 
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