Help with Czech Pilsner.

[McUbermensch]

I put together a Czech Pilsner recipe in Beersmith and ordered my ingredients. They came yesterday but the alpha acids for the Saaz hops in Beersmith were 4 and the ones I received are 2.6! Needless to say my IBUs are way off. The only hop I have to use is Goldings (4% AA) could I use this as the 60 minute addition?

 

[McKnuckle]

You want the flavor of Saaz in a Czech Pils, so make sure to use them for later additions. If you have some left, exhaust them for the bittering addition and just augment that addition with the Goldings to match your desired IBU.

 

[IslandLizard]

In a 90' boil there's not much hop flavor left over. Use the Goldings for bittering, save the Saaz for flavor and aroma. A lower %AA can mean your Saaz hop is lower on other components too, but there is no simple way to know. You probably may want to use a bit more to compensate just in case.

Added: Is this from extract, hence the 60' boil? Same reasoning applies.

More importantly, what yeast are you pitching? If liquid, you need to build a large starter, well ahead of brewing day.

 

[McUbermensch]

In a 90' boil there's not much hop flavor left over. Use the Goldings for bittering, save the Saaz for flavor and aroma. A lower %AA can mean your Saaz hop is lower on other components too, but there is no simple way to know. You probably may want to use a bit more to compensate just in case.

Added: Is this from extract, hence the 60' boil? Same applies.

More importantly, what yeast are you pitching? If liquid, you need to build a large starter.

I'm pitching White Labs 802 and the starter is going as I type this. It's all grain and I do plan on a 90 minute boil but my first hop addition was scheduled for 60 minutes.

 

[IslandLizard]

Ah, good! Doing a 5 liter starter for a 5 gallon batch?

You could add the hops at 90' instead for a little bit more bittering, although that extra half hour has diminishing return. Just recalculate. Are you aiming at 35 IBU?

Forgot to mention, using very soft water is of the essence! RO perhaps?

 

[McUbermensch]

Ah, good! Doing a 5 liter starter for a 5 gallon batch?

You could add the hops at 90' instead for a little bit more bittering, although that extra half hour has diminishing return. Just recalculate. Are you aiming at 35 IBU?

Forgot to mention, using very soft water is of the essence! RO perhaps?

Yes, biggest starter ever for me.

That is the IBU I'm going for. Trying to be as traditional as possible which is new for me.

I will be using soft water for this brew. This brew is turning out to be quite challenging and it isn't even brew day! Can't wait to start decocting...

 

[IslandLizard]

You are decocting this too? What malt did you get?

 

[McUbermensch]

You are decocting this too? What malt did you get?

German pilsner. If you can tell me a way to get out of decocting I'm all ears!

 

[IslandLizard]

German pilsner. If you can tell me a way to get out of decocting I'm all ears!

Most modern malts are well-modified and decoctions are totally optional, yet doing so brings a malty flavor you can't get any other way. A small scoop of Melanoiden malt, although not a real substitute, can mimic the results of the decoction process while saving 3 hours of mashing time.

Under-modified malts (like many floor malts) will most benefit from step mashes. Double or triple decoctions are a good way to run through those steps. It's the ultimate boiling for up to 20 minutes of each decoction step that creates the Maillard reactions which develop that wonderful flavor we love in good Pilsners. Like searing a steak.

 

[davidst]

German pilsner. If you can tell me a way to get out of decocting I'm all ears!

A small amount of Melanoidin Malt can sort of get close to a decoction. I use a small amount 2-4 oz, but then I've only done one decoction mash and it was such an extreme pain (and made my brew day over 8-10 hours), that I never bothered with it again. I'm fine with close.

 

[McUbermensch]

Most modern malts are well-modified and decoctions are totally optional, yet doing so brings a malty flavor you can't get any other way. A small scoop of Melanoiden malt, although not a real substitute, can mimic the results of the decoction process while saving 3 hours of mashing time.

Under-modified malts (like many floor malts) will most benefit from step mashes. Double or triple decoctions are a good way to run through those steps. It's the ultimate boiling for up to 20 minutes of each decoction step that creates the Maillard reactions which develop that wonderful flavor we love in good Pilsners. Like searing a steak.

Looks like a trip to the homebrew shop is in order. I want to get more Saaz anyway so now I can justify the drive since the Melanoiden will save some time and effort on brew day. May pick up another White Labs 802 just to be safe as well.

Much thanks everyone!