Hopped-up Muenchner Hell

[Goetinger]

Hi All!

Just brewed Joe Dragon's 2011 winning recipe, with a few adjustments for personal preference. I really like noble hop flavor and aroma, but wanted to stay in the low bitter helles category over the higher bitter pils. Feel free to critique:

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: WLP 838
Yeast Starter: 1 Liter ACTIVE
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.25
Original Gravity: 1.051
Final Gravity: Unknown
IBU: 19.0
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 4.3
Primary Fermentation: started on 1/6/14

7.50 lb Best Maltz pilsner
0.50 lb GWM Cara-Pils/Dextrine
0.50 lb GWM Munich Malt
0.13 lb Melanoiden Malt

0.30 oz Tetnanger @ 60 min
0.50 oz Tetnanger @ 30 min
0.25 oz Hersbrucke @ 30 min
0.50 oz Hersbrucke @ 15 min
0.25 oz Hersbrucke @ 05 min

Water: All crystal geyser bottled water.

1 Pkgs Southern German Lager (White Labs #WLP838) [Starter 35 ml] Yeast-Lager. Built up to an active 1L starter

Mashed at 149 to keep it dry, since the WLP838 attenuates on the low side. Got amazing extraction (82% efficiency) on the mash.

36 hours later, and I only have a few bubbles @ 50 degrees, so i still think I under pitched. Hopefully it will still turn out alright.

What do ya'll think?

 

[Goetinger]

On the same note, has anyone identified stark differences in flavor and aroma between hertzbruke, saaz, and tetnanger? My taste buds must not be sharp enough to identify them.

 

[adrock430]

No salts in the water? I'd add a little calcium if only to promote a solid hot break.

The recipe looks pretty tasty. Saaz is used in heavy late hopping in saisons, so probably just as good in a helles. I've used tett and lublin (saaz cousin) and can't tell a difference, though I'm sure a bunch of people can.

A late hopped german pils would be nice, I might try that, thanks for the idea!

 

[Goetinger]

I love the subtle taste of herzbrucke. Seems to get more pronounced as the beer ages. In terms of salt additions, I wonder how the pilsner brewers deal with this (since thier water is SO soft). Maybe a long lager time helps clear their beer up?