Lemon Pilsner?

[thomasg17]

Hey, I'm new to the forum, and new to brewing, but I have a few questions.
I've been brewing a peach wheat for my past few batches, first with peach extract and then with a peach puree. It's been turning out great, but I'd like to try my hand at a lemon pilsner. My only problem is, I don't know how to impart the lemon flavor into the beer. I've heard lemon zest (fresh or packaged), lemon peel, lemon juice, or some kind of lemon extract. Does anybody have a concise summary of how I may be able to flavor this brew with a nice, lemony bite? I've been told to serve the beer with a lemon wedge, but I'd like it to have it's own lemony bite.
Thanks!

 

[ScottSingleton]

Either go with a hop that has a distinct lemon flavor (I think Sorachi ace is one) or soak some lemon zest in vodka for a week and add it before bottling.

 

[944play]

Maybe it's not what you're going for, but there's the shandy option. Make a lemon soda (yum, and easy with a keg) to blend at serving time so you and your guests can dial in the lemoniness. It's hard enough to brew a solid pilsner.

Every description I've read paints Berliner Weiss as something like a beery lemonade. The ones I've tried are not far off that mark.

 

[TopherM]

+1 to Sorochi Ace. I make a Lemon Hefe that is hopped with Sorachi Ace with one small lemon worth of lemon peel at 5 minutes in the boil.

The lemon peel give the brew a lemony aroma, while the Sorachi Ace adds a lemony aftertaste bite. Just find a good pilsner recipe and replace the normal hop additions with Sorochi Ace.

 

[ryane]

+1 to Sorochi Ace. I make a Lemon Hefe that is hopped with Sorachi Ace with one small lemon worth of lemon peel at 5 minutes in the boil.

The lemon peel give the brew a lemony aroma, while the Sorachi Ace adds a lemony aftertaste bite. Just find a good pilsner recipe and replace the normal hop additions with Sorochi Ace.

I dunno, myself and many others find the taste of S.Ace very repugnant, it has a very unnatural lemon taste that lingers. Maybe with a very very light hand it could be good, but you wont find me trying again anytime soon

I agree with one of the posters above that brewing a great pils is very difficult in itself, so I might be inclined to brew a pils and just make a radler (pils + lemonade) its pretty good stuff and you should be able to find an example at a decent beer store (stiegl come to mind)