Rheingold Extra Dry Lager - water profile

[twd000]

inspired by a trip to an antique store with the wife

found a barware tray labeled "Rheingold Extra Dry Lager" that I can use for carrying pints upstairs from the basement kegerator

never heard of it, but did a bit of Google research and found this: The Bushwick Pilsners: A Look at Hoppier Days | MoreBeer

I'm going to follow this pretty closely. I guess the style would be Classic American Pilsner, or Pre-Prohibition Lager

8 lb six-row malt (or 2-row)
1 lb flaked maize
½ lb Munich malt
¼ oz Cluster hops, boil 60 min
¼ oz Cluster hops, boil 45 min
1 oz Styrian Goldings, Saaz, or Hallertauer hops, boil 45 min

Targeting 25 IBUs at 1.050 OG

My question is regarding the water profile, and how the "extra dry" perception would have been achieved. The article mentions soft surface water supply, which would results in a softer, rounder mouthfeel. Not sharp and dry

" Two reasons explain the establishment of breweries in this area: soft water and the large German immigrant population in the middle of the nineteenth century. Well water was used in Brooklyn until the 1850s, with dubious results. The wells were also sources of epidemics such as cholera. Beginning in 1859, lake water from Long Island was gravity-fed into Brooklyn, providing not only safe drinking water but extremely soft brewing water. When Germans began to settle into Bushwick and nearby Ridgewood, breweries began to thrive. "

I'm sure they weren't using an amylo-glucose enzymes to dry out the beer. So was it just the relatively high IBUs that create the "extra dry" mouthfeel? Or should I add some gypsum to increase sulfate levels? Brunwater "Yellow Dry" profile lists 105 ppm sulfate, which seems high for a lager. I'm targeting a mash pH of 5.3 for a crisp, dry finish.

 

[twd000]

 

[BigEd]

Don't overthink the water. The dry is probably tied more to the hops and attenuation. Surface water in the Northeast is typically very soft, almost Pilsen-like. I'd shoot for a low mineral content water, maybe 50-75ppm on the Ca+2 and Cl-2. Go easy on the gypsum/sulphate. Keep it low, maybe 25ppm, and concentrate on the mash schedule and hop rate.

 

[twd000]

alright, I can achieve that target with my base water

here is the mash schedule. This will be the first time doing a protein rest - I understand it's not necessary for diastatic conversion, but aids clarity?

"A protein rest is necessary during the mash. Dough in malt with maize at 120 °F (49 °C) for ½ h. The rest provides the clarity, body, lack of chill haze, and resistance to oxidation (8) that is extremely important in light-colored beers.

Saccharification of the mash will occur when the mash is held at 155 °F (68 °C) for 45 min. This temperature is chosen for the building of dextrins, which gives the final product the desired body and mouthfeel to accompany the hops. Mashout at 168 °F (76 °C) and sparge with 168 °F water."

 

[Beer666]

I would use RO water with about 3g of calcium chloride. Mashing a couple of hours at 62c should get you down around 1004 to 1006.

 

[BigEd]

alright, I can achieve that target with my base water

here is the mash schedule. This will be the first time doing a protein rest - I understand it's not necessary for diastatic conversion, but aids clarity?

"A protein rest is necessary during the mash. Dough in malt with maize at 120 °F (49 °C) for ½ h. The rest provides the clarity, body, lack of chill haze, and resistance to oxidation (8) that is extremely important in light-colored beers.

Saccharification of the mash will occur when the mash is held at 155 °F (68 °C) for 45 min. This temperature is chosen for the building of dextrins, which gives the final product the desired body and mouthfeel to accompany the hops. Mashout at 168 °F (76 °C) and sparge with 168 °F water."

Forget the 120F/49C step. That's too low with modern malts. If you want to do a multi-step I'd suggest a version of a German Hochkurz mash. It will help yield a good body combined with a clean, dry finish. Try 147F/64C for 45 minutes followed by 158F/70C for 30 minutes then proceed to mashout.

 

[bierhaus15]

Regarding water treatment, the use of Burton Salts was ubiquitous in lager brewing until the 1970's. The main provider of salts to the brewing industry in the NE was Wallerstein Labs of NYC and they had different "Burton Salt" formulas available, depending on the source water. For lagers, their blend contained mostly CaS04, with potassium and ammonium chloride.

Brewers (then) were more concerned about fermentation than mineral content, and the relatively high amount of these salts would have helped with the rate of fermentation and flocculation. I have seen a few old NYC lager recipes from the 1960's and they used Burton Salts, some at a rate of around 2.0 grams/gallon (in the cooker, mash, and boil).

 

[twd000]

Regarding water treatment, the use of Burton Salts was ubiquitous in lager brewing until the 1970's. The main provider of salts to the brewing industry in the NE was Wallerstein Labs of NYC and they had different "Burton Salt" formulas available, depending on the source water. For lagers, their blend contained mostly CaS04, with potassium and ammonium chloride.

Brewers (then) were more concerned about fermentation than mineral content, and the relatively high amount of these salts would have helped with the rate of fermentation and flocculation. I have seen a few old NYC lager recipes from the 1960's and they used Burton Salts, some at a rate of around 2.0 grams/gallon (in the cooker, mash, and boil).

interesting about the Burton Salts. Any idea what level of sulfate they would have achieved by adding 2g/gallon?

 

[mabrungard]

NYC water is indeed, like Pilsen water. Very low ionic content from the reservoirs in the Catskills. Minimal salt additions might be helpful for that lager, but don't overdo it. You would probably want less than what the Yellow profiles in Bru'n Water requires.