Classic American Pilsner Show Notes

This is a summary of an episode of [The Jamil Show].

Notes

Segment 1

[The Brewing Network] is proud to present beer radio that changes ordinary homebrew into award winning beer. [The Jamil Show] Hosts: Jamil Zainasheff and Jon Plise

• 1:00 Jamil Zainasheff is calling in on Skype.
• 1:30 Jamil Zainasheff says you can use the [The Brewing Network Chat] or call in at 888.411.BEER
• 1:50 Jamil Zainasheff asks Jon Plise if he has a lot of experience brewing this style
• 2:20 Jamil Zainasheff talks about the origin of the style
• 2:45 Jamil Zainasheff talks about the difference between 6row and 2row
• 3:00 Jamil Zainasheff talks about the use of corn
• 4:00 Jon Plise asks Jamil Zainasheff about the use of corn in the beer. Are you going to take out the body of the beer?
• 4:50 Jamil Zainasheff says there are two thoughts on making this beer. One would be the pre-prohibition version which is bigger and more bitter. And there is the post-prohibition which is a bit lower.
• 5:00 Jamil Zainasheff compares the drop in percent alcohol of english beers to that of American beers over time.
• 5:45 Jamil Zainasheff talks about the invention of the six pack. It was the amount of beer people thought a woman could carry home.
• 6:30 Jamil Zainasheff says that the people who have been credited with bringing back the style are [George Fix] and Jeff Renner.
• 6:45 Jamil Zainasheff says that Dave Sapsis probably brews the best Classic American Pilsner than anybody. It is clean with a nice corn flavor without being sweet.
• 8:25 Jamil Zainasheff says he prefers corn over rice for the Classic American Pilsner.
• 9:00 Jamil Zainasheff says that Dave Sapsis tends to use Saaz in his Classic American Pilsner.
• 9:30 Jamil Zainasheff says you want this to be clean and crisp and dry. This depends on yeast and process.
• 10:30 Jon Plise asks Jamil Zainasheff how his recipe compares to Dave Sapsis's.
• 11:00 Jamil Zainasheff jokes and laughs about the old equipment that Dave Sapsis is using.
• 12:00 Jamil Zainasheff says that one thing that Dave Sapsis has taught him is that there are things that people frets over really make no difference in the beer.
• 13:00 Jamil Zainasheff says that equipment can help with consistancy, but does not always make better beer.
• 13:45 Jamil Zainasheff talks about his troubles trying to duplicate the Dave Sapsis's beer.
• 15:30 Jamil Zainasheff says that Dave Sapsis would compare Bohemia to the Classic American Pilsner. Bohemia is a Mexican Lager.
• 16:55 Break

Segment 2

• 17:40 This is [The Jamil Show]
• 18:00 Jamil Zainasheff says this would be great for the 4th of July. Four week ferment plus carbonation and conditioning.
• 19:20 Jamil Zainasheff gives the beer description.
• 21:00 Jon Plise asks about about the after taste. Is it mostly hops?
• 21:35 Jamil Zainasheff says this is what American beer before it tried to appeal with the mass audience.
• 22:00 Jamil Zainasheff says that he uses a continental pilsner malt to make this. 20% to 30% of your grist will be corn. Flaked is fine if it is fresh.
• 23:50 Jamil Zainasheff will mash at 148F.
• 24:00 Jon Plise asks Jamil Zainasheff why he is mashing so low.
• 25:00 Justin Crossley asks Jamil Zainasheff how he knows whether the corn is bad.
• 25:47 Jamil Zainasheff says that Dave Sapsis uses polenta for his source of corn.
• 26:00 Jamil Zainasheff talks about how to do a cereal mash to break down the starches.
  1. You'll take your corn (polenta) and add 25% as much of crushed barley. Mix the barley with the polenta.
  2. Add some water to make a thick cereal
  3. Heat to 122F and rest for 20 minutes.
  4. Raise to 152F for saccrification and rest for 20 minutes.
  5. Raise to a boil and boil for 30 minutes, adding water as needed.
  6. Then add this to your regular mash.
• 28:40 Jamil Zainasheff says to keep in mind that adding the cereal mash to your mash tun will increase the temperature of your infusion mash.
• 29:00 Jon Plise asks how will you know what your final temperature will be if you add the cereal mash to the infusion mash.
• 29:45 Jamil Zainasheff says that he goes with the flaked maise instead of doing a cereal mash.
• 30:00 Jamil Zainasheff says that this is a beer that can benefit from a step mash.
• 31:15 Jon Plise asks Jamil Zainasheff if you should mash out.
• 31:40 Justin Crossley asks if it is possible to use white corn flour.
• 32:45 Jamil Zainasheff encourages listeners to take adavantage of the [The Brewing Network Chat]
• 33:00 Break

Segment 3

• 33:40 Now back to [The Jamil Show]
• 33:50 Jamil Zainasheff talks about the grain bill.
• 34:30 Jamil Zainasheff recommends American Cluster Hops or Liberty or Crystal or Saaz or Hallertauer or Tettnang
• 35:00 Jamil Zainasheff gives a .6 bittering to gravity ratio with 35 IBU's in a 14 plato beer.
• 36:00 Jamil Zainasheff says that bittering could be dependent on yeast selection and how well it lets the malt come through.
• 37:00 Jamil Zainasheff talks about Dave Sapsis judging a competition. Dave Sapsis tells Jamil Zainasheff how one of his beers could have been best of show if it was a bit dryer. Jamil Zainasheff brewed it dryer and it got second place in the category. Jamil Zainasheff gave Dave Sapsis a hard time when Dave Sapsis said teh beer was sweeter the next year. Jamil Zainasheff could believe it when he sat down and tried the beers and say that Dave Sapsis was right. Dave Sapsis could remember a year later which beer was sweeter and which was dryer.
• 39:00 Jamil Zainasheff says that Justin Crossley is his sponge for drinking beer he would normally pour down the drain.
• 38:30 Jamil Zainasheff talks about the hopping schedule.
• 40:30 Jon Plise asks about fermenation. He talks about how he will brew a smaller beer and use the yeast from that batch to brew the Classic American Pilsner.
• 41:00 Jamil Zainasheff talks about changing the recipe based off which yeast was chosen.
• 42:00 Justin Crossley asks Jamil Zainasheff to talk about making a starter.
• 44:00 Jamil Zainasheff talks about how he likes to do his lager starters like he does his beer ferments. He starts cold and warms it up. This is the way Dan Gordon does it. This is the way German Brewers do it.
• 45:00 Jon Plise said that Dan Gordon will start his ales cooler and warm up.
• 46:00 Jamil Zainasheff says that one of the problems with pitching warm is that the yeast will tend to drop out of solution as the temperature goes down. Pitching warm while you are cooling, the yeast can fall out.
• 47:00 Jamil Zainasheff says that you can loose some ale character from fermenting an ale at cooler temperatures.
• 48:00 Jon Plise says that you may need to pitch warmer to promote yeast growth. Jamil Zainasheff shows concern that it may not be making the best beer possible when you pitch warmer. Jon Plise brings up that the lagers he has placed with in competition have been pitched warm. Jamil Zainasheff counters and says that placing in a competition is not necessarily and indicator of great beer.
• 50:00 Justin Crossley asks about what yeast to use. He mentions that Jeff Reiner likes to use WLP833. Jamil Zainasheff says that he started out with WLP833, but has moved back to WLP830. Jamil Zainasheff goes on to say is that you need to try all the lager yeasts and use the one that makes the best beer inside of your process.
• 51:30 Justin Crossley asks how you would prep whole corn.
• 52:00 Justin Crossley asks if there are any Microbrewery versions of this beer that he likes.
• 52:30 Justin Crossley asks Jamil Zainasheff to recap the recipe.
• 55:00 [The Jamil Show] has been been a production of [The Brewing Network]