Ale Approximation of Pilsner

[NoCornOrRice]

I'd like to make a pale ale that would somewhat approximate a Pilsner lager, will this recipe work?

5 US gal batch

11# Bohemian Pilsner Malt
10oz Vienna

20 IBU Cascade for bittering
10 IBU Saaz for flavor
10 IBU Saaz for aroma
1 oz Saaz Dry hop after airlock settles, for a week

Fermentis Lager yeast fermenting at about 62-66F (within its temp range)

 

[Oldsock]

It will be tough to get that much bitterness from your flavor/aroma additions. I'd go with 1 oz of Saaz at each and just get the rest from your early boil (or a first wort) hop addition. Otherwise it looks good.

I just did something similar, although mine wasn't intentional (lager yeast never took off so I pitched US-05). I did 100% Weyermann BoPils and a double decoction mash, still “lagering” so I’m not really sure how it turned out.

 

[PVH]

Confused as to what you are going for here. If you're using a lager yeast, you're making a lager, not an ale. And the recipe looks bohemian pilsner to me.

Did you accidentally type "Fermentic lager yeast" instead of ale yeast?

 

[wildwest450]

If you can't hit lagering temps I would ditch the lager yeast and do a clean fermenting ale yeast. I did something similar for a test, I actually even lagered it for a month, it was an excellent beer. I fermented in the lo 60's with safale 05, which will throw some fruit notes(nat a bad thing at all), if you want really clean try Notty, it was very similar to an actual lager.



Batch Size: 6.00 gal
Boil Size: 9.29 gal
Estimated OG: 1.048 SG
Estimated Color: 3.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 40.9 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Boil Time: 75 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
9 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 92.31 %
12.0 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 7.69 %
1.00 oz Sterling [8.70 %] (60 min) Hops 26.3 IBU
1.50 oz Saaz [3.20 %] (30 min) Hops 11.1 IBU
1.00 oz Saaz [3.20 %] (10 min) Hops 3.5 IBU
1.50 oz Saaz [3.20 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Safe-ale-05 Yeast-Ale

 

[jjp36]

I just did a pilsner-like ale, but i fermented mine with Wyeast 1007 (German Ale). It says it produces lager characteristics if you ferment it cool, and its good down to 55 degrees. It's been sitting in my basement around 58-59 and so far so good. I bittered with perle and used a mix of tettnang, hallertau, and saaz for the flavor/aroma additions. I was shooting for something similar to Sam Adams nobel pils.

 

[NoCornOrRice]

Confused as to what you are going for here. If you're using a lager yeast, you're making a lager, not an ale. And the recipe looks bohemian pilsner to me.

Did you accidentally type "Fermentic lager yeast" instead of ale yeast?

Good point: here is my more specific question: Which will be more close to a "real" Pils: one using lager yeast fermented at ale temperature, or one using a neutral ale yeast, like 1056. Will I get an unGodly amount of esters using the lager yeast at 60+ F, but under 70F?

I have no space in my kegerator for lagering

 

[PVH]

Good point: here is my more specific question: Which will be more close to a "real" Pils: one using lager yeast fermented at ale temperature, or one using a neutral ale yeast, like 1056. Will I get an unGodly amount of esters using the lager yeast at 60+ F, but under 70F?

I have no space in my kegerator for lagering

Like WW450 said, go for an ale yeast on the low end of its temp range. Nottingham is a good choice.

Does your kegerator hold more than one keg? If so, "lager" the ale in the keg.

 

[JonK331]

If you use Safale-05 you will need to use gelatin to get the yeast to settle out, I've used it for a lager like ale before and fermented at 62F. Came out kind of yeasty, like a slight hefe taste, using gelatin would have solved it.

 

[GaryJohn]

I've used Wyeast kolsch yeast to make a pilsner-ale. It turned out well!

 

[wildwest450]

If you use Safale-05 you will need to use gelatin to get the yeast to settle out, I've used it for a lager like ale before and fermented at 62F. Came out kind of yeasty, like a slight hefe taste, using gelatin would have solved it.

Not once you crash cool and lager it. Mine came out crystal clear with no yeasty taste.


_

 

[jjp36]

Not once you crash cool and lager it. Mine came out crystal clear with no yeasty taste.

True, But I would assume if he is making an ale approximation of a pils he probably isn't able to/going to lager it.