Bad results With Pilsner malt

[SamBrewer]

Hi everybody!

Anyone expirienced bad results brewing ale styles( and with Ale I mean English Ale like IPA, Porter, Souts etc..) using pilsner malt as the base?

Of course pale malt is the best choice with this kind of beers but I can see a lot of recipes including pilsner malt, and in my expirince the result was not so good. Tipically with pale malt I end up with smoother beers.
Maybe was to due to the fact that only now I paid a lot of attention in water chemistry?
I've also tried to use maris otter for a lager ( pilsner-like recipe) the result was obiuvsly very different in term of tase from my "normal" pilsner beer but It was still good (it was like drinking a tennent's lager).

Could be that the ale yest just not performs so well as lager yeast with pilsner malt?

 

[Pappers_]

I never use pilsner malt in English style beers.

 

[Shooter]

When you say results were not good with pilsner malt, what do you mean?

 

[SamBrewer]

When you say results were not good with pilsner malt, what do you mean?

something similar to astringet beer with a pungent grainy smell detectable even in the fermenter after fermentation is complete.

Why this kind of problems never occur using lager yeast?

 

[passedpawn]

Does it smell like corn?

 

[stevedasleeve]

Does it smell like corn?

Just what I was thinking. If you boiled less than 90 mins them DMS is likely - if not probable. That might be your off flavor.

 

[beerhound28]

What did you mash at and how long? I learned that pilsner malt are best mashed low and long, like 148 degrees F for 90 mins rather then the "normal" 60 min mash at 152

 

[Shooter]

something similar to astringet beer with a pungent grainy smell detectable even in the fermenter after fermentation is complete.

Why this kind of problems never occur using lager yeast?

Well, grainy doesn't sound wrong for pilsner malt. Are you cold conditioning your lagers, not just using lager yeast? That will tend to smooth out the flavor and could be why you think it's a function of ale versus lager yeast. Also, as noted, a corn character could come from DMS.

 

[SamBrewer]

What did you mash at and how long? I learned that pilsner malt are best mashed low and long, like 148 degrees F for 90 mins rather then the "normal" 60 min mash at 152

I've tried different beers with different mash profile. Belgian ale with high mash temp (68°C for 60 min) Irish Ale (same temperatureand mash time ), chocolate stout ( 65°C for 60min) IPA ( 2 steps: I step 65°C for 20min and than 68°C for 50 min ).

in the IPA the "grainy smell" was maybe only noticeble but oof course, lots of hops there!

I'm talking about tests that I've done 4 years ago, than I've started using pils only for lagers, but now I'm thinking to try it again... or maybe It's just a waste of time?