Exit Dream German Pilsner

[tdf]

Recipe Type

All Grain

Yeast

w-34/70

Batch Size (Gallons)

5.3 (20L)

Original Gravity

1.048

Final Gravity

1.009

Boiling Time (Minutes)

60

IBU

40

Color

3.1 SRM

Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)

14 Days @ 14'C

In the spirit of the new year, I wanted to share the recipe for my favorite beer. It's a German style pilsner with a light dry hop, heavily inspired by Russian River STS.
It's a deliciously crisp beer with a really nice floral and herbal hop aroma and flavor. It's hard to drink just one.

This is a 20L batch assuming 82% mash efficiency, 78% brewhouse. I use metric, hopefully I provided imperial units everywhere

• OG 1.048
• FG ~1.009
• ABV 5.3%
• IBU 40

Water is really important for a beer as simple as this. You want ~2:1 Sulfate to Chloride and at least a little Sodium. Get something close to:

• Ca2 70
• Mg 15
• Na 20
• Cl 70
• SO4 140

Grist (short and sweet)

• 4kg (8.8lbs) Pilsner Malt. I usually use Weyermann and sometimes Admiral Malting Admiral Pils. I probably can't tell the difference.

Step Mash

• 61'C (142'F) 30 minutes
• 70'C (158'F) 30 Minutes
• 75'C (167'F) 10 Minutes

60 Minute Boil

• 30g (~1oz) [14IBU] Hallertauer Mittelfrueh at 60 minutes.
• 30g (~1oz) Tettnang [13 IBU] at 30 minutes

Cool to 80'C (176'F) and Whirlpool for 30 minutes

• 30g (~1oz) Hallertauer Mittelfrueh
• 30g (~1oz) Aramis

Chill to 12'C (54'F) and pitch 3 packets of w-34/70.
Let the temperature rise to 14'C (57'F)

After 14 days soft crash to 5'C for 24 hours, bring back to 10'C and dry hop with 60g (~2oz) of Aramis. I like to dry hop for 3 days before I cold crash and transfer to a keg.
This beer really shines after ~4 weeks at serving temperature, though it's delicious and very different experience fresh as a kellerbier.