First batch

[stdkls28]

Just wanted any advice or comments about this recipe:

2 gallon:
3.25lbs pilsner
.5lb wheat
.5oz @ 45 mins
.25oz @ 10 mins
.25oz @ heat cut off
Kolsch yeast

Mash @ 165° with 1.25 gal (how long do y'all think)
Sparge w/1 gal 170° water

Thoughts? I appreciate any input, thank you!

 

[stdkls28]

Oops the hops are Hallertauer pellets

 

[AmandaK]

I'd mash for 60 minutes. I also would NOT mash at 165. I would mash at 149.

Wheat is allowable, but rare in a true Kolsch.

I would also be curious about your fermentation temperature schedule. Personally, I would shoot for the low 60s.

 

[stdkls28]

Oh yeah...sry I put the wrong temp for the mash. Was supposed to be 150° so good I wasnt too far off track at all. Sparge was supposed 165-170. Thanks for the ferment temp reccomendation...was gonna just use ambient in the house...but seems I should rethink that.

 

[smokinj]

As AmandaK said mash at 149-152 for 60 min. You won't get proper conversion at 165, and will have very little in the way of fermentables. I'd also recommend a 90 minute boil to prevent DMS problems from the pilsner malt. If you do, remember to up your preboil volume to account for the extra boil off.

 

[stdkls28]

Thank you for the advice! Also, I feel I should know this but...DMS?

 

[iambeer]

As AmandaK said mash at 149-152 for 60 min. You won't get proper conversion at 165, and will have very little in the way of fermentables. I'd also recommend a 90 minute boil to prevent DMS problems from the pilsner malt. If you do, remember to up your preboil volume to account for the extra boil off.

I've been looking at recipes and I see sometimes in the directions 'mash at 149-152' or at '154'... both seem adamant about their mash temperature choice. I have a basic understanding of why that temp is needed, but is there any explainable difference between 149 and 154?

 

[neosapien]

DMS = dimethyl sulfide. funktasticly off tasting badness. pilsner needs that 90-min boil to get it out of there.

 

[smokinj]

Non-scientifically speaking, the lower you mash the more fermentable your wort will be. So if you want a drier beer with slightly highr abv, mash 149-lower 150s. Alternately, if you want a sweeter beer shoot for around 158. Different beers call for different profiles, and the more you brew, the better feel you'll have for what appeals to you. There's a lot more to it, but that's the gist.

 

[stdkls28]

DMS = dimethyl sulfide. funktasticly off tasting badness. pilsner needs that 90-min boil to get it out of there.

Ah... Thank you for defining...that is good to know!

 

[iambeer]

Non-scientifically speaking, the lower you mash the more fermentable your wort will be. So if you want a drier beer with slightly highr abv, mash 149-lower 150s. Alternately, if you want a sweeter beer shoot for around 158. Different beers call for different profiles, and the more you brew, the better feel you'll have for what appeals to you. There's a lot more to it, but that's the gist.

Thanks.. that makes sense to me.