German Pilsner color/clearness

[zosimus]

My first pilsner here has been lagering for about 3 weeks now.
Is this the right color? Do you think this will clear up more?

 

[ClaudiusB]

Based on your picture the color is way off, too red.
German Pilsners are from straw to golden colors for northern to southern pils.
Depending on your yeast strain flocculation will take time but will clear.
You could visit the websites of a few German breweries and look at their Pilser pictures to get an idea of color, clarity, and head.

 

[ClaudiusB]

I attached a few German Pils pics of the final product I brew.

 

[zosimus]

Based on your picture the color is way off, too red.
German Pilsners are from straw to golden colors for northern to southern pils.
Depending on your yeast strain flocculation will take time but will clear.
You could visit the websites of a few German breweries and look at their Pilser pictures to get an idea of color, clarity, and head.

Hmm yeah was thinking it was off. I'm wondering what went wrong, I'm guessing with the mash. Used a German Pilsner Malt + light dry pilsen extract....Saflager S-23 yeast

 

[Halfakneecap]

Cant really compare the colour in your fermenter in the fridge to in the glass outside in the light. When in the glass and not in a fridge it will be a much lighter colour.

Wait til its in the glass and see

 

[stamandster]

Just call it a Vienna lager

 

[jdauria]

Ignore the color when looking at it in the fermenter like that...light refraction plays tricks on the color. Have had plenty of golden colored beers look reddish in the fermenter. You want to know if it's golden, use a wine thief and pull a sample.

Here's an example of light refraction...this was a crystal clear golden colored Pilsner on brew day before transferring to fermenter. Looks red as heck in the brew kettle.

 

[monkeymath]

I have to strongly disagree with previous comments about the colour being off.
Wort in the fermenter always looks much darker than in the glass, it's just a matter of volume. It might be just right in the glass - it might also be off, it's just impossible to know from the picture.
(And even in the glass, a lot hinges on lighting etc.)

If you used pilsner or 2-row, the colour is most likely to be at least in the ballpark. Wort doesn't just turn red on its own.

 

[MaxStout]

How long did you boil? A lengthy boil can darken the wort.

As others mentioned, the color as seen in a glass may be lighter. That's the true test. Next time you draw a hydrometer sample pour it into a glass.

 

[Sailingeric]

I like a nice light colored lager/pils but if still taste good, go with it.

 

[Peaty Jones]

The colour is totally different in the fermenter where you have a wast amount of it. Mine was red/brown in the kettle and brown in the fermenter. After clearing up at 1-2C temp for 8wks it was clear and gold colored. Approx 4-5srm. There are calculators online where you can put your recipe and it will calculate the final color. On my case it was spot on.

 

[wepeeler]

Looks fine to me. Color is majorly deceiving in the fermenter. The red top doesn't do it any favors. She'll be a beaut when she's kegged and carbed. If not, then we'll need more info on your process.

 

[Bramling Cross]

Fermenter pictures are always a bit deceiving, here's a picture of the pils I currently have in the fermenter. It even looks like that in the keg.

Somehow it seems to wind up looking like this in the glass.

I'm inclined to agree with ClaudiusB, I think you're going to come out more on the gold side side of things. That's nothing to be ashamed of or upset about--certainly not for your first stab at a pils! There are harder beers to brew than a pils, but there are many more easier beers to brew. It's going to take a bit of work and a few tries on your part, but it looks like you're off to a solid start.

Are you brewing with extract or AG?

As for whether it'll clear more, it absolutely will. But that assumes you have solid calcium levels in your beer and your pH wasn't terribly out of whack. You can also add finings to help it along.

Are you kegging or bottling?

Be proud of yourself, your first try looks a helluva a lot better than the swill I made on my first swing.

 

[Sailingeric]

Looks fine to me. Color is majorly deceiving in the fermenter. The red top doesn't do it any favors. She'll be a beaut when she's kegged and carbed. If not, then we'll need more info on your process.

I think what you mean is, bottle it and send it to us for disposal

 

[fluketamer]

yeah i bet its fine. it will be much lighter in the glass than what it is now in the fv . i am surprised no one asked you yet but what was your recipe?