rayandkerry
Member
Hi, all.
This is my first real post. New brewer, long time lurker.
By far, my favorite commercial beer is Pilsner Urquell. Just LOVE the stuff. So my first batch was a modified version of the first Pilsner Urquell extract recipe I found on the web, using an ale yeast. I call it Pilsner Urq-Ale! ;-)
Heres the recipe I used: http://store.homebrewheaven.com/articles/PilsnerUruquellRecipe.htm
I didnt have the grains it called for, so I used the used a pound of Pilsner malt I bought at my LBS instead, and used a smidge less DME (as 1 lb of grain was more than the above recipe called for). Most everything else was as specified in the recipe.
At the suggestion of a guy at my local brew store, I chose Wyeast 2112 and fermented in basement between 59-62 F for 8 days, then moved it upstairs to 65-68 F for another 10 days. From there I put it in the keg and into the fridge. A couple of days later I hooked it up to the CO2 and was drinking it just a little less than 4 weeks after brew day. Its delicious!
But...it is quite a bit stronger ABV than Pislner Urquell, which is 4.4 ABV. My Pilsner Urq-Ale is somewhere between 5.6 and 6.0 ABV , which means I have to drink GASP less beer! So something must be done! OK, not really, but I want to try any ways just for the sake of fun and learning.
So, starting my previous batch, what are your opinions on the best way to drop down the ABV to about 4.5% without making it lame? I have done a number of searches and don't want to do anything drastic like boiling after fermentation, freezing, etc. And I don't want REALLY low ABV, just a bit lower perhaps. I am hoping to make a small tweak to the ingredients and process to get there...not sure if that is realistic.
Based on my lurking around this and other brew sites, I am guessing that I might want to use a higher percentage of steeping grains than the last batch and use less DME. I am also guessing that if I steep the grains at a higher temp than 150 F it would help with body and mouthfeel?
So what kind of ABV could I expect if I modified the 5.75 lb DME with 1 lb crushed grains I used on the first Pilsner Urq-Ale (which produced 5.6-6.0 ABV) by swapping out 1 lb. of DME for 1 lb of crushed grains? So it would be 4.75 lb. DME with 2 lb. crushed grains.
Any advice you can offer on how to calculate the ABV ahead of time would be greatly appreciated, as would any advice on how high to go with the steeping temperature and how long to steep (I steeped at 150 F for 30 minutes) would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, all!
Ray
This is my first real post. New brewer, long time lurker.
By far, my favorite commercial beer is Pilsner Urquell. Just LOVE the stuff. So my first batch was a modified version of the first Pilsner Urquell extract recipe I found on the web, using an ale yeast. I call it Pilsner Urq-Ale! ;-)
Heres the recipe I used: http://store.homebrewheaven.com/articles/PilsnerUruquellRecipe.htm
I didnt have the grains it called for, so I used the used a pound of Pilsner malt I bought at my LBS instead, and used a smidge less DME (as 1 lb of grain was more than the above recipe called for). Most everything else was as specified in the recipe.
At the suggestion of a guy at my local brew store, I chose Wyeast 2112 and fermented in basement between 59-62 F for 8 days, then moved it upstairs to 65-68 F for another 10 days. From there I put it in the keg and into the fridge. A couple of days later I hooked it up to the CO2 and was drinking it just a little less than 4 weeks after brew day. Its delicious!
But...it is quite a bit stronger ABV than Pislner Urquell, which is 4.4 ABV. My Pilsner Urq-Ale is somewhere between 5.6 and 6.0 ABV , which means I have to drink GASP less beer! So something must be done! OK, not really, but I want to try any ways just for the sake of fun and learning.
So, starting my previous batch, what are your opinions on the best way to drop down the ABV to about 4.5% without making it lame? I have done a number of searches and don't want to do anything drastic like boiling after fermentation, freezing, etc. And I don't want REALLY low ABV, just a bit lower perhaps. I am hoping to make a small tweak to the ingredients and process to get there...not sure if that is realistic.
Based on my lurking around this and other brew sites, I am guessing that I might want to use a higher percentage of steeping grains than the last batch and use less DME. I am also guessing that if I steep the grains at a higher temp than 150 F it would help with body and mouthfeel?
So what kind of ABV could I expect if I modified the 5.75 lb DME with 1 lb crushed grains I used on the first Pilsner Urq-Ale (which produced 5.6-6.0 ABV) by swapping out 1 lb. of DME for 1 lb of crushed grains? So it would be 4.75 lb. DME with 2 lb. crushed grains.
Any advice you can offer on how to calculate the ABV ahead of time would be greatly appreciated, as would any advice on how high to go with the steeping temperature and how long to steep (I steeped at 150 F for 30 minutes) would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, all!
Ray